Welcome everybody. Noting that a quorum is present, I hereby call this regular board meeting of the Board of Trustees of Katy Independent School District to order.
Katy ISD · Regular Board Meeting Agenda
Katy ISD Regular Board Meeting, August 28, 2023
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In this meeting
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- 0:03 to 1:25 1. Call to Order
- 1:25 to 4:18:23 3. Public Comment
- 4:18:23 to 4:18:48 4. Closed Meeting
- 4:18:48 to 4:19:37 5. Reconvene from Closed Meeting
- 4:19:37 to 4:32:18 6.1 Strategic Design 1.3 Elementary Literacy Update
- 4:32:18 to 4:34:11 6.2 Update on Voluntary Benefit Products for Plan Year 2024.
- 4:34:11 to 4:36:44 7. Consent Items
- 4:36:44 to 5:52:14 7.13 Consider Board approval of FFJ-Student Welfare: Parental Authority and Gender Fluidity Matters.
- 5:52:14 to 5:52:32 9. Future Meetings
Full transcript
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1. Call to Order
Today is Monday, August 28, 2023, and the time is 5 p.m.
Dr. Gorgorski, will you verify that we are in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act with regard to the notice for this meeting?
Mr. President, I do confirm we're in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meeting Act for our meeting tonight.
Thank you.
KDIC Police Officer Sergeant Clarence Howard will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
honor the Texas flag I pledge allegiance to thee Texas one state under God one and in the business
do we have any scouts in the audience this evening the next item in business is at this
3. Public Comment
This time the Board of Trustees will give members of the public an opportunity to speak
in accordance with Katy ISD Board Policy BED Local.
As defined by Board Policy, speakers who signed up by 2 p.m. on Monday, August 28, 2023, provided
their first and last name and signed in 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting
will be allowed to address the Board.
Speakers who signed up to speak on posted agenda items will be allowed three minutes
to speak.
If a speaker is not finished speaking at the end of their three minutes, the audio will
turn off.
If speakers wish to share written material with the Board, please provide 10 copies to
the Secretary for Board Services before the meeting begins for Board members, the Superintendent,
the Chief Communications Officer, and permanent record.
If a speaker has not attempted to solve a matter administratively through proper channels
as stated in Board Policy, the presiding officer's designee shall advise the speaker to seek
resolution through the appropriate policy.
Finally, pursuant to Texas Government Sections 551.074 and 551.0821, the Board will not permit
the presentation of personal identifiable information regarding a student.
they will not discuss the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline,
or dismissal of a public officer or employee to hear a complaint or charge against an officer
or employee.
Should a speaker wish to address one of these issues, they must do so through the appropriate
local grievance policies, FNG local, DGBA local, CKE local, or GF local.
local. Our speakers will be called in the order they were signed up to speak. The
first speaker is Jamie Watson and the speaker after that is Gina DeLeon.
Welcome. Good evening KDISD community. My name is Jamie Watson. My pronouns are she
her. I have been a member of this community for 10 years as both a parent
and a volunteer. I'd like to start by talking about the role of a KDISD board
member. Every member of the board is expected to be a logical visionary who
provides guidance and direction to accomplish the district's vision, mission
and goals and who strives to address the district's future growth. A reflective
investigator who understands the limits of personal knowledge, seeks to expand
that knowledge through all available resources and who commits to continuous
improvement by thoroughly critically and creatively looking for opportunities to
create value oh I'm sorry the board's voting to remove that from their board
policy procedures tonight here it is the Board of Trustees social contract defines
how board members will interact as a governing body they must serve as a
positive example to the students staff and leaders of our community they must
commit their efforts to getting it right rather than being right my apologies
that's actually on the agenda to be removed tonight also the policy
committee which includes Victor Mary Ellen and Morgan has revised the board
operating procedures and removed these items and more thus communicating the
that they no longer wish to serve as a positive example
to our community, as well as their intention
to stop making decisions that reflect the district's vision,
mission, and goals.
They're also hoping to pass a policy that
targets transgender students and is not only unconstitutional,
but endangers our students, places a greater burden
on our already overburdened teachers,
and puts our school district at risk for litigation.
The Policy Committee sought the legal advice of outside counsel at the expense of the taxpayers
to draft this policy, yet many of the citations listed do not support the sections of the
policy they're stated to support.
And the ones that do are interpreted to such a broad extent that the board members were
unable to explain how the case law related to the policy.
The Policy Committee and the outside counsel who helped draft this policy not only failed
to provide an exemption for students over the age of 18, meaning that teachers will be contacting
students who are no longer under the supervision of a parent or a guardian. They also neglected
to address how they would handle emancipated minors. These oversights will undoubtedly lead
to legal ramifications for the district, which will cost money that should be going directly
to serve the students, families, and teachers of our community.
Rebecca Morgan thank you the next speaker is Gina de Leon the next
speaker is Gina the next speaker is Gina please
excuse me let me just add one thing real quick the board shall not tolerate
a disruption of the meeting by members of the audience.
If after at least one warning from the presiding officer,
any person continues to disrupt the meeting by his or her words or actions,
the presiding officer or his or her designee may request assistance
from law enforcement officials to have the person removed from the meeting.
Go ahead. Thank you.
Esteemed members of the board, my name is Gina DeLeon,
and I am the proud mother of a KDISD student.
I am here to oppose the policy regarding parental authority
and gender fluidity matters.
My child is smart, loving, empathetic, funny, and occasionally rambunctious.
And while I do not like labels, they can also be considered gender nonconforming, gender expansive, and perhaps in the future, transgender.
In fact, I only know of such labels because of the research I have done as a parent to help understand and support my child.
I can understand the intent of this policy.
However, with all due respect, there is no one who can tell me anything about my child
that I do not already know.
I would argue that if this is not the case, then there are larger issues at play that
go beyond the educator, beyond the classroom, and perhaps better addressed by a counselor
or family therapist in a safe, caring environment.
This policy is not necessary since gender identity and expression poses no harm or threat
to the student or student body. The more opportunities my child has to express
themselves in the home, in the classroom, and in the world, the better they will be
on their own path to self-discovery. As a cisgender heterosexual woman, I do not
know what it's like to question gender identity, but I do know what it's like to
question oneself. I was told as a child I was born with three strikes against me. I
I was female, I was a minority, and I was poor.
And while I did not know statistically what that meant for me,
I did know how it made me feel, inferior and inadequate.
I think we can all agree that no child should ever have to feel that way.
And even though the world saw me as those things,
I knew who I was inside.
I knew my potential and knew what I wanted to contribute to the world.
Children innately know who they are.
Let us listen to them without judgment and especially for LGBTQIA plus children, we know the alarming statistics they face.
We all want the same things, a safe, equitable and quality education for our children.
So I urge you to reconsider this policy and ask how it is serving its purpose.
Who is this truly protecting and what unintended consequences might occur if implemented?
We must do what's in the best interest of the child, regardless of an educator's personal feelings on gender identity and expression.
The fact of the matter remains, children, innocent children, should be able to show up as their authentic self, regardless of the presumptions the world may have of them.
And at a minimum, we should all agree to protect children. I'm an adult, I can protect myself.
Please reject this policy proposal. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Jennifer Engelsma.
Jennifer Engelsma and after that is Alastair Parker.
Thank you for letting me speak this evening.
My name is Jennifer Engelsma.
I'm here to discuss the proposed KDISD gender policy draft.
KDISD has proposed discriminatory, bigoted, and oppressive guidelines for a marginalized group of children with gender dysphoria in a hodgepodge policy comprised of controversial anti-trans opinion propaganda.
The gender policy promotes bigotry by incorrectly interchanging two fundamentally different concepts, biological sex versus socially constructed gender expression.
The gender policy inadvertently encourages the discrimination and harassment of children who do not categorically fit within normative expressions of gender.
I encourage each of you to vote to reject this controversial policy.
The KDISD gender policy is an unreasonable opinion that places unfair prejudice on children who struggle with gender dysphoria by failing to separate biological sex from gender expression.
Let me break down why they are fundamentally different concepts.
Biological sex extends far beyond the classical pink or blue baby cap classification and instead identifies an individual's status as male, female, intersex, or hermaphrodite.
A birth certificate identified sex is an inadequate identifier for a child's ability to use a restroom or locker room.
Biological sex within a birth certificate is based on a blurry ultrasound using a method
called the nub theory and appearance at birth.
Are children required to carry these ultrasounds and birth certificates at school each day?
Genetics are complicated.
Typically, female sex chromosomes are XX and male are XY.
However, that is not 100%.
Genetic variations are wide in range and include people who have genitals, hormones, chromosomes,
or organs that do not fit into the male-female sex binary.
How will KDISD require children to dress and use restrooms if they were born intersex?
Has KDISD approved the budget for intersex restrooms and locker rooms?
Will our children require biological testing to use the restrooms?
gender expression is a social construct based on what society deems acceptable appearance based
expressions of male female remember the 90s when ultra thin less curvy figures were seen as more
feminine and short hair was viewed as more masculine today females wear baggy pants and
baggy shirts and males wear ponytails and pink socks does this set up our children to question
their gender and use a restroom I trust our children to make the decision
themselves not a birth certificate this policy will be weaponized against all
children regardless of whether or not they have gender dysphoria please
protect all children thank you
Alistair Parker and after that Tana Weiss hello my name is Alistair Parker
I am a student at Cinco Rance High School and my pronouns are he they.
I am a student who would be impacted by this policy.
82% of trans people have reported considering suicide and 40% have attempted.
The majority of those statistics come from people my age and younger.
Of the nearly 4.3 million youth experiencing homelessness, 40% of them are LGBTQ+.
Some people may argue with that.
They may say that those numbers are outdated, inaccurate, exaggerated.
Let me tell you something that isn't an exaggeration.
If this policy is implemented, those numbers will rise.
I am only 17 and in my very short time on this earth, I have met multiple trans people
who have been kicked out of their homes, hurt by their parents, assaulted by their classmates
because they were outed the way this policy intends to do to all of us.
I have had more friends die than I can count on one hand because of the hostility that policies like this create.
This policy perpetuates violence.
Whether you like it or not, by telling people that this kind of treatment is acceptable,
you encourage them to see what else they can get away with, how far they can push before the school pushes back.
KTISD claims to be a place of equal opportunity, a place where every student is equal and bullying isn't tolerated.
But what do you think will happen when you force a trans girl into the men's bathroom?
when you force a trans boy into the women's. Do you think that space is safe?
Let me tell you the answer as a trans person. I have never felt fear, like when I have been forced
into the women's restroom and a random girl starts pounding on the door demanding that I come out and
explain myself. Protecting male and female spaces does not protect us. It does not protect us from
violence or hatred or discrimination. This policy does not protect us. If KTISD allows this policy
to be implemented it will be allowing violence it will be allowing death and as it came from my
friends nix fauna dove tommy dawn ari michael real children with real lives that will forever
remain unfinished death will come here be it by suicide at the hands of parents or the hands of
other students whether you personally believe gender identity belongs in schools does not
matter what matters is that with or without your permission trans children will continue to attend
your schools. Are you going to make this the safe place you promised that it was?
Or are you going to continue to tell them that their lives, their safety, their
comfort, their education does not matter? Your actions today will decide that.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Lisa Lister-Brown, and after that, Sabrina Tellez.
Good afternoon, Dr. Grogorski and Board.
My name is Tana Weiss.
I'm the wife of a Taylor graduate, mother of two KDISD graduates, daughter-in-law of
of a former Katy ISD board member,
a frequent long-term ELA sub in the high school level.
I'm here to speak about agenda item 7.13.
Since you all believe opinions are enough
to make decisions for the students, staff,
and community of the district,
let me share some of my opinions.
Four of you are using rules and regulations
to try to weaponize our teachers
under the guise of protecting our children.
Last week, Ms. Calhoun said she didn't want
the cafeteria employee to know a child by a different pronoun than the parent and could an
11 year old be a cat or a dog miss timmy reminded us as she does every meeting that she was briefly
a teacher and that as a teacher she would welcome the support that these new policies would provide
miss kazella cited the rape of a young girl in a girl's bathroom in a school in another state
without stating the facts that this was because of an open campus in that school.
But again, opinion over facts, right Mr. Perez?
This is not protecting our children.
This is injecting our beloved school district with your venom and hatred disguised as policy.
Cameron, Logan, and Ann spoke at last week's work-study meeting.
They reminded you that even though you are trying to erase the existence of alternative lifestyles that you don't approve of,
removing books that would allow them to see themselves represented, and creating policies that you four seem to see as a
God-given right, you do not speak for the majority of this community, and you do not speak for me.
Dawn, Rebecca, and Lance, you are obviously the voices of reason on this board.
Dawn has attempted to help you four understand that removing the trust that a student has
in a safe person, whether that may be a teacher, a counselor, or another trusted adult, will
jeopardize that student's well-being.
Rebecca has asked the question that we all have.
How do these policies protect our students?
how do they help them prepare for life after KTISD and how do they help them
learn our community was never perfect but we have never had the divisiveness
that we see today that the four of you have created I have dubbed you the 4B
board you are books bellies bathroom banners and you are self-interested and
an embarrassment to our lovely district. Thank you.
Sabrina Tellez and after that Janelle Garoui.
My name is Lisa Lister-Brown and I refer to agenda item 7.13.
Proposing this policy makes this board look very silly
and too silly to be in a position of leadership for the district.
The draft policy is peppered with references to legislation and case law
that make it appear that the policy statements have legal backing and force of law.
But when we look up that legislation or case law,
we see that more often than not there is insufficient or no grounding
in that legislation or case law to support the proposition that appears in the policy.
If there is legislation or case law backing up the policy statements, that legislation
or case law should appear in the policy, not something else.
Persisting with this policy in its current form is not only absurd and very silly, it
is misleading and deceptive.
This community expects and deserves better from its district board of trustees.
The only appropriate thing for you to do now is go back and rewrite ensuring that each
reference to legislation or case law included properly belongs there.
The current board president has said that a lawyer looked over the draft policy but
I encourage every member on this board not to make the assumption that that lawyer did
a good job.
They did not.
This policy simply does not have the legal foundations that it appears to.
Don't persist with this silliness. Take this silly draft off the table and if
there must be a policy on gender, try again. This cannot stand. Another
particularly silly aspect of this draft policy is its definition of gender
fluidity. The term gender fluidity has been misdefined here and it demonstrates
that the drafters of this policy do not understand what gender fluidity really
is. It's like somebody has said here's a definition for sugar and then provided a
description of a recipe for pecan pie. It really is that far off the mark and it
should not be endorsed by this board of trustees, especially for a policy that affects the lives
and the learning environment of vulnerable children at a particularly tender stage of
their development.
If you are going to define the term gender fluidity in district policy, you need to understand
what gender fluidity really is before you include a definition of it in policy.
This definition you've put forward is just wrong. The only way I can describe it is that it's a batty conspiracy theorist's view of what gender diversity is.
