California governor Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law Monday barring school districts from passing policies that require schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification.
The law bans rules requiring school staff to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person without the child’s permission. Proponents of the legislation say it will help protect LGBTQ+ students who live in unwelcoming households. But opponents say it will hinder schools’ ability to be more transparent with parents.
What this is really about is protecting teachers from retaliation by bigoted parents. When kids grow up in a hostile household, teachers may be the only authority figures they feel safe to confide in.
Not having a mandatory reporting policy for gender identity/pronouns means that teachers do not need to betray the trust of their students to keep their jobs/don’t have to fear losing their jobs for keeping that secret in spite of the policy.
Preventing the requirement doesn’t tie the teacher’s hands in any way.
What this is really about is protecting teachers from retaliation by bigoted parents. When kids grow up in a hostile household, teachers may be the only authority figures they feel safe to confide in.
Not having a mandatory reporting policy for gender identity/pronouns means that teachers do not need to betray the trust of their students to keep their jobs/don’t have to fear losing their jobs for keeping that secret in spite of the policy.
Agreed. My point was that it has not having mandatory reporting doesn’t hinder transparency.
Teaching is already an impossible job without gender reporting nonsense.
Surprised Newsom didn’t veto it.