Resources: Sexual Orientation and
Gender Identity Matters in the Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools (2019)
Two
and a half years ago, I put together a compendium of links on LGBTQ matters in
MCPS. https://davidfishback.blogspot.com/2017/03/recap-and-resources-sexual-orientation.html
Progress has continued, and it is time to update the information
provided in 2017.
With respect to
curriculum, MCPS enables full discussion of LGBTQ matters in its secondary school health
education classes. See here and here and here. Since the 2014-15 school year,
health education teachers develop their own curricula, based, in part, on
guidance from the American Psychological Association. See here and here.
In August 2019,
the Maryland State Department of Education announced that it was developing
guidance that would urge inclusion of LGBTQ matters in history and social
studies classes. MCPS responded that it
intended to go further to “include ensuring diverse texts in the new curriculum
in English Language Arts, as well as is in
students experiences in PE/health, fine arts, world languages, and other
content areas.”
Discrimination against LGBTQ students has been prohibited for
many years, but that policy took on new strength in 2015, when MCPS
specifically informed principals of new guidelines regarding gender identity
matters. MCPS has strengthened and updated the guidelines annually,
in consultation with many stakeholders. (In February 2017, immediately after
the Trump Administration withdrew the Obama Administration Department of
Education Guidelines on Gender Identity, MCPS issued a statement, noting that
its “guidelines were developed
prior to the Obama administration's guidance, which interpreted federal law to
prohibit discrimination based on students’ transgender status, and our MCPS
guidelines will remain in place notwithstanding the Trump administration's
recent actions, which withdraw the Obama administration’s guidance and leave
this issue for school districts and states to address.” https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?id=5026)
Provided
below are the current pertinent MCPS Policies and Regulations
Guidelines Regarding Student Gender Identity Matters, 2019-20 https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/students/rights/1243.19_GenderIdentityGuidelinesForStudents_ENGLISH.pdf
Note: Subsequent to the publication of the most
recent iteration of these Guidelines, MCPS sought permission from the Maryland
State Department of Education to provide students the option of marking an X,
rather than M for male or F for female in their school records. See https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-offers-new-option-for-classifying-student-gender/)
Employee Code of Conduct,
2019-20
A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities, 2019-20
Student Code of Conduct,
2019-20
MCPS
Nondiscrimination Statement (July 2019)
MCPS Regulation JFA-RA (Student
Rights and Responsibilities) (last revised December 4, 2018)
MCPS Regulation RGT-RA (User
Responsibilities for Computer Systems,
Electronic Information,
and Network Security) (last revised July
2012)
MCPS Regulation JHF-RA (Bullying,
Harassment, or Intimidation) (last revised June 26, 2018)
MCPS Form 230-35 (Bullying, Harassment, or
Intimidation Reporting Form) (May 2019)
(This form is also
available in Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Amharic: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/forms/detail.aspx?formID=40&formNumber=230-35&catID=1&subCatId=44)
MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION GUIDELINES (October 2015)
PROVIDING SAFE SPACES FOR
TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING YOUTH: GUIDELINES FOR GENDER IDENTITY
NON-DISCRIMINATION: A guide to laws, regulations, and best practices for use in
schools.
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