When it comes to gender policies, our school district is deeply out of touch with what’s in the best interest of your child.
On November 21, Natick Public Schools confirmed it follows guidance from the state for children undergoing gender transitioning, which can involve secrecy from parents. Here’s what the district told us about its policy:
“In each specific case, a plan is developed with the student. Each plan is different and developed in collaboration with the students and a team of folks at the school, and the parents if appropriate. If a student is developmentally able, we honor their wishes in the planning stages, which may include not revealing this information to their families. If this is the case, we do try to counsel them regarding how to communicate with their families. Ultimately, being able to advocate for yourself is the developmental milestone we look for here, regardless of the age.”
A recent parental rights legal victory involving a Wisconsin school district demonstrates many experts understand it’s in the best interest of children for their parents to be involved any time they face serious issues at school, most especially when it impacts their mental and physical wellbeing. Many experts also agree that changing your name and going by pronouns of the opposite sex is a major intervention in the life of a child that strongly affects mental health and gender identity outcomes.
Experts also note that "leading a double life" is psychologically harmful to children, which our school district's destructive gender policy supports by allowing students to secretly use a different identity at school than at home.
The Wisconsin legal decision also confirms that this is undoubtedly a controversial issue and one where guaranteed parents' rights are paramount:
When will Natick Public Schools change its harmful parental exclusion policy and do what’s in the best interest of children and parents?
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