The FCPS Board of Education has made arguments against parental notification that are based on their desire to ensure a child’s emotional and physical safety. They have stated that a child must have a safe space to be themselves, and notifying parents wouldn’t be in the best interest of that child’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. They have provided a number of reasons to justify their decision, each of which we’ve disputed.

The FCPS policy that precludes Frederick County schools from notifying parents if their child chooses an alternative gender, name or identifies as transgender is not likely to change. So where do the individual board members stand on a parent’s right to know?

FCPS and most Maryland schools are not just welcoming transgender and gender non-conforming students but have built and supported a system that is actively encouraging children to make gender choices.

FCPS and most Maryland schools are not just welcoming transgender and gender non-conforming students but have built and supported a system that is actively encouraging children to make gender choices.

Children do not normally show up at school unsure of whether they are a boy or a girl or suffer from some anxiety or distress that’s related to their being in the wrong body. The instance of true gender confusion is extremely rare. Why is it that the instances of gender confusion in schools has and is increasing so rapidly?

There are policies and regulations in FCPS that provide substantial protection and establish a welcoming environment for transgender and gender non-conforming students in FCPS, and they’ve been in place since before 443.

The FCPS board rejected not only these recommended changes but every recommendation we made, leaving the six-year-old out-of-date policy unchanged and intact. The board also refused to meet with us to review the medical and scientific data that supported the rationale for our recommendations and would not provide the justification for their decision.

Did you know that three of the top charter schools in Maryland are right here in Frederick County? The Frederick Classical Charter School, the Monocacy Valley Montessori Charter School, and the Carroll Creek Montessori Charter School all ranked in the top five according to NICHE research. And according to Stanford University, charter schools are outperforming traditional public schools across the country.

FCPS Board Member states that prayer during a public comment made him feel “uncomfortable” and asked the public to think about other ways to express themselves.

In legislation that echoes the same goal as recent similar legislation in Maryland, California legislators have proposed making any parent that doesn’t affirm their minor child’s transgender choice (or isn’t “gender–affirming”) guilty of child abuse.