‘Moving in the right direction’
Stamford students, school staff push for more inclusive policies for transgender, gender-non- conforming students
STAMFORD — When it comes to supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming students in the district, visibility is key.
That’s a word high school senior Claire Paolini uses a lot to describe the work she has done, with others, to craft a proposed policy specifically for improving school climate for students who are transgender, or who do not identify with typical gender roles and stereotypes.
“Having it in writing shows that the district is being more proactive about it,” said Paolini, a student at the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering.
That’s why she and other students, as well as faculty, administrators, parents and community members, have worked on the policy as part of the district’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer task force. The group, which has evolved over the years, discusses changes to policy, curriculum, student support, and professional development for LGBTQ students.
Part of that work is the transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming youth policy that will be presented to the Stamford Board of Education’s Policy Committee this Tuesday.
The policy addresses
“Having it in writing shows that the district is being more proactive about it.”
Claire Paolini, student, Academy of Information Technology & Engineering
issues such as the use of correct pronouns for students, bathroom usage, and reporting and responding to bullying and harassment. It also lays out guidelines for school personnel. For example, staff are directed not to disclose information that may reveal a student’s gender identity, including to the student’s parents.
Under the proposed policy, the district would also be instructed to correct a student’s records to reflect a student’s chosen name and gender identity, even if the student has not completed a legal name change.
The proposed guidelines also call on schools to avoid the practice of segregating students by gender for different assignments or activities. But in the cases that they do, the policy states, “transgender and nonbinary students should have access to the group that corresponds to their gender identity.”
The document also includes defining terms such as “genderfluid,” and “gender dysphoria,” and calls on the district to provide professional development at least once a year to staff on the policy.
Jeff Bianco, a teacher at Northeast Elementary School and member of the task force, said having such polices in place can go a long way toward helping potentially marginalized students.
“When you look at the research, what really, really helps is having
enumerated policies which actually individually name the populations we’re protecting and are very specific about how to protect each population, because each population’s needs are unique,” Bianco said.
An education organization known as GLSEN, formerly the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, put out a 2019 school climate report that found that Connecticut schools were not safe for most lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer secondary school students.
Many LGBTQ students in the state, according to the report, were not protected by inclusive school policies. According to that same report, the vast majority of LGBTQ students in Connecticut reported hearing anti-LGBTQ remarks in school and most said they experienced some form of victimization.
Only a quarter of the participants said they attended a school district with an anti-bullying policy that specifically addressed sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Even less, about 15 percent, said they attended a district that offered a policy to support transgender and nonbinary students.
The report recommended more inclusive school policies and curriculum, and more professional development for staff, as well as more supportive staff, as a way to improve school climate.
“Students attending schools with these resources and supports report more positive school experiences,
including lower victimization and absenteeism and higher academic achievement,” reads the report.
Bianco, an openly gay teacher, said schools have a duty to honor a student’s wishes about how they are referred to, whether it’s through the use of pronouns or a new name.
However, some have not embraced such concepts, he said.
“We know there are also people who refuse to use those pronouns and names and what they don’t realize is that they are actually violating that child’s rights,” he said.
The history of the LGBTQ task force behind the proposed policy dates back to 2013, when Christine Bisceglie co-founded the Stamford Coalition for Respect, a resource for lesbian, gay , bisexual, and transgender youth.
The group was formed, in part, due to a rash of student suicides that led to a renewed focus on mental health for all students across the district.
Bisceglie, an openly out counselor at AITE, echoed some of Paolini’s sentiments about the importance of a new policy for transgender, gender nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming students.
“A trans student could feel invisible and not recognized by their identity without these kinds of policies,” Bisceglie said. Paolini agreed.
“If administrators actually start a conversation with students, not only does it make those students feel more welcomed, it also can stop misinformation or harmful stereotypes, which thrive when there’s a lack of information or when it’s treated as something that is stigmatized,” she said.
Olympia Della Flora, associate superintendent for school development, said the district is always seeking ways to better support its diverse population.
“I am so proud of the work of this collaborative group, especially our students, for providing their critical voices to help to drive this very important work that will not only have a lasting impact in Stamford
Public Schools but in the community at large,” she said, in a written comment.
Jackie Pioli, a member of the Board of Education, chair of the Policy Committee, and member of the task force, praised the work of students and others in the group to bring the policy to fruition.
“The last thing I want is for students to feel uncomfortable with their sexuality,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of work to do but I think we’re moving in the right direction.”