Thank you. The next speaker is Janelle Giroux. Thank you, your time is up. Janelle Giroux, please.
Please.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Janelle Giroux.
I'm Sabrina Tellez.
I think we were, I think maybe I was skipped at some point.
I'm sorry?
I'm Sabrina Tellez.
I think I was skipped.
She's above Janelle.
Yes, she's number seven.
Okay.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
My name is Sabrina Tellez, and I have lived in KDISD for over 20 years.
I have three children who attend KDISD schools.
I am here today to ask you to keep an open mind and heart as you make a decision on FFJ
Student Welfare, Parental Authority, and Gender Fluidity Matters.
I acknowledge and respect that everyone is entitled to their own views on gender.
I understand that there are parents and perhaps some of you who do not believe that a child of any age can feel as though
They are not the gender they were assigned at birth on the other hand
Some of us have seen and acknowledged how very real it is when a child not only feels
But knows they are not the gender they were assigned at birth
I am NOT asking those of you who do not believe this to change your viewpoint
point.
I realize that in three minutes or less,
that's simply unrealistic.
I am asking you to not implement this policy so our KDISD
educators can teach our children from their hearts
and so schools can be a safe space for all students.
If that means teachers want to call a student by his or her
preferred name, so be it.
If that means they use the child's requested pronouns,
then so be it.
If that means that students in the LGBTQ plus community want to meet to provide a support system for each other
under the sponsorship of a teacher who believes they need this sense of safety and community, then so be it.
Board President Victor Perez has acknowledged there have been no major issues in the district.
My question is, why implement a policy that is not needed?
Our teachers are clearly capable of navigating this issue using their own best judgment while creating a safe space for students that encourages learning and collaboration.
Why would we take that away from them when there is no reason to?
I have included a handout, which I hope you all have gotten, which summarizes the impacts this policy's implementation could have.
I am confident that none of you would want to contribute to increase suicide rates among any group in our community.
By taking away all support for this group of students, not only gender-fluid students, but also LGBTQ plus students,
we could be taking away the one safe place STEM children have to be themselves and bond with other students who are like them.
Please consider focusing your attention on implementing policies that will set our students up for success and create a safe space for all of our students.
Thank you for considering this request.
Thank you.
Janelle Groulx and then Hannah Thornton.
Hello, thank you. My name is Janelle Groulx. Thank you for taking the time to listen to us today.
I'm not here to convince anyone to accept any pronouns.
What I'm here to talk about is a clause inside of this, inside of this, whatever it's called,
and it's to notify the parent of a child that has decided to use a different pronoun.
I'd like this board to take into consideration the reason these students seek after school
programs, they seek refuge in their school, they seek acceptance in their teachers and
and in their peers is because they have a very hostile,
potentially violent home scenario.
I speak from experience.
I'm an LGB parent.
The woman that spoke before me is my wife.
I have a son who's LG.
So I understand what it can be growing up in a household
where there is hostility that could possibly increase
the risk of suicide.
These students run away from home.
They seek to using substance abuse.
This is a very heartfelt conversation that I'm trying to have with you to reconsider a clause.
That discussion between a parent and the student should happen in their own time.
That student in a high school age is not ready to have a conversation with their parent during those high school years.
They are confusing times.
Those conversations typically happen after college, later in life, and even sometimes they're still not accepted.
That's really all I have to say except for one thing.
All the chiefs on this side of the board, I've been watching you not participate as parents, as a community.
We took our times out of our lives to come and speak.
So please be attentive and listen to all the people that are here.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Hannah Thornton.
Hannah Thornton, and after that, Simon Lin.
Good afternoon.
My legal name is Hannah Thornton.
However, I'm known amongst my peers as Ash.
I'm the secretary of the Tompkins Sexuality and Gender Alliance Club.
And I go by he and pronouns.
I'm here today as a result of the KDIC gender fluidity policy
draft.
As I was reading the policy, I wondered
why would the board, who should be prioritizing students'
education and safety, contradict both of its duties
by placing transgender children in danger at home and at school
and by promoting the erasure of science, psychology,
and history.
It is disheartening that instead of worrying about my quizzes
and tests like everyone else that day,
my worries were focused on the detrimental effects
of this potential policy.
One of the most concerning points
says that teachers must report to parents
if their child identifies as transgender
or uses different name or pronouns.
However, the Trevor Project has already reported
that 62% of LGBTQ youth do not have affirming parents.
As a result, most youth hide their identity from their parents
as coming out would likely result in harassment
or disownment.
Roughly 37% of trans youth report homelessness or housing
instability, compared to the estimated 3%
of the United States youth who experience homelessness
each year, fostering a noticeable connection
between transgender youth and homelessness.
This policy will only fuel distress and fear between students and teachers, leading to a less effective school environment.
The policy states that the district's ultimate goal is to ensure students are safe to learn and to grow, and to not engage in the social transitioning of students.
However, students are safe to learn and grow when they are shown active support from their teachers.
Transgender youth who have affirming school environments report lower rates of attempting suicide and have higher mental health than those who do not have affirmation.
After all, gender dysphoria is mentally taxing for transgender individuals. I would know.
So under this policy, which for the most part will not allow teachers to comply with trans
students, how can we expect these students to focus on their education when they are
fearful of their teachers?
I believe it is safe to say that this policy was not created with a priority on safety
or education.
Furthering my belief that this policy was not created with KDIC's best wishes in mind,
section 1.6 of the policy states that teachers must use the pronouns associated with the
student's illicit biological sex unless given written consent by the parents.
However, teachers are still not required to refer to the students with their preferred pronouns.
No matter what students do or what the parents wish, under this policy, students cannot get the respect that they deserve from the staff.
If the board can force the disrespect of trans students but not guarantee the respect of them, I think that is proof that this policy is moment of failure.
not out of concern for the suits, but the flawed and ignorant beliefs of the board members.
I ask of you all to listen and to perform your duties as the elected members of the board
who should enforce policies based on the will of the KDISD community.
If you want to respect the wishes of KDISD and of the democracy, which is the foundation of our nation,
then I implore you, please listen to the requests and comments of not just the individuals who agree with you,
but of all the individuals you serve.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Simon Lin and after that Kathy Carpenter.
Thank you.
Your name board members and administration.
My name is Simon Lin.
I come here in support of the policy.
Okay.
The first word I want to mention is the word minor.
What is and who is a minor?
Anyone under the age of 18, right?
You know that my sister is a medical physician in this community.
She's an obstetrician gynecologist.
By law, right, she cannot treat a KDIS student that's under the age of 18 without the consent of the parents.
That includes routine exams, that includes surgical procedures, that includes the prescription of oral contraception.
Okay? That's by law. State statute. Right?
We have laws in place, guys, that basically limits, restricts our minors. Right?
You can't vote, you can't own a firearm, you can't purchase firearm, you can't drink or purchase Tabasco unless you're under 21 years old.
They raised the age back in 19 to 21, as you may recollect.
These laws and these policies are to provide protection for that.
And in the case of consent, you can't even get a driver's license or permit without parental consent.
And in KDISD, right, we have to have consent for your children, our children, to participate
in UIL activities.
So the same standard applies.
We may not like the rules, you know, and I'm not talking about the political polarization
of this particular subject, but we're talking about parental consent, right?
Letting parents know what's going on in their children's life.
I appreciate the students that want to preserve confidentiality.
I get that.
but we also have responsibilities as parents to do the right thing and talk
about suicide okay I would also challenge you to think about this if you
don't have a policy in place it does put the district at potential liability if a
student commits suicide if you don't have a firm and clear policy okay I
guarantee I deal with a lot of lawyers I'm not a lawyer myself that plaintiff
lawyer will find a way to say you didn't disclose that information to the family
about the person struggling with gender identity. So think about the legal
liability that you present without having a policy in place. The policy may
not be a hundred percent perfect and that's something we can work towards but
we should have a policy in place that lets. This is a public issue today and
that's why if we're proactive and put something in place it's better than
nothing. Okay thank you very much. Thank you.
Kathy Carpenter and after that Kayla Ingram. Good evening. I will have to
applaud a little bit. Trevor Project's been very busy, very busy training all
these activists, but I want to say thank you for last week's discussion. I thought
it was very good. Their silence of this policy is what destroys our teachers. The
The gay agenda turned our schools into a political background.
Teachers are forced to do what they are told.
It's a do it or lose it situation.
The prestige of our teachers have been diminished by the government that allows North American
Man-Boy Love Association to be part of education.
education. The best way to move past politics is to pass this policy.
Get ahead of the political nightmares that are coming.
They're already here and y'all already know it.
Gotta check your curriculums.
Am I not the prevalent problem that shows up every month?
Why? Because the parents have been removed from their child's education while the activists and media control the political narrative.
The academics that prepare the kids for when they go out into the world should be the only thing taught in education.
education. Why not bring back the PTA but change it to PTR? Parents and teachers reunited.
Thank you for this policy and once you pass it, it will keep the A plus in Katy. Thank
you. Thank you.
Kayla Ingram and after that Megan Lopez.
Hello. My name is Kayla Ingram. Thank you for having me. I'm here today to speak in opposition to the proposed gender fluidity policy on today's agenda, item 7.13 I believe.
As has been previously stated, the National Library of Medical Science has found that
more than one fifth of transgender students have attempted suicide at some point in their
lives, specifically those that are under the age of 18.
More than half of transgender students admit to having seriously considered it.
A published and peer reviewed study that sampled thousands of youths and their communities
has found that the support of a child's gender identity can reduce the risk of them attempting
suicide by up to 40% and that is just with one accepting adult in their life
be it a teacher a counselor a friend's parent their parent with a variety of
supportive adults that risk can be reduced by up to 50% this policy would
remove the possibility of school being an avenue for the support that reduces
that risk and it will endanger the children that I know that you want to
to protect.
Specifically, the policy that district staff will not
utilize any preferred names or pronouns without a permission
slip from parents, and the policy that district staff will
notify parents if their child requests he or she be
identified as transgender, change his or her name,
or use different pronouns at school.
Many children do not have accepting families,
and rates of abuse and homelessness
are high for LGBT plus students.
The high rates of homelessness have
have been proven to be directly related to families learning
about children's transgender identities.
Schools should be safe.
And while you may believe that some portions of this policy
will make the children in this school district more safe,
it won't address the things you're concerned about.
Forbidding the use of preferred pronouns and names
will not make children safer.
Calling children what they want to be called
does not put them in danger.
Something dangerous is worse than nothing. If a policy must be made, revise it so it is less dangerous.
Please remember that school should be a safe place for all children, including LGBT plus children and especially those with fraught home lives.
And vote no to this policy. I know you want to do what's right by the children in this district.
So please consider what the children have come here to tell you.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Megan Lopez, and after that, Stacey Mogg.
Hi, my name is Megan Lopez.
I'm a former KDISD teacher and classroom technology designer.
My ID number has been C9501170 since 1995 when I first attended Diane Winborn Elementary School as a kindergartner.
And from there I went to Katie Junior High, opened Morton Ranch High School, and then opened Morton Ranch High School,
where I then had the opportunity to come back in 2012 as a teacher.
For five years I taught students in the classroom, and for three years I served the entire district as an instructional technology coach
helping increase the technology usage in our classrooms.
I am also the wife, the sister, and the daughter of KDISD educators.
My family has over 40 years of combined service to this district.
I tell you all of this to let you guys know that I'm from here.
I came back here.
I'm growing my family here.
I believe in this district, and this policy is nothing that I believe in for this district.
It is against everything that I've come to believe in, and it is against everything that made me the leader that I am.
I am the leader that I am because of KDISD and this is nothing like that.
I don't just want to talk about myself today.
I want to talk about a former student of mine who is alive, happy, thriving, engaged, and trans.
He is alive today because this policy didn't exist when he was struggling his senior year.
He's alive because he never had to fear that the trust he placed in his teachers wasn't secure.
He never had to fear that he would be dragged out of a closet against his will and his trust violated
and because he knew his trust was secure he is alive today. I still have the note
that he sent me after graduation telling me that he'd always planned on killing
himself because he'd never seen a future but the trust that he was able to place
in me helped him see a path forward and here's where this policy is dangerous.
This is where it's deadly. This is where I thank God every day such a heinous
policy was never enacted when I was lucky enough to be the adult he trusted
trusted because he knew his mother loved him. He knew that. But when you don't have the ability to
process those feelings with a trusted adult before you tell the most important person in your life,
the most important thing about you, that breeds doubt. And doubt is deadly. And that is what this
policy will sow, is deadly doubt that will poison our children and will lead to their deaths.
I am so thankful that he was able to trust me. I'm so thankful I was able to help him.
I am so thankful he is alive, and I'm so thankful he gave his consent to me today to tell you his story.
Today I'm here for him and the beautiful life he has built, and I'm here to speak in support of all the other students with
beautiful lives ahead of them. Please throw this policy in the trash where it belongs. Thank you.
Stacy Magg, after that Claudia Turcotte.
Good evening. My name is Stacy Magg. My pronouns are she, her.
I am the parent of a 2023 grad and a current senior at Seven Lakes High School.
I have volunteered with KDISD since my first was in kindergarten.
So every kid has the right to a free, appropriate public education.
So the Texas Public Education Code Objective 5 talks about thoughtful, active citizens.
objective six retaining qualified and highly effective personnel a school
district that promotes hateful rhetoric is not a safe environment and ignoring
that is not a good way to retain teachers why would anyone want to move
into a district that actively discriminates let's just wait and watch
our property values tank objective eight states that school campuses will
maintain a safe and disciplined environment conducive to learning and I
I ask how any kid could learn in an environment where they feel unsafe or worried about being
outed or bullied.
Our teachers have wonderful, respectful, trusting relationships with students and this policy
would put that in danger.
These kids already have it hard.
When my kid came out to me, it was an afterthought to share that with me because they know they
have the love and the support at home.
For those kids that do not have that but feel safe talking with the teacher, you're actively
jeopardizing their mental health and well-being. You're afraid of trans and
non-binary kids and pronouns. You're willing to actively put these kids in
more danger so that you can remain comfortable. I can tell you how, I can't
tell you actually, how disgusted I am by that and how embarrassed I am for KDISD.
It hurts no one to be kind. It hurts no one to be respectful and to treat
someone how they want to be addressed or treated. This policy equates to KDISD
sanctioned bullying. This gender policy not only is unnecessary, it is dangerous.
I urge you to vote no on this solution to a problem because this problem that
you're trying to solve does not exist. Why would our community and our school
district pile on to the hatred the LGBTQIA plus community is already
dealing with? Why does this board think they understand what's best for these
kids better than the American Medical Association, the American Board of
Pediatrics, or qualified counselors with early childhood education backgrounds?
What sort of impact do you intend for this to have on teachers and students?
Or are we just looking to keep certain groups comfortable at the expense and
safety of already marginalized groups? The diversity of our district is what
makes us stronger. Ethnicity, character, experiences, backgrounds, and yes
sexuality and gender identity. It helps us to get to know and understand people
who are different than we are, promoting compassion and understanding. My children
will be free to call themselves whatever she, he, they choose to be called and
And really, that's none of your business.
