VA Department of Education Releases New Proposals Changing How School Systems / Personnel Handle Gender Issues

Did you know that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has released proposals changing how school systems and personnel handle issues of gender? The far-reaching proposals affect language, school records, parental involvement, dress codes, bathrooms, locker rooms, field trips, extracurricular activities, and more. 

As a public service, here is the text in its entirety:

https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/GetFile.cfm?File=C%3A%5CTownHall%5Cdocroot%5CGuidanceDocs_Proposed%5C201%5CGDoc_DOE_4683_20201208.pdf&eId=c88e8b38-0b61-495c-b4b5-bad1b745bd0d&eId=ba2a2c32-3602-4793-a87a-c65e1e2bba9a&eType=EmailBlastContent&eType=EmailBlastContent&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=680533cc-5199-403c-991f-fde320fe86b1

Page 1 has a lovely red heart and boasts “VIRGINIA IS FOR LEARNERS.” As a teacher since 1987, I wonder how much learning is going on across Virginia since most public school students have been kept from in-person instruction–completely or partially–since March 2020. But that is perhaps an issue for another column.

The VDOE has a page open to take public comments on this issue. The page will stop taking comments at 11:59 pm on Wed. Feb. 3, which seems soon for an issue of this scale and magnitude.

Also as a public service, here is that link:

https://www.townhall.virginia.gov/L/comments.cfm?GDocForumID=452&eId=ba2a2c32-3602-4793-a87a-c65e1e2bba9a&eType=EmailBlastContent

– Scott Dreyer