We all know that there are cases when an abused or neglected child needs help, and sometimes they can find that help from a trusted teacher. Teachers are sometimes the first line of defense for a child who is not safe at home.
Recently grant money was accepted by the State so that each school could identify that “one trusted adult.” Let’s face it, in some situations, children who are abused or neglected would benefit from a trusted adult at school.
That’s why it was interesting to see parents post information on this new program, and then also express their doubts. This may sound good, but some parents weren’t buying it. Some parents began questioning whether this program would be used by school personnel to come between the child and parent. What if that one trusted adult actually happens to be a predator? Maybe there are ways to weed out the creepy teacher but if they are working in the school, they’ve most likely fooled many of the people working there.
It didn’t take long for some parents to show their concerns were justified. In Michigan, parents uncovered gender support plans. Not only did they discover these plans for their children, but they also realized that these plans were supposed to be hidden from parents.
In “Davison Community Schools’ Gender Support Plans for students are created without the consent or knowledge of parents.”
The school district’s document states:
The purpose of this document is to create shared understandings about the ways in which the student’s authentic gender will be accounted for and supported at school. School staff, caregivers and the student should work together to complete this document. Ideally, each will spend time completing the various sections to the best of their ability and then come together to review sections and confirm shared agreements about using the plan.
The gender support plan asks students to name a “’go to adult’ on campus.” The plan then asks the following questions which reveal that parents can be completely left out of this process and plan….
Is it any wonder that parents have become skeptical of this WOKE ideology in the schools? And how are they supposed to trust that “one trusted adult” when we know that so much of this political agenda is now hidden from parents?
I remember as a child bringing home a test that I was not proud of. I didn’t want to show my dad, and cried at the thought of him seeing it. I can only imagine what my teachers would have thought had I shared that with them. My mom brought it to my dad, and then he came down that hall to tell me to do better next time. I had worked up a scenario in my head of how I would get in trouble for a bad grade, and all he said to me was, do better next time. That’s how children react sometimes. They don’t want to let their parents down, but then find out they have nothing to fear.
For some of these kids, they are dealing with other psychological issues like low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. How are these “trusted adults” going to handle that? Children in those situations need expert psychological help that comes from a PhD Child Psychologist who is licensed and follows the APA Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics includes provisions that require the mental health professional to keep parents informed, and requires their consent when their children are assessed or treated.
Professional mental health providers know how easy it is to manipulate and exploit children. Parents are often times the best defense against that kind of abuse. An unethical counselor with no oversight by parents could easily harm a child. That’s what happened a few years ago in SAU16 when the school counselor Kristie Torbick was arrested and later pled guilty to sexually abusing a student she was counseling. Even former Superintendent Chip McGee from Bedford said he was “stunned” based on the wonderful work she did as a school counselor when she was working in that school district. These predators learn how to manipulate, and many are fooled into thinking they are the caring and trusted adults.
There are always going to be those few children who are living in horrible conditions. They will need the State to step in to stop the neglect and abuse. That cannot change, and we all need to support measures that help children in these conditions. But these programs that seek to drive a wedge between parent and child does not help children at all.
Finally, if schools are hiding information from parents, this could possibly violate federal law. The federal FERPA law says:
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.”
Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student’s education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.
If schools are not providing records on their children, parents need to challenge this in court.
If your children are assessed or treated for any mental health condition, school personnel must also acquire parental consent.
This is a requirement in the federal law: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
If your district participates in this program and violates these laws, they need to be reported to the New Hampshire Department of Education where you can file a complaint. School personnel cannot violate the laws that govern public schools, and they need to be reported if they cannot respect parents, and the rights they have as written in law.