This is KDISD sanctioned bullying.
Should this policy be adopted, it will affect my child.
And I will be reporting any gender identity
or sexually based bullying to the proper authorities,
whether it comes from this board or anyone else.
I urge you to vote no on this.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Claudia Turcotte,
and after that, Mandy Giles.
Hello, my name is Claudia Turcotte and I'm here actually in support of the policy.
No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth.
Plato said that a very long time ago, but it still applies today.
As valiant defenders of the truth, I hope each of you is getting comfortable with people
hating you.
I commend you for having the courage to deal with this issue head on.
It's always a good thing to remain grounded in reality and I'm grateful that you have firmly slammed the door on this creeping ideology that has no place in our schools.
Some have complained that the policy is unnecessary because this is not a problem in our district.
To that I would say that I appreciate the fact that you all have gotten out ahead of this issue.
That's called good leadership.
The other argument I hear is that this policy will leave children vulnerable to abusive or non-supportive parents.
By this logic, it would make sense to withhold other information, such as bad grades, bad behavior, tardies, absences, etc.
Maybe we shouldn't tell parents anything on the minuscule chance that they might be abusive.
No policy should ever be written on the rare exception.
Policy should be based on the rule.
And the fact is the overwhelming majority of parents are loving and supportive and genuinely want the best for their kids
Parents have the ultimate authority over their children and outside sources don't get to make the call on withholding vital information from them
I'm grateful that Katie ISD is affirming that
Protocols for dealing with suspected abuse are well established in the district and in case that isn't clear
Your policy addresses it as well
Now that the boundaries have been established around this issue
I hope that we can get back to focusing on the basics of education
Your sexual preferences are not your identity and it is never loving to affirm someone in delusional thinking
These topics have no place in our schools
Thank you for drawing a line in the sand
We need leaders who are willing to be disliked and maligned in order to do what's best for our district
I see your sacrifice. I see your courage and I pray you stay the course. Thank you
Mandy Giles and after that, Savannah Bales.
Bales.
My name is Mandy Giles and I oppose agenda item 713.
I'm the founder of the resource Parents of Trans Youth, which serves families nationally
and in the greater Houston area, including several in Katy ISD.
The UCLA Williams Institute estimates that 1.4% of Texas youth identify as transgender.
Multiply that by all the students in Katy ISD, and that's a little over 1,300 trans and non-binary students in your school district.
That is not an insignificant number to be targeting with a discriminatory policy.
In fact, it's more than twice the number of varsity football players at all Katy ISD high schools.
schools. Last week, Mr. Perez stated that all students and staff should be treated with
respect. Transgender students are part of your student body and also deserve to feel
safe and welcome at school. Mr. Perez also commented that he wanted to protect students
from being socially transitioned. If you're not transgender, you're not going to catch
it from somebody else. Students will not be turned trans because they're asked what their
pronouns are or because they share a bathroom with a transgender student.
Trans kids just are who they are and don't transition to gain access to spaces because
frankly it's not an easy life to be a trans kid in Texas right now.
This board is also concerned with bathroom safety for girls who are not transgender but
the reality is that trans and non-binary students experience sexual assault at much higher rates
than their cisgender peers.
The national rate of sexual assault among high school girls who are not transgender is 15%.
But Harvard researchers recently found that for transgender and non-binary students, it is almost 26%.
And for trans students who have bathroom and locker room restrictions, it is 36%.
This policy also dictates outing trans students to their parents.
Research by the Trevor Project shows that only one in three trans and non-binary youth have their identities affirmed at home.
So that means about 850 of your students can't be themselves at home and under this policy can't be themselves at school either.
The national research and support organization GLSEN found that LGBTQ students who have supportive educators,
educators, inclusive policies, and an LGBTQ inclusive curriculum feel safer, experience
less victimization, miss less school, feel like they belong to their school community,
perform better academically, and have higher self-esteem. That's a really good blueprint of
how to keep your students safe and healthy at school, and this board is proposing the exact
opposite. If you really do want to protect and respect all students, then you need to reject
this policy that is so incredibly harmful to transgender students. Thank you.
Thank you.
Savannah Bales and after that Angie Waller.
Hi, my legal name is Savannah Bales, but at school I am known as Sage.
I'd like you to close your eyes and imagine something.
Imagine yourself as a freshman in high school.
It's a new environment, it's new people, and you're scared.
Now imagine that you're a transgender individual.
With this policy being passed, you will not have access to the gender affirmation at school that you might not have at home either.
Coming out or telling people that you are gay or trans is already hard enough knowing that they
will support you. Imagine how hard it is knowing that you will be ridiculed, possibly abused,
used or thrown out.
One in five transgender youth will attempt suicide.
This is due mostly in part to abuse, ridicule,
and harassment that they face from their peers,
from strangers, and from their parents.
Thank you.
Thank you.
you
Angie water followed by Paul and Hellman good evening board my name is Angela
Waller and I've been a volunteer here in Katy ISD for nearly two decades I've had
three children have graduated from this district our district has drawn families
from all corners of the world due to the exceptional schools here in Katy
However, today, many of us find ourselves concerned about the shift in focus by four
certain board members towards issues such as students' pronouns and books in the library,
which in my opinion, detract from the primary goal of providing a quality education.
Why are you not addressing the 270 vacant positions we have here in Katy ISD?
I want to extend my gratitude to Mrs. Fox for raising an important question last week.
when will we get back to education that's what you are here for it's a
question that resonates with many of us here tonight and it prompts us to
consider the core purpose of our schools while ensuring a safe environment for
our students is important I worry that some of our students may no longer feel
safe due the changes being implemented our students often confide in teachers
and counselors form bonds built on trust and it saddens me to think that these
These vital connections will freight, mandating educators to divulge sensitive information
risk, betraying the trust students have placed in them.
Parental involvement is vital, yes, but if you're worried about your child being trans,
then talk to them!
Be a parent!
Don't expect the school to parent your child!
That's encouraged for students to have open discussions with their parents, but don't
betray that trust.
The repercussions of these policies cannot be downplayed by chipping away at students'
faith in educators. We risk losing exceptional teachers who have poured their hearts into our district and our students.
Research shows that without trusted adults and confining children struggle more with their mental well-being,
even facing the thought of suicide. We must recognize that disclosing this information without a student's consent can have far-reaching
devastating consequences.
Consider this scenario. A student confines in a teacher who follows the mandated protocol
tragically that student takes their own life because their parents not accept it
and the aftermath would that teacher find support from you will you make
provisions for that teacher they'll have the burden of the weight of what seems
like an unbearable responsibility when navigating matters of free street you
say that teachers have the right to with to not use the students pronouns but why
not give the same freedom to those who choose to honor that for the students
that want to use a different pronoun.
With over 94,000 students,
you must put your own personal beliefs away
and do what's right for all of them.
Victor, you said that a lawyer reviewed this policy.
I asked Mary Ellen if she could explain the court case's use.
Of course she couldn't.
So please tell me what an Amish child not going to school
has to do with pronouns.
Or a student being forced to have an abortion
has to do with pronouns.
If you could explain that to me, I would really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Paul Van Helmont and after that Jared Burton.
Good evening board members. My name is Paul Van Helmont.
I'm here to speak to you in opposition to the gender policy that's on the agenda today.
I'm a Katy resident. I work in the chemical industry.
I'm a father of three children, one of which a thriving transgender daughter.
As I was reading the draft gender policy last week, it came to me how happy I am that my daughter is no longer in your schools.
Your policy will lead to the exclusion of transgender youth in school and after school activities.
They will be isolated. They will be nullified.
In Section 1.2 of your draft policy, you state, and I quote,
compliance with this policy does not qualify as bullying or harassment.
Just because you say so doesn't make it so.
It's really ludicrous.
If it weren't serious, I'd laugh.
The opposite is true.
This policy harasses and bullies transgender students.
This policy will lead to lawsuits that you, or all of us, will lose.
Clearly, you did not consult with parents of transgender children when you wrote this policy.
Why not?
I think I've learned actually we don't need a policy.
But if we do need a policy, we are available to talk to you and make some sense in this.
I'd like to close with some history.
On this day, exactly 60 years ago, on August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his I Have a Dream speech.
speech. In his speech, Dr. King spoke about nullification. I say don't nullify transgender
kids. She, he, and they also have a dream. I thank you for your attention.
Thank you.
Jared Burton.
Jared Burton followed by Patty Lacey.
Hello, my name is Jared Burton. I'm a junior at Tompkins High School and the Vice President of the Tompkins Sexuality and Gender Alliance Club.
I should be at home studying for an exam. I should be hanging out with my friends, playing games or making music.
I should be worried about homecoming plans, but instead I'm here fighting from my right to exist in my own community.
In the most tender years of their lives, teenagers need a safe space and a trusted adult to confide in.
Unfortunately, not every kid has that at home.
Sometimes a teacher or a counselor is the closest a student can get to someone who will listen to them without fear,
repercussions, isolation, and violence.
Under this new policy, school staff members would be legally required to inform parents of conversations with students regarding their gender identity.
and the like, consequently destroying students' trust in the staff and potentially putting
them in danger.
The main argument for a policy like this is that the parents have a right to their children's
private life, but I argue that a child's safety is more important.
This policy will physically and mentally harm queer children.
Children have been physically harmed by their parents for the mere suspicion of being queer.
Imagine what a confirmation from their teacher would result in.
40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ, most of which are kicked out of their homes because of their identity.
The high suicide rates of LGBTQ youth comes not from simply being queer, but from the stigmatization and the harassment they receive from their family and their community.
This policy will contribute to that statistic.
And if it weren't enough to prohibit the classroom discussion of what the policy refers to as gender fluidity,
This policy also prohibits extracurricular activities from discussing such topics.
This would mean that the many gay straight alliance club, including our own at Tompkins,
would not be permitted to operate if this were to become district policy.
This would take a safe space away from many students across Katy ISD.
The board has been entrusted with making the correct decisions for the safety and betterment of the school district.
This trust has clearly been misplaced as this power has been used as a vessel for bigotry.
This policy hides behind the facade of protecting the students, but all it will do is harm them.
Instead of focusing on more pressing issues, the board instead chooses to imbue its discriminatory
beliefs into the school system and turn schools into a place where many students cannot feel
safe to freely be and express themselves.
As a queer student within the school district, I feel neither safe nor protected by the policy.
I feel targeted and attacked.
And I am sure that many of my fellow students who are not even safe to express these concerns
in public forum shared the same sentiment. To conclude my speech I leave
you with a powerful quote from Kentucky lawmaker Pamela Stevenson. We have
created an environment of hate and then look at them like there's something
wrong with them. First you hated black people, then you hated Jews, now you're
hating everybody. So now the question is when the only people left are you, will
you hate yourselves? Will you hate yourselves? Thank you.
Thank you.
by Lynette Aladon.
Hi, guys.
I know you're probably thrilled to see me up here.
Excuse me, but it's not hi, guys.
The decorum is Mr. President,
trustees, Dr. Gorgorski.
We'd appreciate really maintaining the decorum,
that formality, please.
Thank you.
Hello.
My name is Patty Lacey,
and I've been in KDISD for about 35 years.
About a hundred, well not about, 105 days ago three of our board members were sworn in.
Today you're going to vote on something that would take out
seek and expand knowledge, recommends for the district resources,
dedicated team player who's trustworthy, knowledgeable.
The good thing is what's still staying in there is that I am a citizen elected
to represent the entire district which means everybody and then go down to G in
my actions and decisions I will consider and promote which is in the best
district of I like in the best interest of the entire district that's everybody
right and then the social content is basically scratching a lot of really
great stuff positive example yeah we don't do that anymore earn the trust of
my colleagues absolutely not value the opinions of others nope not that either
so I don't really understand the decisions of the team I don't get it
y'all but after only being sworn in a hundred and five days ago it feels a
little bit like a bait-and-switch we're gonna get in and then we're gonna ditch
all these policies that were in there when you got sworn in all of you when
you got sworn in no matter how long ago it was so 7.13 which you've heard a lot
about and I'm sure you've read it a million times. I anticipate you're going
to vote for it. I just hope that you would do something tonight and that is
just table it. Clearly there's a lot of discussion on it. It's really important
to a lot of people. We know that the range from five years old to 18 years
old, this policy isn't good for all of them. It's too wide-ranged. It needs to be
reworked. I don't know if the attorney that you guys worked with knows anything
about education but it definitely needs to be worked on so I'm gonna quote
something and I told you guys all the time and I tell my children MWC it
stands for make wise choices and if my children are watching which I
anticipate they aren't but if they were they would go oh gosh here she goes
again so make wise choices and that is be wise not smart entrepreneur Patrick
bet David out of the book of Kings Solomon asked God for wisdom he didn't
ask him to be smart, he asked him to be wise. And that is because wisdom is mentioned 219 times in
the Bible. Wisdom is the art of being successful and forming a correct plan to gain the desired
results. The Bible associates wisdom with skill and leadership. Real quick, a wise person knows
that they're not the smartest person out there, which makes them seek information from people
like Dr. Gorgorski, the teachers, the administration, a bunch of people that have a lot more information
and more knowledge than y'all do thank you
Lynette Lynette Aladon is our next speaker Lynette Aladon after that George
Scott good evening dr. Gagorski and the board trustees I'm Lynette Aladon a
retired KISD librarian and today in a dedicated community member I'd like to
to draw your attention to two crucial agenda items on tonight's ballot.
These matters deserve thorough consideration because they impact not only our schools,
but also the future of our community.
I strongly oppose agenda item 7.13, which deals with parental authority and gender fluidity.
This policy, while presented as a means to protect transgender and non-binary students,
is unnecessary and distracts from real issues such as teacher shortages and student performance.
I urge the board to keep politics out of education and not impose personal beliefs that could promote hatred and fear
Let's prioritize supporting all students and staff members as a former educator
I believe that schools must be a safe haven for all
Students safety has always been a top priority in my teaching career
Agenda item seven point one three raises concerns for me because it could foster an environment of bullying and harassment
not only for LBGTQ students but also for those who may be perceived as part of
this community. I have firsthand experiences with students who identify
as transgender or non-binary feeling welcomed and safe in the school library.
Their parents also expressed their gratitude for how their children were
treated. Likewise when my younger son came out as gay to his teacher, the
teacher encouraged him to discuss it with me which he did in his own time.
teachers should not be burdened with sharing this information. It should be
between the student and their parents. Implementing this policy could generate
unnecessary anxiety for students, teachers, and parents alike. These
sensitive discussions should remain private and involve only the individuals
directly affected. If a student speaks with a teacher following this policy and
later takes his own life, the teacher may understandably experience profound
distress and guilt. It's crucial that the school district provides immediate and
comprehensive counseling and benefits to support this teacher. The ripple effects
of such a tragedy extend far beyond the individual student and teacher
impacting the entire community. These unforeseen consequences stress the need
for careful consideration of this policy. I also oppose agenda item 7.14 which
proposes changes to this board's operating procedures. I observed that the
board intends to eliminate 5.0 Board of Trustees social contract which serves as
a critical guide for their conduct board members should set positive examples to
our school community and engage with students and parents at all four
quadrants such as those in the LBGTQ community removing the social contract
could widen the gap of mistrust between the board of trustees and the community
they represent please take my concerns into account during tonight's vote thank
Thank you.
