October 4, 2022

The discussion was specific to emergency contacts but reveals something parents need to be aware of.

The committee discussion was initiated after notification was received by the BOE that FCPS phoned an authorized emergency contact and used the student’s preferred pronoun during the conversation, which apparently differed from the biologically connected pronoun the student used outside the school. The emergency contact was unaware of the student’s pronoun choice. This created issues with the student, the family, and “a tremendously difficult situation for the staff,” according to board member Liz Barrett.

Changes to the emergency contact process were the focus of the discussion but the event underscored how parents and FCPS can take independent and different actions in executing what each thinks is best for a student when it comes to the topic of gender identity choices. Under policy 443 FCPS offers a student the opportunity to choose a pronoun and then facilitates its use within the school system. The policy allows this choice to be kept from the parents. (For more on this see previous article by clicking here.)

This sets up an unusual situation – when there is a difference between how the family wants to handle the topic of nonconforming genders and/or their child’s gender choice or confusion** and how FCPS handles it under 443, in many instances only FCPS is aware of the conflict.

One can argue for or against policy 443 but its presence, as written, has created a situation where FCPS is keeping information from parents on their child’s choice of gender pronouns and a student’s decision on whether they are possibly transgender. Parents should make sure they are clear on this and voice their concern if they do not agree.

This question of notification (and transparency) is separate from whether gender identity should be introduced into the FCPS elementary schools, which is covered in previous articles available on this site. The question relative to policy 443 and FCPS now is who should be in control of how the topic is handled with a child as he or she develops. One other question parents should consider is whether there is any other situation where a condition, acknowledged as an affliction by the American Psychiatric Association, where the school system would not notify the parents. Here Gender Dysphoria, or the potential signs that it may be present, seem to uniquely kept from parents.

*Policy 443:Creating Welcoming and Affirming Schools for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students

**The condition of gender confusion is a rare condition acknowledged by the American Psychiatric Association as Gender Dysphoria. It can occur at any age and is present in less than one tenth of one percent of the population.