This school district could do something brilliant to support trans students
Kluge originally called pupils by their surnames (David McNew/Getty Images)
Public schools in Portland could do something great to support its transgender students.
The public school board in the city in Maine will vote on Tuesday on a new policy described as “transgender and gender-expansive student policy”.
The new policy will bolster support for any transgender student in the school district.
(Getty)
It would mean support for trans students from teachers and staff, even if the parents do not approve of the student’s transgender identity.
It would mean that the district would “abide by the wishes of the student with regard to their gender identity and gender expression while at school.”
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The policy would mean that all school staff are provided with training on how to address transgender students.
This includes the use of gender-appropriate pronouns and preferred names to address students.
It would include training on those who identify as male or female, both and neither.
Speaking to the Portland Press Herald, one trans student, Alexander Fitzgerald said: “It’s a good official first step … I feel like I can be myself here.”
Teacher in school
“It will be nice to know that it’s the adults’ job to educate each other, and not the children’s job to educate the adults,” Fitzgerald continued.
One of the board’s superintendents, Xavier Botana, told the paper: “The community and board members rallied to ensure that we, as a school district committed to equity, made clear our commitment to support our transgender and gender expansive students … this policy is an effort to do just that.”
If adopted, the district would become one of the first in the state of Maine to do so.
The new policy was drafted after President Donald Trump moved to roll back gender identity guidelines issued under the Obama administration.