Thank you.
George Scott, and after that, Kennedy Schmitt.
George Scott, KDISD homeowner, three KDISD graduates.
My remarks will question your due diligence competence,
or more likely, due diligence dysfunctional incompetence.
Policy 7.13 of tonight's agenda may well place a legal target on the back of every classroom teacher and other professional educators
should certain potential, if not likely, scenarios during implementation unfold.
Relevant policy questions regarding this board's actions have yes or no answers.
Was Superintendent Grigorski or Council Graham primarily responsible for the development of this proposed policy?
Was the board's outside counsel primarily responsible?
Was President Perez or individual members of this board primarily responsible?
Have the board president or members of the school board received a comprehensive written legal brief evaluating the potential ramifications of legal exposure to which implementation of this policy might expose certified educators and the district, either from the superintendent and district council or outside council?
has the decision by the board to retain outside counsel systematically
sabotaged a credible chain of command where in the board's mandatory legal
understanding of policy due diligence ramification has been compromised it is
my hope that this board is not depending upon president Perez's meanderings to
to conclude just how big a can of worms this might be opening.
The absence of a comprehensive legal brief available
to the full board and the public prior to this vote
in this instance would be a reprehensible and arrogant
ignorance of the board's general due diligence.
It is my observation based upon 50 years
of professional experiences in public policy.
The current board majority may be on the verge of action that cements its growing reputation of dysfunctional incompetence. Whether it is this policy, the continuing book review train wreck fiasco, or the pervasive policy insane tinkering on board procedures, this ideological metastasizing of school board politics is part of a statewide disease.
statewide PACs that have morphed into ideological rattlesnakes armed with
hundreds of thousands of dollars have found it a cheaper and more productive
bang for the buck to buy access to willing local mouthpieces. Thank you.
Thank you.
Kennedy Schmidt, Kennedy Schmidt and our and our next speaker is Kennedy Schmidt
Kennedy Schmidt followed by Nicholas Strawn.
Thank you, thank you.
Kennedy Schmidt followed by Nicholas Strawn.
Good evening everyone. My name is Kennedy Schmidt,
President of the Sexuality and Gender Alliance Club at Tompkins High School.
KDISD insists that it will, and I quote,
support the emotional well-being of all learners, end quote.
In fact, the superintendent's non-negotiables include
providing a safe and secure learning environment.
To say this is a lie in its most raw form.
Transgender women, men, and students have not caused any significant issues,
yet this board meeting unnecessarily proposes a solution to a non-existent problem.
KDISD insists on prioritizing its safe learning environment yet gathers today
to discuss a policy that blatantly ignores the 81% of queer children who
feel unsafe at school. Not every child goes home and feels at home. Forcibly
outing children to their parents regardless of what could happen to them
is not creating a safe environment but one full of paranoia and fear. This
policy cowardly hides under the guise that parents must know what goes on with
with their own children when it is not a concern
for the educator to dictate and share a student's identity.
Whether it is she, her, him, or they,
no child in the KDSD district should be refused
the opportunity to learn.
I am a 16 year old's girl whose support system
is being ripped from me as I speak.
I urge you all to think back to when you were our age.
Can you imagine standing here today,
forced to fight for the basic rights
that all students deserve?
Think back to when you were in high school
and your generation.
You worried about sporting events,
the latest gossip or high school romance.
Yet we have to stand here during what's supposed to be the best years of our lives,
fighting for our right to freely exist and express ourselves.
For you, this is just another policy to be enacted into the school district.
However, for us, this affects our everyday lives.
This policy will force pressure and expectations on students to stay hidden.
The countless times I have heard fellow students struggling with their identity,
with no one to turn to, no one to talk to, is too many.
I personally have an uncle who grew up during your generation,
at a time where there was no supportive resources, and a shadow of shame, which unfortunately led to him to try to take his own life, not only once, but twice.
And this is only one story out of a million.
I feel we need to have a structured supportive foundation established, because this is real. This is real life.
as a district we should direct our focuses to the safety and education of
our students rather than act of silencing the queer community and its
materials that offer empathy understanding and compassion if you go
through with this policy you will be drastically impairing the lives of the
countless career kids who attend our schools policies such as this are
reverting the efforts of the LGBTQ communities we are moving backwards
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Nicholas Strong.
Nicholas Strong, followed by Regina Johnson.
Good evening.
It was stated that the purpose of the gender policy was for parents and teachers to jointly work together for the welfare of the student,
and that mom and dad should be in the driver's seat, not the district.
Yet this policy is a direct contradiction to this.
Even with the child's wishes, parents' written approval, and Title IX protections,
this board still wants to ignore these rights and allow a school employee to discriminate against these students.
If parents are to be in the driver's seat, why are you interjecting this unnecessary policy,
which is the exact opposite of what the family has deemed appropriate?
The First Amendment is not absolute and does not allow discriminatory actions in public schools.
You want to impose restrictions to compel teachers to report students
and prohibit teachers from displaying supporting material.
These contradictions prove that this policy isn't about First Amendment rights, but forcing conformance to whatever political viewpoint this board views as appropriate.
It was also stated last board meeting that not many hours were spent by outside counsel on this policy, and it shows.
This policy is in contradiction with the Texas Association of School Boards recommendations.
If you take the time to read these recommendations, you will learn that policies like these are a direct violation of Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause with a multitude of legal examples.
none of new at which were cited in your draft this policy ignores all this and
the Supreme Court and condones sex-based discrimination lawsuits in multiple
states including Texas have been filed and are being pursued a student in
Virginia was recently awarded 1.3 million dollars when the school forced
him to use a different restroom passing this irresponsible policy exposes KSD to
a litany of lawsuits besides being morally dubious to begin with and will
cost taxpayers thousands if not millions of dollars which could have been spent
supporting students. Studies and research have shown that LGBTQ students are more
likely to be assaulted, suffer harassment, attempt, and commit suicide because of
policies like this. It was stated last week that girls have been raped multiple
times in bathrooms, which is not true. Multiple law enforcement agencies and
research all say that there have been zero increases in sexual assault or rape
in localities with anti-discriminatory policies in place. The American Medical
Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and hundreds of other medical
and psychological associations are all against these types of policies.
If this board claims to truly care about the welfare and safety of all students,
then you will vote against it.
If the school board wanted to adopt this policy,
then they should have deleted the Code of Ethics bullet
to base decisions on fact rather than opinion before this discussion.
It is outrageous that this board wants to delete a requirement to base policies on facts.
This terrible policy is the exact product of what happens
when you try to act with no supporting factual basis.
The only appropriate action is to vote no to this policy.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Regina Johnson.
Regina Johnson followed by Cameron Sanders.
President Perez, Dr. Gorgorski, I almost said Dr. G, sorry, and trustees.
It's good to know we have trustees in place willing to set clear boundaries for our staff
and children on district campuses.
Providing a safe environment is paramount,
as well as respecting the authority of parents.
Both goals are accomplished with the proposed gender policy.
KDISD is choosing to partner with parents
instead of attempting to replace them.
It was clear in last week's work-study meeting
who in this room is fighting to keep the sanctity
of parent-child relationships versus those that believe
teacher-student government relationship takes precedent.
As a parent, I, along with many others in our voting community,
community were stunned to see the Houston Chronicle call out two of you as the only ones that oppose
this policy you stated last week this is a solution looking for a problem I'd offer it's a solution
addressing an existing and prevalent issue due to district negligence and complacency federal
U.S code 20 part 4 section 1 2 3 2 H clearly defines protection of pupil rights and when
when parent consent is required.
Spring 2022, KDISD district-wide bully survey
that should have allowed parental review to opt in or out
failed due to inconsistent notification leaving students
answering sexual orientation questions
unbeknownst to the parent.
I have two children, and one campus allowed me to review
and one did not.
Fall 2022, KDISD district-wide problem
when staff asking sexual orientation questions
and back to school get to know you Google forms that
required the admin intervention via an internal memo declaring a cease and desist spring 2022
kdisd district-wide launch of grade 7 human growth and sex education presentation that received
multiple complaints about an embedded video encouraging students 12 year olds to explore
their sexual fluidity which is not following teaks i sat on the phone for 30 minutes taking
the blame from admin for the amount of complaints received from upset parents that presentation was
was a product of a district-wide multi-discipline team's
18-month effort.
Spring 2022, campus-wide character strong lesson
and advisory where parents have zero clue on what's presented
used an unapproved website to survey students
that include questions regarding sexual orientation.
Now, day two of the 23-24 school year,
we have trustees receiving complaints,
again, about the back to school pronoun requests.
I am baffled a trustee is sitting here
here on the dais and preaching, we
don't have a prevalent issue.
And I'll leave with this.
Politics is this institution.
It's the bond you just passed on to voters.
It's using a PAC to market the bond.
It's the allegiance to TASB who in January of this year
caught national attention for their promotion of gender
fluidity on education campuses and then pulled back
after districts threatened to leave.
It's you escorting admin leadership
into a partisan luncheon last fall to push for higher taxes.
It's knowing about a partisan organization out of DC inundating fellow trustees with robo emails
My children's physical safety while on district property during in class
Thank you
Cameron Samuel
Followed by Heather Paulson
Hi guys
My name is Cameron Samuels. I use they them pronouns
pronouns. Let me speak please. I use they them pronouns and I'm a former student of
the district. KDISD is taking a sharp turn in a dangerous direction. Y'all have blinded
yourselves by politics and have forgotten about the education and well-being of 90,000
students that you govern. There is still time and opportunity to stop this
political agenda in its tracks. We must make decisions based on fact and not
fear. It is a fact according to the Pew Research Center that 5% of young adults
in the United States identify as transgender. It is a fact that KDISD is
is so diverse and that Generation Z is the queerest in history.
We cannot be the excellent school district we are if we don't focus on educating.
Students cannot succeed if you write us out of the narrative and legislate us out of existence.
Dr. Gorgorski, I know that you don't wish to lead a district that makes policies like
these.
I know you don't and I know students don't and I implore you to recognize
that this policy is a liability for the district it is in direct violation of
Title IX civil rights and if we cannot afford to lose one single life if a
student feels so alone and so isolated by this policy I implore you to
to reconsider this policy that will ultimately harm trans youth like myself.
I implore you to drop this policy from the agenda tonight, just as you dropped that revision
to your code of ethics.
I'm glad you did.
And now it is time to drop this policy because students will be ultimately harmed by the
effects and you know it each of you know it each of you might know a transgender
student and might not even know a transgender person and might not even
know we exist we are here and I implore you to table this policy please please
please reconsider I know there is something that you can do thank you
Thank you. Heather Tolleson and after that, Juan Pablo.
Heather Tolleson.
Good evening, KDISD Board. My name is Heather Tolleson. Pronouns are she, hers. I am the parent of two beautiful
students, an elementary student and a junior high school student. I'm also the
pastor of Katie's Queer Church. Your policy regarding gender fluidity is
completely and utterly absurd. As a district and as a board, your
responsibility is first to create a learning environment that fosters
success in all students in education and leadership. Your policy does nothing of the sort.
Your policy isolates. Your policy drives a wedge of distrust between students and staff.
and your policy causes harm. Significant harm, Morgan Calhoun, to one of the most
most marginalized communities in your district. Your policy is not aimed at
protecting students or creating a safe learning policy. Your policy is an abuse
use of power to further someone's political agenda and personal beliefs. It is not based on facts
or statistics. In fact, it completely ignores them as you have heard over and over tonight.
So please hear this. This policy will negatively impact the success of your students in our
district. In case you didn't know, you can't make a student who's gay not gay.
You can't make a trans person not trans. You will never make a student a she or a
he or a they. You will never make a student someone they are not because
thank God you don't have that power. No one does. All that this bigoted policy
will do is make students feel uncomfortable to be them and uncomfortable
to learn, uncomfortable to be successful students for KDISD. It will isolate and
it will hurt, it will cause tears, and it will promote bullying whether you say so
or not. It will not create an environment for any student to actually be
successful. So when will you start listening to the students who come? When
When will you hear them?
When will you stop using your words
and your policies to beat them up,
to bully them and to oppress them?
I urge you to vote this policy down
for you may try to silence and make invisible this group,
but you never ever will.
Thank you.
Juan Pablo, Juan Pablo is our next speaker.
And after that, Sarah Allen.
Hello, my name is Juan Pablo and I come here today to speak about the gender fluidity policy
from an outside perspective.
I have never identified as anything other than the gender I was assigned at birth.
With that being said, I have been close to many students who identify as transgender
or gender nonconforming.
I used to think that the majority of people who did not conform to their gender or assigned
sex were doing it for some ulterior motive.
Whether it's for attention, validation, or just because they were confused, over time
this narrow and shallow way of thinking slowly changed into a much more accepting and understanding mindset.
I came to realize the vast majority of transgender people did not feel comfortable in their own body and identified a certain way to help with this issue.
So this policy just doesn't make sense to me.
Almost everyone in this room would agree that a functional family is necessary for teenagers.
So what happens when a transgender teenager gets outed to their parents and they aren't accepting?
The simple answer is the parents won't accept them.
They're a child for who they are and will create a broken family.
More times than not, if the parent of a student doesn't know about their gender
fluidity, it was for a reason. More than times than not, many people who
confide to teachers about these issues only do so because they don't feel safe
in the comfort of their own home. In conjunction with everything I've stated,
this will make students less likely to reach out for support to teachers and
counselors and therefore negatively impact the mental health of students.
Despite this policy aiming to do the opposite, this policy will only cause
more issues than solves and will further create a divide between parents teachers
and students at the end of the day the students well-being should be the
number one priority of the school board district the school district and not
some cultural or political issue if the school board really cared about their
students we would be discussing a policy to support trans students and giving
them a safe environment and not out them thank you thank you
The next speaker is Sarah Allen. Sarah Allen, and after that, Thomas McKay.
My name is Sarah Allen. My pronouns are she, her. I am here to speak on the proposed gender
policy. I have three children. Two have graduated from a KDISD high school in recent years.
My youngest is still attending a KDISD school.
One of my adult children is non-binary.
When they came out at the beginning of high school,
I worried about how they would be treated by their teachers and fellow students.
I am pleased to say that they had a very positive high school experience
and were never mistreated due to their gender identity.
They are continuing to thrive today.
I know that supportive home, school, and community environments
are very important for LGBT kids.
The lack of these can lead to depression and even suicide.
