teacher insensitivities?

[Anonymous]

This may be more of a Southern thing as we do not live in the DC area anymore but I've found that teachers, in their newsletters and weekly e-mails will sometimes write things that could be offensive.

Just referring to two parents vs. other combination of guardians of children or cultural references. Little things that you don't want to rock the boat but could see if they didn't fit the perfect mold, it could be seen as insensitive.

It's not a HUGE deal as there are much larger issues but I notice them. I also notice these type of things happen from older teachers.

[Anonymous]

Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

How strange. I'd've said it was the other way around in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

How strange. I'd've said it was the other way around in Virginia.

There's Virginia and then there's Northern Virginia, two entirely different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

How strange. I'd've said it was the other way around in Virginia.

Not with Youngkin: https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/03/virginia-superintendents-call-for-end-to-teacher-tip-line-collaboration-on-divisive-concepts-report/

I think what you describe is changing, but probably slower outside of certain areas. In my NOVA school we address "families," as a general and inclusive term and we ask kids about their "adults," not their mom and dad, to be sensitive to the many kinds of families our students have. I don't think it's that way everywhere yet, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

How strange. I'd've said it was the other way around in Virginia.

There's Virginia and then there's Northern Virginia, two entirely different things.

Synonymous with there’s DCUM and then there’s the rest of the US, two entirely different things

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

How strange. I'd've said it was the other way around in Virginia.

Not with Youngkin: https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/03/virginia-superintendents-call-for-end-to-teacher-tip-line-collaboration-on-divisive-concepts-report/

I think what you describe is changing, but probably slower outside of certain areas. In my NOVA school we address "families," as a general and inclusive term and we ask kids about their "adults," not their mom and dad, to be sensitive to the many kinds of families our students have. I don't think it's that way everywhere yet, though.

This may be sensitive but it's also depersonalizing. Mom or dad or other adult, or parent or guardian, is less depersonalizing, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may be more of a Southern thing as we do not live in the DC area anymore but I've found that teachers, in their newsletters and weekly e-mails will sometimes write things that could be offensive.

Just referring to two parents vs. other combination of guardians of children or cultural references. Little things that you don't want to rock the boat but could see if they didn't fit the perfect mold, it could be seen as insensitive.

It's not a HUGE deal as there are much larger issues but I notice them. I also notice these type of things happen from older teachers.

Two parents of different sexes that speak English and are American is normal. The world is not going to cater to the abnormal in any area of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may be more of a Southern thing as we do not live in the DC area anymore but I've found that teachers, in their newsletters and weekly e-mails will sometimes write things that could be offensive.

Just referring to two parents vs. other combination of guardians of children or cultural references. Little things that you don't want to rock the boat but could see if they didn't fit the perfect mold, it could be seen as insensitive.

It's not a HUGE deal as there are much larger issues but I notice them. I also notice these type of things happen from older teachers.

So what should it say? Our says dear parents and legal guardians, do you need it to also say lesbian, gay, binary, fluid, transgender, Muslim, Jewish, Jehovah Witnesses… ‘s folks? Why are you so worried about other people being offended?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

How strange. I'd've said it was the other way around in Virginia.

Not with Youngkin: https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/03/virginia-superintendents-call-for-end-to-teacher-tip-line-collaboration-on-divisive-concepts-report/

I think what you describe is changing, but probably slower outside of certain areas. In my NOVA school we address "families," as a general and inclusive term and we ask kids about their "adults," not their mom and dad, to be sensitive to the many kinds of families our students have. I don't think it's that way everywhere yet, though.

This may be sensitive but it's also depersonalizing. Mom or dad or other adult, or parent or guardian, is less depersonalizing, fwiw.

Every kid in the universe knows that mom and dad is standard family. Anything else is non-traditional. Kids in school with two moms or two dads will not be surprised to hear that. Nobody will ever be surprised to hear that. Just stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t ask in Virginia- here teachers can get reported on a tip line if there is a whiff of anything but two married parents from the 1960s in newsletters or anything else from schools.

How strange. I'd've said it was the other way around in Virginia.

Not with Youngkin: https://wtop.com/virginia/2022/03/virginia-superintendents-call-for-end-to-teacher-tip-line-collaboration-on-divisive-concepts-report/

I think what you describe is changing, but probably slower outside of certain areas. In my NOVA school we address "families," as a general and inclusive term and we ask kids about their "adults," not their mom and dad, to be sensitive to the many kinds of families our students have. I don't think it's that way everywhere yet, though.

This may be sensitive but it's also depersonalizing. Mom or dad or other adult, or parent or guardian, is less depersonalizing, fwiw.

Every kid in the universe knows that mom and dad is standard family. Anything else is non-traditional. Kids in school with two moms or two dads will not be surprised to hear that. Nobody will ever be surprised to hear that. Just stop.

I'm just saying that as a former teacher, I was taught to be inclusive and aware of everyone's differences. So when we moved to the South I've been shocked that instead of "families" or smoother catchall, the teacher literally is stating mom/dad parent. We know kids live with their grandparents and all other sorts of configurations.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous!! Perhaps communication should include the nanny too.

[Anonymous]

Something like a third or a quarter of kids are in households with only one parent, so with such a huge chunk of kids in a non-two-parent household, you'd think teachers would be aware of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something like a third or a quarter of kids are in households with only one parent, so with such a huge chunk of kids in a non-two-parent household, you'd think teachers would be aware of it.

So? It doesnt mean the other parent isn’t in the picture. I guess the teacher should draft a special email to each child, specifically address their (so we don’t assume kid has a gender, right, how rude) circumstances… Dear single transgender undefined parent, your genderless child will need to bring an extra snack to school tomorrow… something like that ?

[Anonymous]

This is up there for stupidity even by DCUM standards