8 La Center School District threatened for telling parents the truth
In March, 2023, La Center school district officials got up the courage to openly oppose Reykdal’s insane policies. The district updated its "gender inclusive schools" policy to involve parents in all discussions about pronoun usage and restrict such conversations in the classroom.
Asking students their preferred pronouns, according to both the policy and district Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz, is an act of "facilitating questioning gender identity or to facilitate gender transitioning." "Curriculum, instruction, and 'Gender-affirming' activities in schools may cause gender-confusion for children," the policy reads under the "Guiding Principles" section.
Rosenkranz sent a staff email instructing teachers to not include a question about preferred pronouns in any getting-to-know-you surveys that teachers have students complete at the beginning of the school year.
In response, a complaint regarding the La Center School District policy was filed to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Author of the complaint, Manny Santiago, the director of the state LGBTQ Commission, said language throughout the policy is dismissive and reflects a lack of understanding of what it means to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
The policy in question is titled 3211P, Procedure: Gender-Inclusive Schools.
At its core, the policy encourages district employees to abstain from any conversations about gender identity in the classroom, arguing that the role of the district is to provide academic education only.
According to state guidance, when a student asks their teacher if they may go by a specific set of pronouns, the teacher and school employees should honor that request. La Center's policy pushes against the guidance and, in one instance, contradicts itself.
Under a section titled "Collaboration Family Communication Protocol," the policy reads, "When a student requests being called by a different name or pronoun indicating a change in gender, we are to honor that request."
When such a request is made, however, the policy instructs staff to inform the principal and the student's counselor who then consult with the student to determine the nature of their home situation and how or if parents should be notified. If a parent asks the school whether their student has requested a name or pronoun change, the school will inform them.
In an interview, Rosenkranz said he would approach every family with the assumption that their intentions and home life are positive and that he and the district would ultimately adhere to the parents wishes for their child, even if they differ from the child's own.
"This is a more family-friendly approach. The state wants us to determine danger of parents, and that's not our role. I'm a mandatory reporter, not a mandatory judger," Rosenkranz said. "The part that folks are gravitating to are people talking to parents — our perspective is why would we deny our kids access to the No. 1 resource in their lives, their parents?
Most important, the state should not dictate policies to local school districts which are contrary to the wishes of the local community.