Education

Report: 199 VT schools allow student gender transitions to be kept from parents

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By Guy Page

A national education watchdog group says dozens of Vermont school districts have policies that may allow student gender transitions to be kept from parents, according to a report released April 20.

Defending Education identified 37 Vermont school districts and supervisory unions — representing 199 schools and more than 52,000 students — with policies it says permit staff to withhold information about a student’s gender identity from parents in certain circumstances.

The report also states that many of the same policies allow students to participate in sports and use facilities based on their gender identity.

The group’s findings are based in part on guidance issued by the Vermont Agency of Education, specifically its 2016 “Best Practices for Schools Regarding Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students.” That document has been used as a model for local district policies across the state, according to the report. The 2016 policy can be viewed, and downloaded, in the report.

Among the districts listed are Burlington School District, Champlain Valley Unified School District, Montpelier Roxbury School District, and Winooski School District, along with numerous supervisory unions statewide. See full list below.

The report raises concerns about parental notification and involvement. It says some guidance instructs school personnel to prioritize student privacy, particularly if disclosure to parents is believed to pose a risk to the student.

The Vermont Agency of Education guidance emphasizes creating supportive environments for transgender and gender-nonconforming students, including respecting students’ names and pronouns and ensuring access to programs and facilities.

The report does not evaluate how frequently such policies are applied in practice, nor does it include responses from Vermont school officials or state education leaders. VDC has reached out to several of the schools listed below and will publish results from them, or other districts, as they are received. 

The districts cited in the Defending Education report include (see policies by clicking on link):

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2 replies »

  1. This is not like a policy on the use of nicknames or one that prohibits dark-soled shoes on the gym floor. Their reasoning, and what they refer to as a “best practice” is that “disclosure to parents is believed to pose a risk to the student”? Common sense should dictate that withholding such substantial info from parents is posing a much greater risk. It sounds as if Defending Education is one of those pesky watchdog organizations that the left would like to define as a “hate group” and have it banned. The public education system in Vermont is not only financially irresponsible but also socially reckless.

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