Teacher Explains How She Hides Students Transitioning From Parents, Regardless Of Rules
responding to a transition question proposed to her – “What is your opinion as a teacher on students who want to be called a different name but say not to tell their parents?” This teacher’s response may or may not surprise you.
A short Tik Tok video was posted to the Libs of Tik Tok Twitter account and it shows a teacher responding to a transition question proposed to her – “What is your opinion as a teacher on students who want to be called a different name but say not to tell their parents?” This teacher’s response may or may not surprise you.
She begins with, “I never tell parents, period.” For emphasis, the teacher points to the camera while saying period. The teacher then goes on to explain that students get a survey at the beginning of the school year that touches on transition aspects asking for preferred names and pronouns while also asking students to tell teachers what they would like to be referred to as when or if the teacher has to call home.
Here’s the video…
“So, then I just make sure when I am calling home, I use what they prefer,” the teacher admits. Then she adds the coup de grâce, “Even if someone told me I couldn’t do that, and I couldn’t call them whatever they want or the pronouns they want without parent permission…” here she pauses for dramatic effect while leaning into the camera, “…I would still do it.” The teacher who prefers to keep a student’s transition a secret then signs off with a knowing laugh.
The responses to this video were quick and brutal. Very few sided with the teacher and her tact concerning kids who want to transition, but keep it from their parents.
This short Tik Tok video is at the heart of an issue surrounding parents’ rights, students’ rights, and transparency in public schools. Who, if anyone, does the child go to with their gender identity issues? Are teachers allowed to keep in confidence a student in transition or is this something parents should be made aware of?
While many were outraged, some were in the teacher’s corner with her response.
These are the tough questions being asked by educators, parents, and even the brave students who have come out expressing their preferred gender. Where is the line? Gender identity is now being taught in public schools as early as kindergarten. 5- and 6-year-olds are seeing things like the Genderbread Person, or the Gender Unicorn, to help them decide what gender they identify as.
The above teacher isn’t the only one who has taken to social media recently to discuss how they handle student transition. A California middle school vice-principal sent out an email to her staff explaining how to deal with a student in transition by hiding it from the student’s parents. She explained that the parents “DO NOT KNOW” and says to make sure they (the teachers) put it in their notes to refer to the student as their transition name, but on any information going home they are to refer to the student as their given name.
We recently reported on a teacher who decried classroom ridicule toward students in transition, saying at first, he had to be really strict on the students who made jokes toward any student who was struggling with their gender identity. To combat that, he would in turn make jokes about students who felt it necessary to ridicule those searching for their gender identity.
The issue is not going away. Teachers are becoming more bold in hiding important issues from parents. Parents, for their part, are becoming more bold in fighting to take back control of their kids.
