Source: WRAL
Months after its passage, the North Carolina Republican’s version of the Don’t Say Gay bill has been retooled by school districts across the state, and in the coming weeks, parents can expect to see changes regarding information about their student.
The law, Senate Bill 49 also known as Parents’ Bill of Rights, erases lessons about gender identity, and sexual orientation, and threatens educators with disciplinary action if they refuse to out students to their parents.
The controversial law has received condemnation from local parents, and LGBTQ+ groups; with advocates asking a local Title IX coordinator to stop implementing it, according to WRAL.
For months, school districts have weighed in on the implementation of the discriminatory law, with educators and school leaders highlighting the burden caused by SB49, as parents worry about retaining teachers amid a controversial policy.
In 2024, North Carolina parents can expect to see how their local school district implemented the law within their policies; with several school districts considering more inclusive language and clearer guidelines as opposed to the law’s original measures.
“We recognize that Senate Bill 49 may have some negative impacts on some of the students and families, so we have crafted our policies in a way that we will hope protects and families and provides the necessary supports needed,” Bettina Umstead, Durham Public school board chair, told WRAL.
According to WRAL, North Carolina school districts will mandate:
- Parents receiving a guide that includes key school information on requirements for moving up to the next grade level, information on course materials, lists of services available, information on academic programs, information on other private or charter schools their children could apply to attend, among other things.
- Schools notifying a parent of a child’s desire to change their name or pronoun, but only if the child has asked school personnel to call them by a different name or pronoun.
- Banning lessons about gender identity, and sexual orientation.
- Schools notifying parents of health services offered by a school and explain how parents can consent to them.
Many of the other policies are implied under existing laws or policies, while additional measures may differ between school districts.
Read more at WRAL.
