JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO – According to some parents, a teachers union in the state of Colorado is allegedly protecting teachers from being held accountable for breaking various laws, both at the state and federal level.
The Post Millennial reported that these parents have claimed that some school teachers were instructed on how to “get around” state and federal laws that prohibit schools from conducting surveys about students’ gender identities.
While the school district says that it is “unclear” whether surveys about students’ preferred pronouns are illegal, there are several active lawsuits regarding the issue and according to CBS News. In response to that, school administrators told teachers to “just not go there.”
However, the teachers union told them something completely different. An email from Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) to teachers, said, in part, “If you do a questionnaire, please make sure it is a paper and pencil activity – any digital records are more permanent and may be requested under federal law.”
The email also told teachers to “make your notations about students and not hold on to the documents.”
School board member Susan Miller said in a statement, “The leadership actually provided an avenue to get around the law and basically saying it was OK.”
She then noted that the union, which is supposed to protect teachers, instead put them at risk of losing their jobs and licenses. She added, “I want parents to know the district takes this very seriously.”
Prior to the start of the school year, the district told all teachers that state and federal laws prohibit mandatory surveys that ask kids for protected information and that parents must be afforded an option to opt out of voluntary surveys.
Voluntary surveys are also illegal, unless parents can opt out. Denice Crawford, who has three kids in the school district, said that she was glad to hear that the district sent an email to all teachers reminding them of the laws.
So, when her son came home with a survey asking about his gender identity, she was caught off guard. Her exact words were: “Deceived, lied to, taken advantage.”
“I don’t feel I can trust the teachers," she said. “This is not political. It’s just they’re breaking the law.”
She said she wants “accountability and corrections” just as would happen to “anybody breaking the law.” Crawford is not alone. Parents with Jeffco Kids First said that dozens of teachers have conducted the surveys after their union “advised them” on how to “hide the evidence of them.”
Crawford said that she reported her son’s survey to his principal, but has yet to hear back. She noted that she is not anti-LGBTQ; her nephew is transgender and her daughter is gay.
The teachers union said that the district gave contradictory directions regarding preferred pronouns, but the slide that the district sent teachers at the beginning of the school year was not confusing. “Please no preferred pronoun/gender identity questionnaire," the slide said. "Do not promise to keep information from parents.”
Miller says that the union needs to issue a retraction, adding, “Maybe do a corrective that says, ‘hey we were wrong. We need to abide by the laws written. They are there for a reason.’”
JCEA President, Brooke Williams, would not say why she directed teachers to use paper and to get rid of surveys after noting students answers. She went on to say that parents are “politicizing the issue.”
“By allowing students an optional avenue to share their preferred pronouns while maintaining student privacy," Williams said in a statement, "we can better ensure that students feel safe, respected and validated. We encourage and support educators to follow Jeffco’s district policy which states: School staff shall not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status to others, including parents and other school staff, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.”
The statement added, “Transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information.”
Parents who are concerned said that they are not questioning whether students should be able to share their preferred pronouns or whether transgender people should be outed, but rather why the union told teachers to break the law and hide the evidence.
The Post Millennial reported that these parents have claimed that some school teachers were instructed on how to “get around” state and federal laws that prohibit schools from conducting surveys about students’ gender identities.
While the school district says that it is “unclear” whether surveys about students’ preferred pronouns are illegal, there are several active lawsuits regarding the issue and according to CBS News. In response to that, school administrators told teachers to “just not go there.”
However, the teachers union told them something completely different. An email from Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) to teachers, said, in part, “If you do a questionnaire, please make sure it is a paper and pencil activity – any digital records are more permanent and may be requested under federal law.”
The email also told teachers to “make your notations about students and not hold on to the documents.”
School board member Susan Miller said in a statement, “The leadership actually provided an avenue to get around the law and basically saying it was OK.”
She then noted that the union, which is supposed to protect teachers, instead put them at risk of losing their jobs and licenses. She added, “I want parents to know the district takes this very seriously.”
Prior to the start of the school year, the district told all teachers that state and federal laws prohibit mandatory surveys that ask kids for protected information and that parents must be afforded an option to opt out of voluntary surveys.
Voluntary surveys are also illegal, unless parents can opt out. Denice Crawford, who has three kids in the school district, said that she was glad to hear that the district sent an email to all teachers reminding them of the laws.
So, when her son came home with a survey asking about his gender identity, she was caught off guard. Her exact words were: “Deceived, lied to, taken advantage.”
“I don’t feel I can trust the teachers," she said. “This is not political. It’s just they’re breaking the law.”
She said she wants “accountability and corrections” just as would happen to “anybody breaking the law.” Crawford is not alone. Parents with Jeffco Kids First said that dozens of teachers have conducted the surveys after their union “advised them” on how to “hide the evidence of them.”
Crawford said that she reported her son’s survey to his principal, but has yet to hear back. She noted that she is not anti-LGBTQ; her nephew is transgender and her daughter is gay.
The teachers union said that the district gave contradictory directions regarding preferred pronouns, but the slide that the district sent teachers at the beginning of the school year was not confusing. “Please no preferred pronoun/gender identity questionnaire," the slide said. "Do not promise to keep information from parents.”
Miller says that the union needs to issue a retraction, adding, “Maybe do a corrective that says, ‘hey we were wrong. We need to abide by the laws written. They are there for a reason.’”
JCEA President, Brooke Williams, would not say why she directed teachers to use paper and to get rid of surveys after noting students answers. She went on to say that parents are “politicizing the issue.”
“By allowing students an optional avenue to share their preferred pronouns while maintaining student privacy," Williams said in a statement, "we can better ensure that students feel safe, respected and validated. We encourage and support educators to follow Jeffco’s district policy which states: School staff shall not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status to others, including parents and other school staff, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.”
The statement added, “Transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information.”
Parents who are concerned said that they are not questioning whether students should be able to share their preferred pronouns or whether transgender people should be outed, but rather why the union told teachers to break the law and hide the evidence.
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