Concerning Documents and Definitions at the TVDSB
Keeping Secrets from Parents Policy
There are many policies and documents on the Thames Valley District School Board website that may be concerning to parents. Probably the most disturbing document is the TVDSB Guideline for Inclusive Learning Cultures: Supporting Trans and Gender Diverse Students & Staff. This policy is a direct attack on parental rights. The policy in this document advises staff not to divulge the child’s or youth’s “trans/gender diverse status” to parents, thereby directly attacking parental rights.
Instead, the teachers (and staff) are forced to collude with the child/youth about this change and lie to the parents. This policy is not only appalling and disrespectful to the parent but also places the teachers and staff in an incredibly challenging predicament where they are obliged to mislead the parents. We are seeing new polls showing that the majority of Canadians do not agree with schools keeping secrets from parents.
It should also concern parents who have children in the Thames Valley District School Board that there is no age limit when it comes to this “keeping secrets from parents” policy. It is the child’s decision entirely.
It may also concern parents that any student can use a washroom that corresponds to their “gender identity”.
Are there other concerns? Unfortunately, yes.
The Dress Code Policy
Thames Valley District School Board dress code policy lists some concerning definitions in their guide.
Heteronormitivity
Heteronormative refers to the belief that people fall into only two distinct and complementary gender identities (male and female) with natural roles in life based entirely upon the biological sex assigned at birth. It assumes that heterosexuality is the norm or default sexual orientation, and that sexual and marital relations are most (or only) fitting between people of opposite sex. A “heteronormative” view therefore involves alignment of biological sex, sexuality, gender identity and gender expression and roles. This socially constructed and dominant idea is biased, prejudicial and discriminatory to all non-cis gender identities and nonheterosexual orientations and is the foundation of heterosexism, transphobia and homophobia.
So, according to the definitions in TVDSB’s dress code policy, if you believe that heterosexuality and marriage between a man and a woman are the norm in society you have a view that is biased, prejudicial, and discriminatory.
Apparently, this view is also offensive to non-cisgender identities.
Cis-gender
The TVDSB trangender guidelines document provides us with the definition of cisgender:
Cisgender: refers to individuals having a gender identity that is congruent with one’s sex assigned at birth (e.g. both sex assigned at birth and gender identity are female).
According to the TVDSB dress code guide, cisnormative is a socially constructed and biased assumption (that most of us likely hold):
Cisnormative refers to the socially constructed and biased assumptions that all human beings are cisgender (only male or female), have only a male or female gender identity which matches the biological sex they were assigned at birth and, therefore, a congruent male or female (binary) gender expression to match.
Side note: interesting history of the term cisgender:
Use of the term “cisgender” has been steadily rising in popularity over the past decade, largely due to the push of trans activists who define the word as the opposite of “transgender.” However, few users of the term are aware that it originated with a German sexologist who also believes pedophilia is a sexuality.
It is worth noting that according to the TVDSB Guideline for Inclusive Learning Cultures: Supporting Trans and Gender Diverse Students & Staff a student at any age can make a decision to change their gender without parental consent. However, according to the TVDSB’s dress code policy, when it comes to clothing choices, the decision lies with the student’s family, or if the student is 18, they can make the decision on their own. Therefore, technically, a child in kindergarten could change their pronouns without their parent’s consent but they could not make a decision about their clothes.
Definitions of Racism
The definition of racism has changed from the past. Most of us grew up understanding that someone who was racist held biased views against another solely based on the colour of their skin. Not anymore. TVDSB defines racism in a different way. It seems only white people can be racist now:
On the TVDSB webpage for Black History Month, under “Staff Professional Learning Resources”, the Board provides a document entitled, Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in Schooling, Education, and Beyond: Resource Guide
The authors of this document claim:
”Critical Anti-Racist and Anti-Colonial theories serve to interrogate white power and privilege in education. “
The document continues as follows:
“One of the principles of CART is to subvert the persistence of White supremacy, which is pervasive in the Canadian education system.”
On the TVDSB’s website for International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination the Board defines racism in the following manner:
Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred, or discrimination. Racism is when the power elite of one group, the White group, has the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the institutional policies and practices of the society while shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices.
Racism = race prejudice + social and institutional power
Racism = a system of advantage based on race
Racism = a system of oppression based on race
Racism = a white supremacy system
Even if you are not white you too can be racist because your mind can be “affected” by white supremacy.
Internalized Racism: When racism and white supremacy affect the minds of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) to the point where they begin to believe that they are inferior because of their own race. This can sometimes lead to “inter-racial hostility” in which BIPOC treat other BIPOC in a way that mirrors how white racists might treat them. Another way internalized racism can manifest is by BIPOC accepting and internalizing Eurocentric ideals and values.
Does the TVDSB truly believe our education system is based on White Supremacy? Is that what they’re teaching our children? Furthermore, where is the evidence to support such extremist claims? How is this type of divisive rhetoric helping to bring people of all races, and ethnicities together? What happened to focusing on that which unites us (our common humanity) rather than things that might divide? More importantly, how is this definition not racist in and of itself?
Are these policies and definitions concerning to you? If so, please take a stand.
Let your trustees, principals, and superintendents know how you feel about this language and this secrecy policy.
Talk to your child’s teacher about these issues.
Show up to parent council meetings at your schools this year.
Keep your child home on September 20th and join the 1 Million March 4 Children in London or your closest city.
It’s time for parents to take a stand and fight back against the indoctrination of our kids!