Outing kids to unsupportive parents, as this proposed policy would require,
may result in kids being thrown out of their homes,
as I saw happen to a neighbor's child several years ago.
It is a fact that the unsupportive school environment
that will result from the proposed gender policy
will harm children and put them in danger.
I urge the board to reconsider this cruel policy
and put the well-being of our children first.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Thomas McKay and after that, Leilang Lei.
Yeah, I'm Thomas McKay, the president of the district.
I'm Mr. Perez, Dr. Gagorski, and members of the board.
I'm speaking about Agenda 713, probably not a surprise.
I applaud you for being brave and not being afraid to tackle these difficult issues.
You're certainly making headlines and you're subjecting yourself to these attacks.
An article in the Chronicle last week about last week's meeting tried to paint you in
a negative light.
I believe the folks who oppose this policy are in the minority, but they're organized
and more vocal and I must give them credit for that, although I won't excuse the vitriol
I've heard.
The article quoted a church pastor opposes his policy.
I believe most churches would support you in this.
But unfortunately they tend to be silent because they're more interested in being politically
correct rather than biblically correct.
Or they may just be uninformed.
I do believe you should err on the side of parental notification.
I think most folks would agree with you on that comment.
sense approach. The same goes with the plans to deal with the whole issue of
gender fluidity and pronouns. If some kid wants to do use a different pronoun then
so be it but forcing kids to call that kid by a pronoun not matching the
biological gender will cause confusion when it goes against common sense
especially if they might get in trouble for using it. I think this policy will
prevent a kid from getting in trouble by not using some other kids pronoun. I
I can't even believe we have to debate the issue of biological males in female locker
rooms or vice versa.
I'm sure you've thought about all this, but it's critical as you roll out this policy
that you have very clear expectations and accountabilities along with the consequences.
I'm concerned there may be a small minority of teachers who may go rogue and go against
this policy.
Principles should be accountable of holding those teachers accountable.
Likewise, the superintendent should hold the principals accountable.
And of course the board holds the superintendent accountable.
That being said, I think the vast majority of teachers have no interest in keeping secrets with students away from their parents.
And this policy may actually give them cover on that if they're approached by a student to do so.
So the policy is not hateful.
I actually think it will actually protect the majority.
We don't want the majority impacted or influenced by the minority who happens to be more vocal.
People talk about focus on education.
Let's get back to reading, writing, and arithmetic and not have teachers dealing with all these social issues and worrying about gender.
Again, I thank you for being brave and proactive. Keep up the good fight. The students and parents are worth it. Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
The next speaker, the next speaker, Ligang Lei. And after that, Samantha Ridge.
Good evening, everyone. Today I would like to talk about my opinion about gender fluidity.
When women were born, there are only two genders all around the world, male and female.
Many factors are determined by God when we are born.
For example, gender and race.
In general, race is mainly determined by the parents.
I can't be Asian today and black tomorrow and white the day after that.
Similarly, gender is determined when the person was born.
It doesn't make sense to me that gender can't naturally change over time.
We do not need a doctorate degree to find others' gender.
Second, parents are the guardians for our kids.
The parents have the right to know what is going on for the kids at school.
They also have the right to make a choice for them because they are too young to understand everything.
For example, kids can't be witnesses at court.
Kids can't drink alcohol if their age is less than 21 by law
and the parents or guardians are informed directly
if the kids disobey the law.
Alcohol can only potentially damage our health.
However, surgeries and medicines
are physically damaging our bodies.
The parents and the guardians must be informed directly
and support our decision.
Last but not least, who will pay the cost
cost for the searches and the medicines.
All the searches and the medicines required
are very expensive.
Right now the government owns,
governments only collect tax from taxpayers,
but it does not generate profits.
Right now the US government has a debt
of more than 32 trillions.
How, so on average, everyone here owns
more than $100,000 state.
Everyone here owns more than $100,000.
Do you know how much is $100,000?
iPhone, latest iPhone Pro cost about $1,000.
So the amount of $100,000 equals 100 iPhones.
Meanwhile, the inflation is very high in the last two years
and increased more than 8% last year.
Additionally, the KDSD is trying to get another $830 million
in debt for our school improvement last month.
With taxpayers, we have very limited resource.
How can we balance all the payment?
Who pays the money?
In summary, I support the decision from our board members.
I do not like the idea of gender fluidity.
Thank you everyone.
Thank you.
Samantha Rich, followed by Jessie Meng.
Hello.
Hello, my name is Dr. Sam Rich.
I have two students in KDISD.
I'm an active community member, a KDISD volunteer,
and an educator.
Thank you for listening with open minds and open hearts.
When I ask KDISD teachers and administrators what they need,
they say funding.
Some of our schools ran out of supplies last year.
They say support.
They say one-to-one technology.
They say zoning schools by distance and not gerrymandering.
They say help connecting, not excluding students.
students. They say more staff and smaller classes. They say helping students feel safe, included,
and seen. They say they just want to do their jobs and are burned out from useless policies
and paperwork. They do not say book bans are silencing and persecuting their students because
they were born different than you or me. Our board keeps claiming they are protecting students.
Protecting students means protecting all students, and that takes the willingness and the bravery to
to listen, learn, empathize, and evolve.
It also takes the trust in the trained teachers
and librarians you've hired.
Putting the board in charge of determining appropriate school
materials like books and resources
sends a clear message to our teachers, librarians, admin,
and community that our board believes our faculty are not
qualified to do their job.
We have systems in place to allow parents
to control what their kids can check out
and what events they can attend. Use the systems. We have highly qualified faculty
to select materials. Trust them. Let them research and discuss the appropriate age
and use of materials. Let them do the job you hired them for. LGBTQ plus students
exist. Silencing their voices and opportunities won't change their sexual
orientation or gender status. Silencing their voices and opportunities will
cause them harm. Instead of distancing yourself from these students, how about
try embracing them and encouraging them and supporting them like we do all our
students. For some students, school is their safe space, requiring counselors
and teachers to out a student as extremely isolating, dangerous, and
hateful. We should care less about what a student wants to be called, Sam, Samantha,
Victor, or Vicki, and more about their comprehension of class materials and
their respectful, kind behavior. I urge the board to use their authority to
to support, celebrate, and include all our KDISD faculty
and students.
Like so many in our KDISD community,
I absolutely love our school.
And I'm very disappointed in the direction our board is going.
Books and LGBTQ plus students are not dangerous.
The rhetoric and proposed policies of this board
are dangerous.
I request on record you vote against these policies.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Jessie Meng?
Jesse Meng followed by John Rochenthal.
Evening. I'd like to ask, what do you hope to accomplish from banning gender fluidity in a classroom?
What is the harm of honoring or asking for a preferred pronoun?
down. Why are you as a school board president so concerned with the children
and their identifying gender? Will staff report on heterosexual students and
their private lives like their queer counterparts? Is the district going to
inundate teachers with this also? Speaking of, I'd like to ask why are we
not speaking about the topic of 270 vacancies in your classrooms right now?
As a member of this community, I know that a school's job and place is to keep
children safe and educate them. And there is no place in this policy that talks
about a child keeping a child safe. Everything seems to be about the
discomfort that you are feeling with the diversity of KDISD. The answers to my
my questions are actually quite simple and and it's just the fact the light I
want to bring to it for everybody in this room Victor you are using this
elected platform to further your political agenda the most the most
egregious aspect is that you are walking on the backs of the marginalized
children that can't even defend themselves also Victor as a proud
immigrant maybe you are living the conservative dream where the oppressed
can become the oppressor so to call a spade a spade I have my time and I will
take all one night women at nine seconds left even though I'm almost done so to
call a spade a spade Victor Perez you are wanting attention now you have
everybody's attention but what you are lacking is substance and validity. These
students you are limiting soon will be adults and your political agenda will
quickly be obsolete because you are not seen as a threat. You are nothing to this
generation other than a stepping stone to equality. Ban all the books you want,
take away their bathrooms, limit them to your comfort level because all they see
is a scared old man flailing in his archaic beliefs.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
John Rosenthal, followed by Sophia Peruzzi.
Okay, I just want to say real quick,
we're not going to tolerate this disruption.
Let everyone speak, let them finish, don't interrupt them,
and don't disrupt the speaker.
You're next, John.
I know, but I was skipped.
Well, you didn't sign up.
Yes, I did.
What is your name?
My name is Laura McLaughlin, and I'm position 30.
I'm sorry, you didn't sign in.
Yes, I did.
I'm sorry, you didn't sign in, and the rule is you have to sign in.
Sir, I signed in.
We had to sign in by 445.
I got one of these because I signed in, sir.
Those are the steps.
The piece of paper I have says you didn't sign in.
I'm sorry.
The piece of paper that I have says I did.
I will speak.
I will speak three minutes.
If I may, tonight, since we had so many speakers, we did, as the speakers came,
we gave them a piece of paper with a number on it.
They were also required to sign in on a piece of paper.
it's likely that she didn't sign in on the piece of paper,
but I feel comfortable that she was here on time
given the fact that she's got that flyer with the number on it.
Thank you, General Counsel.
Okay, well, go ahead.
I'm just going by this piece of paper.
Yes, sir, I understand.
To show that you didn't sign in.
I understand.
Go ahead.
Thank you.
I am the mother of a current KDISD student
here to address Item 713.
13. The majority of you want to pass a policy that would, one, require teachers to out LGBT
plus students to parents regardless if those parents are not supportive or affirming. Don't
you see the uptick in domestic violence and abuse that could ensue? I find this to be
quite naive on your part. Two, bar transgender students from using restrooms which make them
safe. Do you understand that you'll have humans that present as girls going into
boy bathrooms and vice versa? You're making it more confusing. LGBT plus
students should have gender-free facilities to use or use the bathroom of
their choice for bodily functions. It is my turn to speak, not yours. Three, restrict
strict pronoun usage. Who exactly are you to become the pronoun police? Would you like
me to start calling you by the opposite of your preferred pronouns? You're bringing a
horse-drawn carriage to a Formula One race with this one.
Number four, prohibit books with transgender or gender expansive characters. You know this
This is how fascism starts, right?
Point five, ban transgender athletes from participation.
It is painfully clear that you are not scholars
on this subject, nor have you consulted with any
to be knowledgeable enough to make a determination
of this kind.
Six, prohibit any display supporting LGBT students.
You will not erase the LGBT community out of existence,
nor allies like me. We are here to stay. You're sending facsimile vibes in a
practical metaverse era and facsimiles were created in 1843 so get with the
program. Have you even read the KDISD mission beliefs non-negotiables and
notice of non-discrimination that you are to uphold in your duty? I've counted
I have counted seven instances where this policy proposal goes against the basic founding principles that you have the responsibility and accountability to abide by.
I am not here to educate you. That is not my job.
Do that on your own time as basic respect for those 96,000 students that you represent.
You are leaving out a marginalized group of students.
I ask the trustees of this board oppose this policy in the name of all students.
your heteronormative privilege is rearing its ugly head.
You are ill-prepared and ill-advised on the subject.
You don't have enough exposure bandwidth.
You don't even know the difference between gender identity, et cetera.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
John Rosenfall, followed by Sophia Peruzzi.
Mr. President, if I may.
Mr. President, over here.
If I may, I apologize.
I want the public to know that President Perez is operating on a list of people that signed in.
So his not knowing that Speaker 30 was here because she didn't sign the list, that certainly is not his error.
I do want to remind the speakers here that you're addressing the Board of Trustees, right?
You're addressing the Board of Trustees with your comments.
And so I'm going to ask that you focus your comments to this Board of Trustees and not to one another.
We understand we have differing viewpoints in this room.
And you've had several warnings from the board president on decorum.
We're going to ask that we continue to uphold those because decorum either exists or it doesn't.
Again, Mr. President, I'm sorry that she was not signed in on that list.
And those are my comments for you.
Thank you.
Go ahead.
Thank you, Board President, Superintendent, the rest of the board for allowing me to speak today and for your willingness to listen.
I'm John Rosenthal. I'm the Texas State Representative for District 135. I represent over 200,000 constituents, over 42,000 of which are in KDISD and about 12,000 are KDISD students.
students. I'm deeply concerned about agenda item 7.13 to consider this policy on parental
authority and gender fluidity that you have heard so much from our constituents tonight
about because it's dangerous to students. It's illegal under Title IX and the Equal
Protection Clause of the United States Constitution and it goes against the KDISD values as stated
on the website. So first it's dangerous to students mental health it will
increase the already high risk of family estrangement and suicide already
unacceptably high risk. Some LGBTQ students have only a teacher or a coach
to lean on and this policy could take even that small comfort away. It will
also threaten them physically by fostering a hostile environment and that
hostility will extend to those kids who may be perceived as non-conforming even
they're heterosexual if they occur as masculine a girl occurring masculine or
a boy occurring effeminate you know how kids are it's illegal it's unlawful
under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause it targets students based on sex
and gender it violates the Texas educators code of ethics by encouraging
encouraging teachers to disregard students' privacy rights and potentially report them
to unsupportive or possibly abusive parents or guardians over their gender identity.
At a time when our ISDs are underfunded already and inflation is eating up budgets, this could
expose the district to costly legal challenges.
So my third point, it goes against the KDISD values.
values, will this policy fulfill the stated mission to provide, quote, unparalleled learning
experiences designed to prepare and inspire each student to live an honorable and fulfilling
life?
Does this align with the belief of respecting ideas and individuals and fostering a culture
of mutual respect that benefits all stakeholders?
I'll close with this.
Trans and queer folk are humans.
They have the same rights as anyone else in our society, including the fundamental right
to live authentic lives as their true selves.
And I'm going to ask you to put this proposed policy aside.
I'm State Representative John Rosenthal.
My pronouns are he, him, his.
Thank you.
Sophia Peruzzi, followed by Ethan Holler.
Good evening, everyone.
My name is Sophia Peruzzi. I'm sorry. I'm a community member, a parent volunteer, and a staff member in KDISD. Sorry.
During my 16 years volunteering in the district, I provided our schools with safety programs, including a suicide prevention program.
As a KDISD teacher, I not only teach, but I also protect.
I participate in training to keep students safe from storms, fire, and even gunmen.
If these proposals pass, a child who is non-conforming will feel rejected by their school.
Forbidding all teachers from addressing students as they wish to be addressed eliminates the
possibility that any teacher could provide that vulnerable student a measure of respect.
45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the last year.
You have heard this a lot.
We know that not all homes are safe places for students.
Most teachers have made a call to CPS at some point in their career.
Some of the children we instruct are homeless precisely because of the gender nonconformance.
LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the homeless population as well as among youth in foster care.
The policy as written hypocritically invokes the First Amendment of the Constitution to protect the rights of teachers who choose to refuse to address children by their preferred titles.
At the same time, the policy seeks to impose punitive measures should a teacher choose to use the same words which treat vulnerable children with respect for their individuality.
The repressive measures harm not only non-gender conforming children but all children.
