As part of the Texas Accociation of School Boards and MISD policy updates, the district has introduced new policies for teachers and students.
The policies are not only harmful, but they were presented in a way that was intentionally misleading and vague.
Included in the 122 TASB and MISD local policy updates is a section about parent’s rights and responsibilities. The section has a heavy focus on gender and pronouns and how teachers will approch the topics. It bans teachers from asking students for preferred pronouns and requires teachers to tell parents if a student goes by different pronouns or a different name in class. While some of this is straightforward, the name clause can be confusing. It seems specifically geared toward students identifying as transgender, but in text alone it could include students who use their middle name or a nickname at school.
While the policy was passed in the June 25 school board meeting, it was first read in the May 28 meeting with no visual indicators that the parent’s right section had been added. This is diffrent from the rest of the paper, which uses different font colors and strikethroughs to show when a policy is edited. Throughout the paper, things are added in blue text with one exception. The only indicator that the parents right section was added is a code at the top that corresponds to a code in a 102 row chart in on the first three pages. If you don’t know the code or are not looking, it is very easy to look past the new policy.
It does include some important policy changes, including making sure teachers don’t pressure students on LGBTQ+ topics. However, it was presented to staff in a vague and confusing way. Teacher aren’t sure what they can and can’t say. This means that they cannot follow these policies well. The written version of TASB 122 can be difficult to find, much less the section about pronouns and names. Unless one is looking over the school board agenda constantly, it is something that can very easily be missed.
The lack of clarity for teachers, students and parents means this policy is practically pointless. Teachers don’t know what they are supposed to do, parents don’t know the part they play, and students only hear second-hand that having a nickname is no longer allowed. People need more information on the policies passed by the school baord.
Staying up to date on smaller matters like this can be difficult. Finding a local news source can be a good start for most. Watching past school bard meetings online is a good way to get more general information, especially when paired with online board agendas. If long meetings are a bit overwhelming, looking through the agendas can help pair the information down and focus on personal points of interest. Overall, any way to stay informed on what happens in your community is a good one.
