1. Do you support the HCPSS guidelines that transgender students will have access to restrooms, changing facilities, and sports in accordance with the student’s gender identity? Please explain your answer.

Yes. The guidance is the correct moral and ethical thing to do in order to support students who are transgender.

2. Would you support a policy that codifies the guideline that requires HCPSS staff and non-official documents to use the name and pronouns that a student requests? Please explain your answer.

Yes. HCPSS staff and non-official documents should use the name and pronouns of the student as they request. Studies show that if one person is affirming of transgenders or nonbinary student’s identity, the risk of suicide is greatly reduced. We should work to support students, not work against them.

3. To what age groups (if any) is it appropriate for teachers and other staff members to disclose to students that they have LGBTQ+ family members or are in a same-sex relationship?

Any age student should be allowed to hear about normal, healthy relationships, to include those that are among LGBTQ+ persons. Normalizing the existence of queer relationships should not have age limits.

4. What concerns, if any, do you have with students talking about themselves or family, friends, or community members related to being LGBTQ+?

I have no concerns about students (and staff) talking about themselves or family, friends, or community members being LGBTQ+.

5. Should curriculum be revised to include reference to LGBTQ+ individuals, including the fact or possibility that the individuals were LGBTQ+ identified. If yes, what (if any) is the minimum grade level at which these changes should be made? Please explain your answer.

Curriculum should include individuals that are LGBTQ+, not just reference to them. All curriculum materials should be developmentally appropriate as determined by subject matter experts. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in curricular material should be intentional and purposeful. LGBTQ+ individuals should not be hidden, avoided, or closeted away in our curriculum.

6. Should curriculum be revised to include reference to LGBTQ+ themed works of literature, art, and media, and if yes, what (if any) is the minimum grade level at which this should be done? Please explain your answer.

Yes, because LGBTQ+ literature, art, and media should be normalized, not diminished. Art and Literature challenges us to think differently, to build empathy and compassion, and to find out who we are and what we believe in. Students should have access to literature, art, and media that allow them to see themselves and others in true and authentic ways. It is in art, literature, media that children and adults experience windows into others’ lives and mirrors of their own. These windows and mirrors allow students to be seen and to know they are not alone in their struggles and successes. I do not think there should be grade level restrictions.

7. Should HCPSS make sure schools continue to offer access to LGBTQ+ student clubs like GSAs to their students? At what levels (High? Middle? Elementary?) should this happen? Please explain your answer.

Yes, all schools should offer access to LGBTQ+ student clubs or groups. Students who are LGBTQ+ need allies, spaces to talk and understand, spaces to grow and learn without fear of bullying or reprisal. Currently, there is too much bullying and harassment of students who are LGBTQ+ and because of that, HCPSS needs to have mechanisms in place to help these students to navigate their world. Given that students are entering puberty as early as elementary school, then that is where these student clubs and groups need to be.

8. Do you support the continued funding of programs for LGBTQ+ students at HCPSS such as employing an LGBTQ initiatives specialist and rainbow representatives within the schools? Please explain your answer.

Yes, the LGBTQ+ Initiatives Specialist and the rainbow representatives are critical personnel needed to support our students. I have supported their funding in the budget and will continue to do so.

9. What changes would you like to see made to the way HCPSS handles identification, reporting, interventions, and prevention of bullying?

I would like to see a wholesale culture shift to accept LGBTQ+ youth and thereby not need to change the identification, reporting and interventions regarding bullying. Since that has not yet happened, we need to work harder on prevention and more effectively on identification, reporting, and intervention. The adults in the schools need to be willing to address it at its inception. I also believe that we need to find best practices that have worked in other school systems and adopt them in ours. There is currently a pilot of a social emotional learning program at three middle schools that appears to be effective. This pilot, if ultimately deemed effective, needs to be expanded to all middle schools.

10. What measures should the school system take to prevent suicide among the student body?

The school system should use education, discussion, openness, access to mental health supports during the school day. Silence in this case is deadly. Students need to know they are not alone nor singular in their point of view, their emotions or feelings regarding suicidal ideation.

11. HCPSS has a diverse student population with regard to race, ethnicity, country of origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, disability, family structure, etc. What roles do you think these intersectional identities should play in the school system’s policies and practices in supporting LGBTQ+ students?

I do not believe the intersectionality of the identities should have any bearing on the policies and practices of supporting LGBTQ+ students. We should not limit supporting students based on race, country of origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, disability, or family structure. We should not discriminate in the support of students. Simply put, we should support all LGBTQ+ students.

12. HCPSS has guidelines for gender inclusion (found in https://www.hcpss.org/f/supports/gender-inclusive-guidelines.pdf). Do you support these guidelines and would you vote in favor of a policy that codifies these guidelines? Please explain your answer.

Yes, I support these guidelines. The guidelines are thoughtful and comprehensive. I would support the codification of these guidelines into policy so that the Board can hold the incoming Superintendent to the values and priorities consistent with the majority of our community who support these guidelines.

13. What are your views on training all staff on LGBTQ+ and other diversity related issues?

Sounds like a smart idea if the training is honest, engaging, and effective. Training cannot and should not be performative.

14. How should the school system deal with requests for book removal? How do you prevent those requests from disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+ themed books?

The way the school system currently handles calls for book removal is appropriate. We should trust the subject matter experts on literature and child development that we employ to take care and educate our students every day.

Unfortunately, you cannot prevent those requests from disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+ themed books because the requests are being made by persons who are attempting to erase our LGBTQ+ population. The answer instead lies in standing firm against these incursions into our student’s liberties and freedoms. It also lies in calling out and identifying book banning for what it is–publicly and assertively.