In a world that is becoming more tolerant, where success in society and business is more
dependent on beliefs and actions which reflect acceptance of all, we are sending a message
to our students that it is okay to single out and oppress vulnerable minorities with
institutional repression.
These repressive measures are un-American.
The proposals are more closely aligned with the policies and practices of Iran, Cuba,
and China.
The most vulnerable group is selected for repressive measures.
Those who might support or even tolerate the vulnerable group, I threaten with reprisal.
As a teacher, I ask the board prioritize the welfare of all students.
I ask you to read carefully and recognize the flawed proposals for what they are and
attempt to repress and humiliate vulnerable students.
These measures, if approved, would cause all of our children damage.
Please reject the proposal measures.
Good night.
thank you Ethan olive you can call it followed by Bethany spare he's been
always not here what about Bethany spare
Go ahead, Ethan.
Good evening, members of the board.
My name is Ethan Olive, and I'm here to talk about the new policy you plan on passing in
regards to parental authority and gender fluidity matters.
If you could give me your undivided attention for the next three minutes, I would appreciate
that greatly.
You plan on passing a policy aimed at protecting students.
I agree that you should do what you can to protect students, but I believe that this policy will do more harm than good.
I want to ask you a few questions for you to think about.
These are things that have happened to students I know personally and consider my friends who have unsupported parents.
I believe these things will happen with increasing frequency to many students if the policy is passed.
If a student goes home to get yelled at, cursed out, hit and restrained by their parents, is that protection?
Is that protection?
If a student suffers emotionally and mentally because of these actions, is that protection?
If a student gets their belongings taken away, such as their phone, personal care items,
and their clothes, is that protection?
If a student cuts themselves, hits their head, or hurts themselves in any other way, is that
protection?
If a student commits suicide because they do not feel loved, accepted, and supported
by their parents, is that protection?
I want to ask one last question for your consideration.
How will you protect a student that has already committed suicide due to not feeling accepted
at home or at school?
I believe if you pass this policy, students with unsupportive parents will possibly be
driven to self-harm or suicide.
I have friends that are students that all these things I've spoken about have happened
to them, and I believe it will get worse for many students if the policy is passed.
I hope you take my words into consideration before making a decision.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Is Bethany Spare here?
Thank you.
My family has a long history with KBISD.
My husband attended Paterson and graduated Taylor High School
in 2001.
I now have three kids at Paterson,
and I have a seven-week-old with me,
so I will be here for a while.
I'm a lawyer and have to give the caveat
out that I'm not here to give legal advice but appreciate that the draft
policy cites the relevant law I have heard people question whether we need a
policy but it is important that we adopt one before Katie ISD is buried in
municipal liability the policy concerns three groups of people with rights
students parents and teachers the draft policy protects all three by drawing
appropriate lines and providing clear guidance first it ensures distraction
environment for students.
The superintendent's comment in the context of the fight over student masking is just as relevant here.
I understand the uncertainties of the political landscape surrounding this situation can be frustrating for our families.
I will not allow KBISD to become a political football when the conflict exists between state and local elected officials.
That was the correct decision then and it is the correct decision now.
Now we want students to focus on learning, reading, math, and writing.
Not having this guidance risks students and teachers being in the crosshairs as a political
football.
This policy follows existing state law, the education code, the family code, court cases,
and legal guidances, the AG opinion letter, and it is the best way to get this issue out
of the classroom.
Second, this policy protects parental rights.
under the law parents have rights for when and how to discuss these issues
with their children the material that is kept out of the classroom by this
policy shouldn't be there to begin with it is not a part of the approved Texas
curriculum parents also have right under the law to know about their children
we've heard a lot of complaints about this but Katie ISD does not have the
authority to create a special exception for this issue and finally it provides
clarity to teachers teachers are in a tough situation here and we need to
appreciate that but we can't pile on by asking them to navigate the pressure of being psychologists
or doctors or heaven forbid lawyers they need to be free to teach the best thing kdisd can do is
to provide clear guidance that follows the law and keeps them out of the contentious culture war
issue rather than the focus of it i've talked about students teachers and parents the policy
applies an appropriate exception when all three align when parents and students want different
pronouns and a teacher does not have a conscientious objection to using them.
Other than that it is the purpose of our public schools to teach minor students
the approved curriculum not weighed into hot-button culture war issues. The draft
below follows the law and does the best job of letting kids be
kids and learn. Parents be parents and support and teachers be teachers and
educate. One, I have five seconds, the pin site for USB Varner should be
be nine four thank you
any Belfer Jackson Dickerson all right now we go to Ethan guns games
Ethan Gans. Ethan Gans? Is Ethan here? After that is Anne Marie Barrios.
Hello y'all, Board, Trustees, President, Superintendent, all y'all.
My name is Ethan Michelle Gans. I am a trans non-binary individual. I am an adult, luckily, at this time.
At first, I was going to come up here and talk to y'all about my personal experience as a trans person and as a trans child since I graduated in the 90s.
but after hearing a lot of people talk, I realized that we need a history lesson here.
So I'm going to give us a little history lesson.
Before colonization of this country, there were 155 native nations that recognized between three and five genders.
It was European colonization that brought the gender binary here.
Gender, just like race, is a social construct,
and it is not connected at all to biology.
Okay, so when you're taking the two and trying to put them together like this,
what you're doing is you're upholding white supremacy. You're upholding the
systems of white supremacy that came here with colonization and it's racist.
It's racist against the people that were here originally. It's racist against all
people around the world that have cultures that recognize more than two
genders which currently there are still cultures that recognize more than two
genders even though many of them have been colonized by European nations. Okay?
Transgender people have always existed.
In fact, we are in some of the oldest records even in the East, in India, when they started
recognizing genders. They have us recognized. They recognized up to four genders very, very long time
ago. Okay, so I want y'all to understand this is not a new thing. Now this fascism and this white
Christian nationalism that has risen since Trumpism, since the cult of Trumpism,
that's a new thing, all right. But that's because of all the, you know, white supremacist
dog whistles that were put out there. Of course, a lot of these people probably don't understand
about that because they didn't write their thesis on political rhetoric like I did. But, you know,
it's really important for us to understand that this this uprising of
anger about the fact that trans people exist is the new thing and this is
bigotry and it's dangerous it is very very dangerous this kind of policy is
very bad for everybody and please consider something different thank you
Anne Marie Barrios and then Brenda Jones.
My name is Anne Marie Barrios.
I'm a resident of KDISD and a parent of two KDISD graduates.
For 20 years, I actively served this district at the campus
and district levels, as well as in bond and board elections.
I've also been a substitute teacher.
My mother was a junior high school teacher,
and I never understood why anybody would choose to work with junior high school
children and keeping it real until I stepped foot in a classroom with junior
high school students as an adult I love that junior high school kids are awkward
like so awkward they're stinky like figuratively and literally they push out
of childhood boundaries they're experiencing autonomy they're learning
their preferred social groups all while experiencing puberty and body changes
and so extremes in emotions their joy is extra their sorrows are extra some want
to believe that all kids fit into a box but the truth is we tell our kids to be
unique and special until they push out of that box some want to believe that
all children have a safe home life but the truth is many don't many depend on
school for a guaranteed meal and many depend on school for their safe place
When I heard about this proposed gender policy, I thought of a kid who anxiously,
kind of like I am right now, came to me at the teacher's desk before the bell
rang. I could see their anxiety. This anxious child pointed to the attendance
sheet and they said, that's me but I prefer to be called by name redacted. So
I called roll and I called them by their requested name. What happened in that
interaction what was lost or gained what kind of social lesson was taught and
learned the child was told this is a safe space for you I see you hear you
respect you the class was told we will respect each other we will not make fun
of someone who has an identity that is different from the norm what was gained
was respect what was lost was nothing except prejudice and judgment and I can
tell you the more prejudice and judgment loses the better off our children are
maybe that child had an open loving and supportive home that embraced them but
what if their only safe place was school what if this proposed policy put them at
risk at home and stole their one opportunity to find affirmation and
support please do not vote for any policy that will endanger at-risk
children. I will let you look up the statistics for yourself because they
don't lie. Trans and gay children are at a much higher risk of self-harm and
suicidal ideation than their peers. They deserve a safe learning environment.
Please do not take that away from them. Thank you. Brenda Jones, Brenda Jones,
followed by Adrian Moore Brenda Jones followed by Adrian more okay my name is
Brenda Jones and I've been paying taxes here in Katy ISD since 1980 I worked
downtown and I've lived at a home here in Katy since 1980 I've had four
I had four children and they all went through the Katy schools.
Now I'm a Keys mentor and I'm also a CASA volunteer.
So I like to stay involved with children.
They're very important to me.
So you may look at me, who I am not.
I am whatever you call cisgender, whatever, and my children are,
and thank an older white woman that I would be agreeing with this new policy.
No, not at all.
I'm a very compassionate person,
and I have a lot of strong feelings for anybody who has any differences,
gender differences, whatever.
I have worked in I was in I was a professional and worked in business all
my career I worked with trans people I worked with gay people people would some
people would call them out but the majority of people would be kind and
relate to them and work with them so if people have to learn all the way along
They have to start from the very beginning, learning that people are different.
And I am not an attorney, but I guess there are some questions about how legal this is,
but I did get a degree in biology before I became an accountant, and I do understand
genetics.
And I also understand that there's a lot of range between totally female and totally male.
If you do genetic testing, you may find that people have some differences in there.
And if you talk to medical people, you may find that there's a lot of reasons that people have psychological or physical differences.
So fine. They're different.
We can all get along.
We don't have to call them out.
We don't have to have policies about them.
We hope that they can get along with everybody.
And I think that this policy seeks to find them out and make policies about them that
don't need to be there.
I think that it shows a lack of compassion.
I think people should be taken on an individual basis and they should be treated kindly.
And I know not everybody...
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Adrienne Moore.
Adrienne Moore, followed by Kelly Cortez.
My name is Adrienne Moore.
I'm a sophomore at Morton Ranch High School.
And instead of being able to focus in my Algebra II class
today, I was writing this speech.
I came here today to speak to you about consent item 7.13
and how harmful it is to me and every other trans kid in KDISD.
The ideas being proposed here will do nothing but make queer youth feel unsafe in our schools and put us at risk.
Queer youth experience elevated levels of physical and psychological abuse in their homes.
This makes Section 1.3 of this item actively dangerous.
Along with this, transgender suicide rates are extremely high,
with over 50% of transgender youth in the U.S. having considered suicide in 2022,
and 40% of trans people having attempted at some point.
Being refused acceptance in school by not having our name and gender respected, as proposed in section 1.6,
and the banning of queer literature, pride symbols, and LGBTQ support clubs and resources as seen in section 1.7,
trans youth are going to be pushed even farther into dangerous territories of their mental health.
This will also open doors for peers and school staff to harm us.
I myself have been harassed for using the women's spaces as an FTM transgender person.
You aren't a guy. I just saw you walk out with the girls gym, they said, with a bitter mocking tone that was enough to make me shake.
I've had to be separated from other students in my own classrooms because they would refuse to quit questioning me about my identity
and asking invasive questions about my genitalia.
These things are traumatizing and they are only a fraction of what trans youth
experience in schools on a daily basis and it will only get worse with these
policies. If you want to protect children you should listen to us when we
say that you are endangering us. The rising cases of suicide in trans youth
along with the climb in the amount of trans violence happening every day are
real. Trans youth are real. We are here and we will not be quiet while our lives
are controlled in the name of your politics. My life is not a political
ideology. My life is not something to be hidden. We are not a threat. If these
policies are put into place, I can guarantee you that our community will
not be silent. Come and take our rights. We aren't going to allow ourselves to be
stepped on. The queer community is here and we are strong. I extend my biggest
possible thank you to all my fellow queer and Ally students who came here
today to fight for what's right for all of us thank you thank you Kelly Cortez
Kelly Cortez Jason Mouton hello my name is JC Mouton I am a junior at Katy High
High School. I am here today to say that this policy is adding to the antagonism and social
isolation felt by trans and non-binary people. Though this may seem as a personal problem,
these actions have very tangible consequences. Removing the language, material, and concept
from any public space creates a taboo around said topic, a taboo that allows the response
towards it to be dictated by teenagers and realistically the internet as
opposed to the as opposed to educated and trained professionals the the public
system already suffers from a bullying epidemic and this policy is assisting in
and it's assisting in it and additionally it friends alive the
students by forcing trans individuals who are passing in appearance to have to dress
out in front of people that may visibly be opposing genders, but biologically fit the
same gender. Assault and harassment bear no regard for one's biology, rather in terms
of presentation, power, and stigmatism, all of which these policies, as they stand, put
put upon trans youth in your district.
My argument is to simply reconsider these policies
with the consolation of trans affirming or trans individuals
to identify points where real harm will be manifested.
I urge you to seriously ponder this idea.
Thank you for your time.
Quincy Parrish, Quincy Parrish.
Quincy Parrish, followed by Sarah Rebillon.
Hello, everyone.
My name is Quincy.
I'm a student at Katy High School.
I'm commenting on the gender fluidity policy, and I'm here speaking on behalf of my friends and peers who will be affected.
effective. These policies where the primary goal is to
estrange students do nothing but instill fear and distrust.
Policies like these are an unsuccessful attempt at student
safety. In fact, it is more than an unsuccessful attempt.
It is a blatant disregard for those who will be hurt.
If the very people on the school board are hateful of
others in their community, imagine how this translates to
others. It shows parents and students that it's okay to
bully and ostracize those who are different. Everyone
Everyone deserves the space to explore how they feel.
Where school is the primary source of socializing for so many students, people should be able
to discover how they feel in their own identity.
Kids should be able to have this flexibility and room for experimentation without judgment.
There is also a reason that school is a safe space instead of home.
Though we all want to believe that every parent is correct in their teachings and beliefs,
sometimes that just isn't true.
Sometimes parents spread hate, that of which is possibly against their own children.
Why would a kid want to go to their own parents about something specific and sensitive to their identity when it could be met with backlash?
When parents are forced to, sorry, when teachers are forced to out students to their parents, it can create a dangerously unsafe situation for the child.
In the extreme cases, students could be met with mental and physical abuse and even losing a home.
Can you imagine how terrifying this could be for a child? How scared you must be to keep something so personal, strictly at school because of the fear that your parents will treat you differently or won't love you any longer.
