We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who endured another marathon board meeting. You continue to show up and stand for our kids. At 12:13am Friday morning, The CCSD Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to move the Gender Diverse policy forward with some changes. The trustees voted in the following manner:
Trustee Deanna Wright - Yes
Trustee Carolyn Edwards - Yes
Trustee Lola Brooks - Yes
Trustee Linda Cavazos - Yes
Trustee Chris Garvey - No
Trustee Kevin Childs - No
Trustee Linda Young - No
Parents and community members testified for over three hours in front of the board, asking them to revise the policy so that it will protect parental rights and all students' privacy and dignity. In spite of the vote to move the policy forward, there are some positive aspects that emerged from the meeting.
Some of the Trustees seem to be acting in good faith on behalf of families. Several expressed concerns that the language was not clear when it came to protecting parental rights, student privacy and freedom of speech. Although Power2Parent opposed the vote to move the policy forward before the revisions were written, we are encouraged about some of the clarifications they indicated were needed.
The Board of Trustees will bring the Gender Diverse policy language back for discussion at the August 9th board meeting. We will be updating you on specifics language we are looking for in the revision language and announce the details that will be discussed. Please save the date for that meeting.
Thank you for all you do for our children and this community. We will not lose focus as we continue to advocate for truth.
On June 14th, 2018 the CCSD Board of Trustees will be meeting to review and possibly approve a gender diverse policy addressing "the rights and needs of students with diverse gender identities or expressions." The meeting will take place at the Clark County Commission Chambers, located at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas at 6:00pm.
This policy proposal enshrines the supposed "right" of transgender students to access the locker room, restroom, and hotel room that aligns with their gender identity, not biology. Parents will not know if their daughter is changing with, or rooming with a biological male who identifies as female.
CCSD has ignored parents and cowered to radical groups at the expense of other students' privacy and dignity. Please take time to read the proposal and attend the meeting on June 14th.
Ask the Trustees to create a gender neutral option in the policy. This way, every student would have two choices: use the facility that aligns with their biology or use a gender neutral option. No student would be singled out or harmed by policy that covers every individual equally. Businesses and government buildings and school districts throughout the country are using the gender neutral option rather than opening sex-separated facilities to members of the opposite sex.
In the 2017 / 2018 school year, more than 16 CCSD employees sexually or physically abused students entrusted in their care. The Review Journal recently reported that Trustee Deanna Wright allegedly used the power of her office to shield her husband from punitive consequences for abusing two children in his classroom in October 2017 and March 2018. Now, during summer months, they are trying to pass a radical transgender policy. Additionally, Trustee Carolyn Edwards announced in the last work meeting that she plans to bring up a vote this July that would recommend no parental notification requirements when children receive sex education at school. It is inappropriate for trustees to schedule actions on topics of this importance during summer months out of the purview of parents.
In the 2018 / 2019 budget, Trustees set aside $117,000.00 to hire an individual to promote CCSD's virtues and successes because so many parents are fleeing the district for alternative education choices. Parents and stakeholders have attended countless meetings over the years and testified for hours about their right to parent their children according to their deeply held beliefs only to be dismissed and ignored. Given a dismal educational record, broken trust, and obvious contempt for parents, it is clear that our district and elected officials have forgotten who they work for.
In the coming weeks, Power2Parent will be hosting school choice events to give our parents some possible alternatives to CCSD.
Thank you for your continued stance for parental rights!