There is a growing issue in the country sparked primarily by Republicans to win elections. They are basically saying that schools must fully disclose all information to parents.
No one denies it is important parents are well informed regarding the progress their children are making in school. The social aspect of a child's experience in school is often not a topic of discussion with parents and teachers UNLESS the child is experiencing behavior problems that are disruptive. Most social issues in school are handled well by teachers who want to teach and not have a disruptive environment.
The parental rights issue being focused on by Republicans is that schools are keeping secret children that are LGBTQ in nature.
Below are a few references that bring focus to this political scandal being touted by Republicans as important.
It is important children are safe. What form of interaction that takes with parents is a case by case basis. Social workers can easily be involved with any child experiencing gender identity issues IF the child is in crisis. An IEP (Individual Education Plan) can be instituted if the child requires counseling and/or help with family involvement. The important issue is that there is no shame in any of it and families can easily find happiness with their child(ren) if they come together with wholesome expectations.
Abuse can be a problem in households across the USA and yes it can involve child(ren) with gender identity issues, but, the school can play an important role in reporting abuse. All states and I believe it is a federal mandate, that teachers must report abuse to authorities to allow for intervention that can save lives and/or improve the well being of a child and/or a family.
The idea parents need a bill of rights in education is bizarre. Elections bring in people on a Board of Education and a Superintendent of Schools to set policy. Another layer of policies will only confuse the issues at hand. There can be no malevolent policies within schools that would influence gender identity as that itself would be a form of abuse.
PRIVACY to the child and the family is paramount to a good outcomes. Teachers are not autonomously deciding child gender identity issues. That is also abuse and I do believe it can be prosecuted. So, the entire issue is rather political and not practical. In realizing this is a growing political crescendo for Republicans to distract from lack of funding, health care, food stamps and other supports for schools and families; the Democrats needs a well established policy.
It is simply wrong to make children the focus of politics in a way that profoundly effects their lives growing up leading to adulthood. When children are found in legal trouble and spend time within the counts and in child detention facilities those records are sealed. In that lies the answer to the fact these issues are delicate and require privacy and professionals.
By Paul Tracy
In a packed Representatives Hall, (click here) opponents and supporters of the Parental Bill of Rights in Education testified on whether Senate Bill 272 would harm or help children and their parents.
Members of the state’s LGBTQ community came out in force to oppose the bill and held competing rallies with supporters of the bill before the hearing on different areas of the State House grounds.
Members of the Kent Street coalition, wearing vests saying “Peace Keepers” planned to limit conflicts as the LGBTQ community was warned that members of the Proud Boys were expected to be present at the rally in support of the bill.
The hearing began with legislators speaking before the many citizens could get a chance to testify.
State Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, the bill’s sponsor, said there is a need to let parents know why their child is being bullied in school or what is going on and the legislation would allow parents to be informed if they ask.
This would particularly impact those who identify by another gender from which they are enrolled and could lead to conflicts, and suicide, opponents warned....
This is only ONE study regarding gender identity. There are journals filled with studies regarding child gender identity issues and the impact on their lives and their families. Abuse is found within this paradigm and it cannot be ignored in a country where freedom is a mandate and all people should be free to be individuals.
Child Abuse Negl. 2002 Nov; 26(11): 1165–1178.
By Heather L. Corliss, Susan D. Cochran, and Vickie M. Mays
...While there is some uncertainty (click here) about the ways in which individual characteristics of a child may contribute to risk for maltreatment (Ammerman, 1991), there are some characteristics that do appear to be correlated with the occurrence of childhood abuse and neglect (Friedrich & Boriskin, 1976). Children with a physical or mental disability (Goldson, 1998; Sullivan & Knutson, 2000; Westcott & Jones, 1999) and those exhibiting opposite sex-linked behaviors (McConaghy & Silove, 1992) experience higher rates of abuse and neglect and overall poorer relationships with their parents. There is also growing suspicion that some who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, either in adolescence or eventually adulthood, may experience higher rates of maltreatment during childhood and adolescence (Tjaden, Thoennes, & Allison, 1999). This may be due to the stigma associated with minority sexual orientation, differences in problem behaviors such as drug or alcohol use (Fergusson, Horwood, & Beautrais, 1999; Garofalo, Wolf, Kessel, Palfrey, & DuRant, 1998; Russell, Driscoll, & Truong, 2002; Saewyc, Bearinger, Heinz, Blum, & Resnick, 1998), and/or gender nonconformity (Harry, 1989)....