This is why school is a safe environment. This is, that's why school being a safe environment is so important to transgender and other LGBT students.
students. If safety is the school board's priority, then you are not meeting it. All
you are doing is showing the people that you do not care about them. It is showing that
you do not care about what they will feel or what they will experience. All you are
showing is your own bias, your own beliefs, the ones who are hurt and pain. Are you proud
to show students that you don't believe that they are welcome as they are? I understand
I am young, but it is me who is in this environment. It is my friends and peers who are affected
by this treatment. I am around them and I see the fear it instills in them. I see what it is like
for them to go home to parents they are afraid of in school where they are hurt when they should
be protected. These people are my friends. I am watching my friends get hurt and discriminated
against because the school board says that it's okay. Because once again, the school board shows
that it's okay to be a bully, that it's okay to hurt its own students who just want the freedom
to be themselves. Shouldn't we allow them to thrive? Shouldn't we allow them to be comfortable?
shouldn't we allow them to be safe as we do with every other student there cannot
be safety and trust when this is the environment that you create thank you
Sarah rope Rebbi on hello I'm Sarah Rebellion I am a former KTISD
these students and I'm here to talk about the newly considered policy on
parental authority and gender fluidity matters. According to ABC13.com when your
president Victor Perez was asked for a reason of this policy he stated we're
protecting children. It also said in section 1.6 of your draft that district
staff will notify parents if their child requests he or she be identified as
transgender, change his or her name, or use different pronouns at school. I think
both of these points are contradictory. See this policy could out many trans
kids in unsafe households and forced conversations they are not ready for.
A friend who for the sake of privacy I will call A has been brave enough to
share his story with me and I will be speaking on his behalf on what it was
like to be outed. When my parents figured out I was trans a trail of emotional,
verbal, and physical abuse entailed. Emphasis on physical. They would discuss
and implant ways to convert me back to being quote-unquote normal. They would
force me to dress up daily in traditional Indian clothing and pick out
quotes and lines from a holy book, sitting and praying, sitting and praying,
and chanting that quote over and over again.
At one point, they considered sending me to a conversion camp.
They also tried to murder me on three different occasions because of my queerness,
and when a social worker came and questioned me about it,
I didn't tell them at first out of fear of what my parents would do.
Eventually, I told my therapist what happened,
and afterwards she told my caseworker for me.
But my caseworker didn't believe me and just closed my case.
Events like this kept happening until at one point they took me to India.
My parents said we were visiting for my great-grandma's funeral,
that we were only staying there for two weeks.
But those two weeks stretched out longer and longer for another year and a half.
While there I was subject to more abuse by more members of my family.
I won't put my grandpa attempted to rape me and my cousins tried to kill me.
Their murder attempt is most likely the reason I have severe back pain and other problems.
All of this just because I was accidentally outed by a family friend.
My friend was around 12 years old whenever this all started.
It's a harsh truth but I won't censor the pain they experienced just so people like
you won't feel guilty for your actions.
I ask of you, Sir Victor Perez, are you trying to protect children or are you just afraid
of a concept you have not yet understood.
Because I am here to tell you that I am trying
to protect children right now.
To protect them from people like you who are trying
to hurt them, who are trying to cause, put them
in these situations that you have put my friend A in.
If you were really looking out for children,
you'd help create safe environments and security
for queer students in unsupported households.
I ask of all of you board members to consider one question
when voting on this policy.
Am I protecting children or am I ruining them?
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
The next person is Molly Ulrich.
After that, Kai Sabino.
Hello. My name is Molly Ulrich, and I currently have four children in KDISD schools.
I just wanted to come here tonight and thank you for proposing a policy on gender fluidity
ahead of any problems that may arise in our schools.
I think it is a great idea to have a policy which puts the students' long-term health
first, while putting in place a safeguard policy which can help teachers, administrators,
and counselors to navigate the situation.
I have read through the draft of the gender policy that was posted on the KDISD website.
The proposal is very detailed and thorough.
One aspect of the plan I really like is that it helps make families a priority.
Responsibility lies with parents, not teachers or counselors.
This policy takes a weight off the shoulders of school staff and leaves parents as the decision makers for their children.
Since COVID, there has been a deficit in the basic studies that students are learning.
Schools are already playing catch up in the classroom.
I am thankful that this policy keeps the subject of gender fluidity out of the classroom and instructional materials.
This leaves more time for reading, math, science, and history.
I have both sons and daughters in athletics and local KDISD schools.
Thank you for thinking ahead to a policy that states clearly that my children will be in restrooms and locker rooms with only students of the same biological sex.
I need to know that those places are safe for them.
them. Lastly, thank you for including in the gender policy a clear understanding that parents
will have full access to all their child's records from teachers and counselors. This
way parents can make thoughtful decisions for their children. Parents are the first
educators of their children. School should be a place for learning, not for personal
agendas. Please put this gender policy in place before any problems arise. This way
parents, students, and school personnel have a good resource to help lead them
through these confusing times. Thank you. Thank you.
Kai Sabino followed by Lauren Tamayo.
Good evening. My name is Kai Sabino and I am currently a senior at Raines Academy.
I am working towards graduating early and I am now more than ever more than happy to be graduating early and leaving this godforsaken district.
I cannot, I can't accurately describe the amount of anger that I have as a trans student who's also brown and also gay.
I feel like this is a complete step in the wrong direction.
As many of my peers have said before me, you are not protecting the children, like not at all.
I feel like the interest that you have is to hold your own political beliefs, which, again, as people have said, it doesn't belong in the classroom,
which means that you shouldn't have to make policies regarding how we decide to express ourselves or who we are.
You do not get to decide to tell, you do not get to tell us that we cannot be who we are,
and you do not get to tell us that we cannot be comfortable in this environment where we have to go.
We have to be educated. So that means that we deserve to be educated and, wait, hold on, sorry, I messed that up.
We deserve to be comfortable in this environment that we have to be in.
And that doesn't even touch upon the fact that
making a policy that bans any sort of like
topics regarding queer history or even current history,
you're not allowing for the chance for especially younger students or even older students to gain like the critical thinking
that we all deserve. If you do not allow for other voices to be heard or for
other voices to be seen or any other sort of representation to be seen, then
you are not allowing for the chance for these children to learn how to accept
everyone. Sure, like, oh my god, sorry. That also doesn't, it, I read through the
draft so many times within the, since I read an article that it came out, it
It doesn't even touch upon the fact
that there are some students that are over the age of 18,
therefore not under their parents' guardianship
or whatever.
Or there's students that have been emancipated,
or there's students that are self-enrolled because, again,
they're over the age of 18.
What about those students?
Don't you think it's redundant to have to basically tattletale
on these adults about who they are?
There's no need for all of that.
I'm so sorry but I strongly oppose this this bill and I really hope that
everyone on there especially the people who thought this was a good idea to just
like manifest into like thin air there's no problem here there's absolutely no
problem here thank you very much thank you the next person is Lauren Tamayo
after that Buja Kaliwani good evening board and dr. Gorgorzky my name is Lauren
Tamayo I'm an English 3 teacher at Tompkins High School as well as a parent
of a new student in Katy ISD. My ID number is T1560262. I come here today to oppose the proposed
policy FFJ student welfare. There's a quote by a famous educator, Rita Pearson, that states,
every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the
power of connection and insists that they can become the best that they can possibly be.
I've been a teacher for nine years and in the district for six.
In my nine years as a teacher, I've taught countless students, students who feel other,
students who feel like they don't belong, students who needed someone to listen to them.
Just a few weeks ago, before students entered the building, I was required to complete mandatory
district trainings on various topics, including suicide prevention and campus trainings about
the socio-emotional health of students. My role as a teacher is not just a teacher.
My role has evolved over time. I'm a mentor, a role model, counselor,
nurturer, mediator, snack provider, happy birthday singer, line of defense in case of an active
shooter and friend. As my role has changed, so has society. Students have
changed and evolved in so many wonderful and amazing ways. These students can
change the world to make kindness the standard and not the rarity. Just look at
all the students who have spoken up today, all the leaders that we have helped
foster. One role I wish I had to play less often is lifesaver. I don't have
enough fingers or toes to count how many students have come back to me and said I
helped save their life. If this policy goes into effect it will directly the
way directly impact the way I can support all students. The students who
sought me out in need of guidance will no longer have that option and I know
that we've heard the statistics about teen suicide and how LBGTQ plus students
are more likely to go with go through with ending their lives we also know
that most homeless youths are LBGTQ plus but if LBGTQ plus youth have an
accepting adult many who come in the form of a teacher they are 40% less
less likely to report a suicide attempt.
Although being accepted by family is one of the most positive associations with self-esteem,
only 6 in 10 LBGTQ plus youth are out to their immediate family.
Thank you. Thank you.
Ujah. Ujah Kalwani. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you.
Ujah Kalwani.
Hello, my name is Pooja Kulvani. I'm a senior at Obrey D. Tompkins High School and I'm addressing
the KDIC gender fluidity policy, not only representing myself but all my peers who could
not make it and send their support. If you enact this policy, you will be directly responsible
for the impairment and suicide of a number of trans youth in KDIC. If one child dies
because of this, their blood will be on your hands. A study done by the Trevor Project,
a site that prevents suicide in queer youth and a site that you previously banned in your schools
shows that one accepting adult can prevent suicide in queer children by 40% and you
Acknowledge that a child's mental health is critical to their well-being
You have teachers go through training to help students in order to satisfy the educators code of ethics
By passing this you will be fighting against a legally mandated code that will not help education
These educators care deeply about their students
I have seen the amount of love they pour into their jobs and into their classes.
Now you are forcing them to out their students and put children into potentially dangerous situations.
You are not protecting the youth. Don't you dare say you are.
You have retracted your right to make that statement by making us all miserable.
Don't you dare say you are and then not come to our funerals.
While debating this policy, you have to decide, is this worth the lives of students?
By enacting this policy, you will have to prevent staff from getting the necessary training to save a child's life.
By enacting this policy, you will be intruding on students' rights to privacy.
Our lives are not something for you to manipulate for your beliefs, cis or trans.
If you are creating the future like you say on KDISD's mission statement, then it is a future without queer lives.
If you believe in being open-minded and supporting the emotional well-being of all students, like you say on
KDIC's mission statement, then you will allow trans children to feel protected in your walls, not hunted.
If you want your students to learn empathy like you say on KDIC's mission statement, then show some yourselves.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you. Kate Holden. Next speaker is Kate Holden.
I am Kate Holden. I'm the mother of four teenagers.
And Bob and I have been paying KDISD school taxes for 34 years.
So I'm speaking to you tonight as a parent and I'm speaking to you tonight as a taxpayer.
And we're not new to KDISD.
And one of the things we'd like you all to know is that
that we are parents, we know our kids' pronouns, we know our kids' names, we know our kids.
We do not think that teachers should be required to parent our children.
That is our responsibility as parents.
We don't want the board to parent our children.
We don't want you. We don't need you.
We don't want the teachers to parent our children.
By requiring the teachers to call me, because who knows, maybe my son Bobby wants to be called Bobby instead of Robert,
because that's what's on his birth certificate.
That is a waste of their time.
I know what my kids want to be called.
I know their pronouns.
And you guys do not need to help us with that.
Likewise, we are Christians. We want our children to grow up in our faith, in our church. We don't want you to push your religion on our children.
We want to remind all of you that Katy ISD is a public school district.
If you want to pursue your religion and you feel your religious beliefs need to be implemented throughout KDISD, you are in the wrong school district.
You need a private school.
This is a public school district.
Our tax dollars should not be spent to pursue your political agenda.
agenda. Our tax dollars should not be used for your re-election campaigns. Our tax dollars
should not be used to push your religion on our children. My husband and I and our church
are perfectly capable of doing that. And if our kids are not free to be Christians, none
of you are free to be whatever religion you all are. Now as a Christian, I was told decades
ago by the pastor that it is every Christian adult's duty to take care of
all of God's children not just the children he gave to me not just the
children that look like me all of God's children that is why I am here tonight
because clearly you all are not considering the wealth thank you Wendy
Wendy Bruning.
Wendy Bruning.
I'm Wendy Bruning.
My pronouns are all of them.
All right.
This is regarding agenda item 7.13.
I have some observations.
I'm going to assume y'all on the board are smart people.
and I'm going to observe you were elected to ensure the safety of all
children in KD ISD right your school district due to population is likely to
have about 800 or so trans non-binary students now y'all are smart enough to
know being transgender isn't a voluntary thing not a choice and it's not
communicable because you're smart you know that some of those kids in your
district will be abused tossed out in the street or commit suicide when they're
outed under this policy by their teachers to their parents or guardians
the students will be attacked when forced to use a restroom incongruent to
their presentation inevitably that's going to happen you're smart you are
aware these kids live with said family so the kids possibly have a better read
on how their family might react to the news that their child is trans maybe
The kids often know whether they themselves are accepted unconditionally or if the parents aren't safe.
You know that at least some trans kids will have intolerant parents.
Parents that will abuse given the info that the child is trans.
It's a simple law of averages.
You're smart people. You know that.
Teachers outing children will lead to awful things happening to the kids you were elected to protect.
because you're smart people I have to assume that you specifically want to
make it dangerous for trans and non-binary children to say anything
about their identity at school to use the frickin restroom at school you're
smart so I have to believe you actually mean to put this particular demographic
of student under threat or worse you want to enact harm to these children
even though you were actually elected to protect them and you will cause them
harm not directly mind you you're just making sure sure it will happen to many
of them clean hands you're smart this is the intended results of your policy you
know what it will do you know exactly what you're doing thank you thank you
Anna Brown. I'm sure a couple people here that haven't signed in but I don't know if they're here.
Ed Sarlis and Spencer Malloy. They're not here. Okay. Anna Brown after that. Molly Carnes.
Good evening. I'm going to open with a quote. Per the Texas Association for School Boards legal issues related to transgender students from this year,
The Office for Civil Rights and DOJ's 2021 guidance
cites a failure to address a transgender student
by the student's chosen name and pronouns
as an example of sex-based discrimination
within the agency's enforcement authority under Title IX.
I'm a graduate of Cinco Ranch High School.
I'm the mother of an adult child
who graduated from a KDISD school.
I have a first grader currently enrolled in a KDISD school
and one that will start kindergarten next year.
I am terrified by proposed policy FFJ.
I am worried that section 1.7 specifically will impact the GSA and SAGA groups at our
high schools as they are district sponsored extracurricular activities that support gender
fluidity and are often the only safe space students have, especially if you are eliminating
their ability to feel safe speaking to their teachers.
I am infinitely concerned that it seems to state that any books featuring trans or gender
curious characters will be banned from any district classroom, even the classroom libraries
that teachers stalk themselves.
You say this policy is about protecting students,
but barring young people from seeing themselves
even reflected in literature is not protecting them,
and those kids are the ones who need our protection most.
Today I identify as Anna Brown and my pronouns are she, her,
but once upon a time I was a student in your schools
that was gender non-conforming.
I went by a different name.
I had a loving and supportive home with a mother
who unfortunately did not believe in bisexuality
until the last five years.
So despite the fact that I may not have undergone anything that you would consider abuse, there
was no affirmation of my identity at that time at home.
But I got that in my schools.
I don't think you understand the ramifications of not just abuse on LGBTQ kids.
I was blessed that I was able to find myself and my identity and my sexuality in that way
and all the same ways that I was able to investigate different fashions, musical styles, friend
in a supportive safe place where no one called it mental illness to be figuring out who I was
at the developmental time in my life where that's what I was supposed to be doing.
