On August 9th CCSD Board of Trustees will be voting on the final language of the gender diverse policy / regulation language. We are working with trustees and the district to make sure that our concerns will be addressed in the final language draft.
Our most important goal in developing this policy is to uphold the right of every child to feel safe and respected at school. In our diverse culture, the best way to accomplish this is to create policy that applies to each student equally without placing the needs of one student over another. The final draft has not been released, but we are looking for the following points to be addressed:
Every campus should have a gender neutral option for restrooms and locker rooms that can be used by anyone. Sex-separated facilities will still exist, but a gender neutral option should be available to any student for any reason.
Overnight field trips pose a delicate challenge with respect to student privacy, parental notification and consent. Power2Parent supports CCSD's current practice allowing a gender diverse student to choose friends with whom they wish to share a hotel room. Notification and consent from the parents or guardians of all potential roommates must be obtained.
Parents are against teaching gender ideology in the classroom under the guise of anti-bullying. Teaching children that gender is fluid and not related to biological sex undermines deeply held beliefs by many in our community. Schools should reflect neutrality on social issues. Any anti-bullying education should teach kindness and friendship rather than promoting individual lifestyles. Power2Parent has requested a written provision in this policy stating that gender ideology will not be taught to students K-12.
The Nevada State Department of Education requires additional diversity training to all staff pursuant to SB225 made law in 2017. Trainings regarding gender diverse students should be provided by the CCSD Equity and Diversity Department rather than using outside entities or organizations. Paying for training or providing contracts to outside advocacy groups is a waste of limited resources.
We anticipate the release of the final language around August 3rd. We will update you as soon as the draft is posted. Please mark your calendars for August 9th and plan to attend the meeting. We will follow up with time and location. Your engagement has been key in shaping policy language that will affect every student in the district. We are grateful for your continued support.
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