After four grueling hours of acerbic public comment and discussion by the Orange Unified board members, the school district became the latest in California to adopt what’s called a parental notification policy.
The policy requires a certificated staff member or principal to inform parents if their child — who is under the age of 12 — requests to use different names or pronouns or asks to change sex-segregated programs like athletic teams or changing facilities that differ from the student’s “assigned biological sex at birth.”
Related: Orange Unified approves transgender parental notification policy
If the student is over 12 years old, it is up to the discretion of a school counselor or psychologist to decide if they think it is appropriate to report the information safely to the family.
In addition to the clauses regarding sexual identity and expression, the policy states that if a child is showing signs of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions or has experienced any significant injury, families will immediately be notified by the school.
Per the policy, the family will be notified by writing as soon as reasonably possible and will have five days to respond.
“This decision was prompted by our commitment to being sensitive to the diverse circumstances of our students’ families,” said Trustee Madison Miner. “We recognize that some parents are juggling demanding work schedules, while others may be challenging to reach due to various reasons. By allowing a few extra days for contact, we aim to accommodate these situations and ensure that parents are informed and engaged in their child’s education.”
The Orange Unified Education Association, however, said the policy is “unnecessary, divisive and evidence of management malfeasance.”
The policy, said OUEA President Greg Goodlander, “does nothing to improve instruction or learning in our classrooms, is a political distraction, fiscally irresponsible and fails to empower…
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