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Public School Administrators Start Training For Transgender Nondiscrimination Policy

Elaine Thompson
/
AP

Pittsburgh Public school administrators began training for the district’s new transgender nondiscrimination policy which goes into effect this school year.

Vanessa Davis, executive director of THRIVE, said the policy, which will allow transgender and gender expansive students, those who identify outside of gender categories, to use pronouns, names and bathrooms they identify with, is a large undertaking. Any change stemming from the policy won’t come overnight, she said.

“There needs to be a big culture shift in understanding of gender,” she said.

That leaves the question of how culture shift is measured in a school district. Davis said one way is by tracking the changes in health and education outcomes from LGBT students.

“And if we’re seeing more students who identify as LGBT with less absenteeism and are struggling less with peer acceptance and are participating more in their education but also those extracurricular activities,” she said.

It’ll also be measured in the immediate concrete changes such as the language used in enrollment forms for identifying gender and creating a structure for changing a student’s name on school records.

“While those steps are going to take some time, along with doing things like identifying people to be on a point team to support transgender students, down the road more education of those folks is going to need to happen,” she said.

Davis described the support team for transgender students as filled with people students feel safe talking to. Those people will also help train others in understanding gender, building empathy and checking their own privilege.

The policy requires teachers and staff to use a student’s preferred pronoun and name without a legal change.

Davis helped write the policy that was unanimously approved in July by the School Board. It also brings the district into compliance with state and federal standards for bullying, harassment and discrimination.

In May, President Obama’s administration directed school districts to, “provide transgender students equal access to educational programs and activities even in circumstances in which other students, parents or community members raise objections or concerns.”

The directive also said students could use the bathroom of the corresponding gender with which they identify.

Soon after, several states, not including Pennsylvania, sued the federal government.

Training will continue before school starts this month to educate staff on how to address issues as they arise, and how to support students when they want to transition their identity within the school.