Knowing their parents will be called every time they try something new in a specific way doesn't foster a feeling of safety.
Telling them that even with supportive parents, their teachers and classmates don't have to respect who they are as humans
is not protecting anything but bigotry and bad citizenship.
citizenship. I have a student currently enrolled in an elementary where you guys are teaching
citizenship skills like courage, which I think your previous program has demonstrated to
be fabulous at by the number of current students showing up to defend themselves and their
friends. But also things like respect and telling staff and students that someone's
genitalia that is not their business is the determining factor for what pronouns they
should be using for their peers is not acceptable and not respectful and not good citizenship.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Molly Carnes, followed by Carol White.
Hi, I'm Molly Carnes and I'm the Christian parent of a precious transgender daughter
and I'm speaking in opposition to the proposed gender policy, Agenda 713.
I'm speaking on behalf of parents of transgender students in Katy ISD that do not feel safe
enough to speak for themselves.
I know for my own child transitioning during her senior year was life-changing and life-saving.
Her teachers knew she was transgender and she was safe and respected in her classrooms
and was able to graduate with honors.
There may be plenty here in this room that just don't get what it means to be transgender
and that's okay.
But trans kids are not your enemy.
And I know a common enemy can mobilize communities and voters,
especially those who have been told by their churches that trans people are less than sacred.
I ask you to consider poverty or homelessness as your common enemy because those conditions
significantly affect outcomes. What we are asking for is belonging for our trans children.
There's an important study about belonging in educational environments by Dr. Gregory Walton
and by Dr. Shannon T. Brady that is applicable here.
This, quote, belonging uncertainty is a general inference that's drawn from cues, events, experiences,
and relationships in potential settings,
and their research showed how a perceived lack of belonging negatively affects achievement and motivation.
This policy codifies that lack of belonging in heartbreaking fashion and makes teachers the gender police.
This attempt to make transgender students invisible is not only unattainable,
They're always going to be here, but a waste of energy and resources, especially when the inevitable litigation occurs.
By forcing transgender students to choose to live either truthfully or as an imposter,
you're sending a tragic message not only to transgender students, but all of the youth in Katy ISD,
that sometimes you need to lie.
You need to live dishonestly.
That's the message because that's how you're teaching kids that this is how you survive
a system that you're trying to create here.
Not only does living like an imposter have grave consequences for the mental health of
transgender children, but living a lie to conform to the norm is a horrible life lesson
for any kid.
I want to address the Christians in the room who think that supporting policies like this
one makes you a defender of the faith.
Transgender people need hope and the kids especially and this policy takes
away hope that they can belong, that their days are going to get better, that
they have a future. Any theology that inspires despair and others cannot be
the fruit of the Spirit. Do not forget that one out of four kids that come out
to their Christian parents become homeless that day. As educators can you
be at peace knowing the reason a youth is on the streets is because of you? God
God has created a million different beautiful variations of the human condition,
including our exquisite transgender youth who teach us about the soul in a way that no one else can.
I hope you recognize the gift of transgender youth.
Thank you.
Amy Brzezinski?
Amy Brzezinski?
Tara White?
Okay, go ahead.
Thank you.
Good evening board members and in the gallery behind me and in the overflow support
rooms.
I came up here intending to say one thing and I've decided to say something very different.
You're making decisions for people's children that are not your own.
Some of you don't even have children that you choose to put in this district.
So why are you making choices for the children that are?
I'm a product of this district.
My husband is a product of this district.
My brothers and sisters are products of this district.
I have two boys who have graduated high school from this district and I have two girls who are currently in school
It has been mentioned multiple times throughout. Yes last week's board meeting that we're protecting girls
We're protecting the girls. What if the girls are scared in their bathroom?
My son came out as transgender at the age of 12 to student to district personnel that he trusted
That allowed him the time and the freedom that it took to figure out what that meant to him and
What that would mean to coming out to me
He came out to me between freshman and sophomore year.
I'm sorry, between eighth and ninth grade year.
I did not know what I was expecting.
I did not know what that looked like.
All I knew was that not my kid.
Not my kid.
My kid was not going to be a suicide.
My kid was not going to be the one that felt outside the realm.
My kid was going to be included.
My child graduated with honors as a seven-year band student.
Was fully supported by his local community at the high school
that he was in and I couldn't be more grateful for that. The policy that you are trying to establish
puts my son and others like him in direct danger of not only discrimination but further
marginalization. Not all parents know exactly what to expect. I went to church with many people in
this room right here growing up as a child. I'm scared today to stand here to tell my story of my
son because of how they're going to react. The courage of these young kids coming up here and
And telling you their truth is phenomenal and is something to be admired and respected.
I, as a full-grown woman, don't exactly know what this means other than not these kids.
Not my kid.
These kids deserve to be supported.
They deserve to be protected.
And they deserve to be respected as human beings.
My son was in far more danger in a bathroom than any of your girls.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. Amy Brzezinski followed by Robert Beahm.
My name is Amy Brzezinski and I'm a KDISD community member, parent, and teacher.
I'm here to speak in opposition to the proposed gender fluidity policy.
Trust. Parents trust teachers when they send their students to school.
They trust teachers to make decisions in the best interest of their child.
They trust that teachers will help their children learn and grow.
They trust that teachers will show their children respect and kindness.
Students need to trust their teachers.
They need to believe that teachers have their best interest at heart.
They spend more than seven hours a day with teachers and classmates,
and this is their community. Students need to feel safe and protected in their community.
Teachers need to trust that the Board of Trustees will be making policies that allow them to teach and support their students
while feeling safe and supported and valued in their workplace.
place. Parents need to trust that the Board of Trustees will make policies
that are fiscally responsible and actually keep teachers and students safe.
The proposed gender fluidity policy destroys all of this trust. It will take
away the ability of KDISD staff to act in the best interests of children. It
It could put children into harm's way by outing them to mentally or physically abusive parents.
It puts teachers in the position where they will have to choose between the well-being of a student or their livelihood.
And it will cost this district financial resources that should be spent retaining quality teachers or providing exceptional educational resources,
resources, but will instead be spent on lawyers and legal fees as you attempt to defend this
biased and unnecessary policy.
If a child has chosen to discuss their gender preferences with their community and not their
parents, there's a reason.
Let's trust that they are making the right decision for themselves.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Robert Beham followed by Ben Zhang.
Hi, good evening.
My name is Robert Beham and I'm a resident of Katy and a parent of two Katy ISD graduates.
And I'm here today to support the gender policy proposed by the Katy ISD school board.
But I'd like to start by recognizing the services of the school board.
You work extraordinary hours, face often harsh criticism, yet continue to volunteer your time to serve our children and grandchildren, and you deserve our thanks.
School board policies have to work to provide workable legal guidelines to deal with very complex situations.
Ideally, they balance the rights and desires of parents, district staff, and students.
Striking the right balance is difficult.
Choice for some requires accommodations by others.
respecting the rights of others may sometimes go against our instincts. In my
view this policy strikes the right balance. It affirms the primary
responsibility of parents in issues related to their children. It provides
helpful boundaries to the role of district staff as educators and not
parents for the school day. In providing certainty around gender identification
it gives protection of the legal rights of all students and staff. And finally
confirms the school district's commitment to a safe environment and an
atmosphere of respect. My hope is that this policy helps us hear the
conversations about a gender identity back to where it belongs in the home.
Thank you. Thank you.
Ben Zhang followed by Tam McFarland.
Good evening. Thanks to the committee giving me the opportunity to share my view.
I'm Benjamin Zhang. I was born in some communist country. I was brownwashed since I was born.
We were convinced that we don't know what is right, what is wrong, and let the system tell you what is right.
They come up with one of the beautiful lies to let us give up our rights and freedom step by step.
step. Eventually, every one of us became the slaves of the system. The more we contribute
our power to the slavery system, the stronger the dark force. Yes, finally, I woke up, but
it took me nearly 40 years to wake up. And more than a billion people were still tightly
chained and enslaved by the slavery system. And most of them still couldn't wake up
up to now.
A person without a free mind cannot truly earn freedom,
because everything is a manifestation
of consciousness.
Now I can see the same thing happening in USA.
I knew what they were doing.
I knew what their final goal.
This sugar-coated liberals came up with one after another,
some global liars, tried to brainwash our younger
generations to assist their final goal
to take away our freedom. I fully respect the minorities' freedom but the
liberals use this as a disguise to infringe most other people's freedom.
Wake up folks. This is a war to take away our freedom. Our school system is the
frontline critical battlefield of this war. We cannot afford to lose this
battlefield. Not only we need to stand up to defend our kids from this
this brainwashing machine, but also proactively disclose
the dark forces of the liar with the weapon of truth.
Mr. Victor Perez proposed the gender policy
is doing exactly the right thing.
I fully support it.
Stay with the truth of the genetically defined gender
and give the parents the true information
to protect their younger generations.
I fully support it.
And a lot more people support it.
In order to promote their agenda,
they will give some of us a few peanuts to work for this agenda. But be aware if
you buy this peanut you and your future generations will pay it back with
millions tons of cost. Wake up we all need to stand together to protect our
young generations and take over this critical battlefield our school system
and our freedom. Thank you all.
Pam McFarland, followed by Shannon Glazer.
Hello.
I counseled vulnerable and addicted youth,
and I hosted Mr. and Mrs. Gay Calgary for years.
I went to weekly drag queen shows,
and my queens loved to do my hair and makeup.
Many committed suicide or overdosed over the years,
not because they didn't have community acceptance or support that couldn't be
farther from the truth they were depressed empty confused addicted they
had isolated themselves from their loving families and parents they ran
away from home and into the arms of predators and shared many stories of
rape with me they needed their parents early on they kept the dark secrets they
They lived a double life and now they're dead.
Parents need to be involved in all aspects of their children's lives, especially what happens at school.
Parents are notified if their child checks out a young adult book or is falling behind or feeling sick.
Therefore, parents should be notified if their child is suffering from gender dysphoria or expresses gender confusion.
You have our child, our children, eight hours a day and I don't want to be blind to what is really going on with our children at school.
And I don't want biological boys in the girls' bathroom as a mom. I don't.
These are confusing times for children and they're being inundated with gender confusing propaganda and hypersexualization.
That is a fact.
In books, in social media, I have read over 100 KDISD books and there is indoctrination.
Thank you for having the courage and foresight to get ahead of this nationwide issue and
I see this as a protection of all children.
I also want to thank this board for implementing the new library book policy.
The previous policy was not being followed. So I hope this one will. I have
fine examples to hand out of more literary art that was found in Katy ISD
libraries today and I would like to know if the book review was done by the
district as promised two years ago and which books were removed by the district
because I can only see books removed by, painstakingly, that were found by parents.
Has the district done a search in the library catalog of the words sex, romance, sexual?
Because I can do a search at one school and find hundreds with the tag sex.
And then I can go read a few of them, and they are awful.
It's child sexual abuse is what it is.
and I want this board to keep the district.
Thank you.
Shannon Glazer, qualified citizen, as not.
Hi, my name is Shannon Glazer.
My pronouns are she, her.
I'm a parent of a KDISD high school student
and a junior high student
and I'm also a KDISD high school employee.
I was very upset by the recent proposed policy
regarding our LGBTQ community the policy that you have proposed will have a
detrimental effect on our LGBTQ teens school should be a safe place for teen
students to learn and to become who they are meant to be high school especially
is a time where they go through many changes deciding where they fit in and
becoming more sure of who they are sometimes they tell their parents what
they are feeling and exploring but sometimes they don't if a student hasn't
told their parents that they are gay or trans or any other identification in the lgbtq community
then maybe we should ask why is their parent not a safe place for them do they not feel supported
are they afraid of being abused or forced into harmful therapy practices to supposedly cure them
a student should be able to come out in their own time on their own terms
students with supportive parents are nervous coming out i can't imagine how terrifying it
it must be to know that you identify as someone that your parents will not support.
Did you know that LGBTQ teens are three times more likely to commit suicide?
I learned that in my KDISD mandatory staff training just last week.
The district trains your staff to look out for more at-risk students
and then announces new policies that will further harm the most at-risk students.
From a teacher or staff perspective, we work so hard to develop positive relationships with our students.
If we are contractually obligated by our employer to report LGBTQ students,
then it will encourage us to keep our distance and not develop a rapport with our students
for fear of learning something it would pain us to report.
Further, students will get bullied even more because fear of reporting it could turn into them being outed to their parents.
When a student doesn't have a safe home, they rely on their teachers.
Some students are afraid they will be abused if their parents find out they are not straight.
They need adults in their life to support them.
You are taking away what could possibly be the last support for a student, making them even more vulnerable to self-harm.
Teachers are mandated reporters for suspected abuse, but a student determining that they are gay or trans is not abuse and should not be treated as such.
Please do not approve this policy. Thank you.
Thank you.
Jason Aznar followed by Tiffany Sal.
Good evening. My name is Jason Aznar and tonight I'm here to speak about the gender equality policy proposed for vote tonight.
A concern I have is that I think that I believe that can be easily addressed is
to make an add-on to section 1.6 simply requiring the school district to make
sure that students are aware the gender fluidity policy at the start of every
school year and to make them aware that information disclosed to the teachers
about their personal gender identity and choice of pronouns may be disclosed to
their parents if their teacher either chooses to disclose this information to
the students parents or that a student parents request it. I believe this change
will be beneficial as it will protect teachers relationships with their
students as instead of a student feeling that they were betrayed by the teacher
because they told their students about their pronouns or identity which they
might have not told their parents yet by informing students assume a students
will rather have an understanding for our teachers who are just doing their
jobs in following policy this is a very simple policy addition that can keep our
teachers out of awkward situations and ensure that students understand the
policies in place this policy is about removing secrets so let's make sure
everyone is in the know too the reality is that this policy will most likely
pass so I believe it is the board's duty to ensure everyone on both sides has a
partial say on the policy and the board should be as fair as possible to those
with differing ideas we're here to work together to educate our children not
starting endless conflicts thank you and let's get back to educating thank you
Tiffany Sao, followed by Humei Yang.
Good evening.
As a teacher in this district, I would be remiss if I did not speak up for the students
who could not speak up for themselves here tonight.
LGBTQIA plus students and their families too often experience trauma due to bias and discrimination
from their communities, from public systems that should protect their rights and serve
their needs, and from within their own families.
It is no question that gender fluid youth are at a profound risk for prejudice at the
least.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2017,
focusing on transgender high school students, transgender youth reported significantly increased rates of depression,
suicidality, and victimization in comparison to their cisgendered peers.
I invite you to listen to the following statistics from the survey and decide within yourselves
whether or not they coincide with what we truly want for our students.
One in three transgendered youth reported having attempted suicide.
suicide. One-third reported having been a victim of sexual violence. More than half
reported having experienced at least a two-week period of depression. In the same survey,
one-third of transgender youth reported feeling unsafe going to school within the last 30
days that the survey was taken. As administrators, teachers, nurses, librarians, counselors,
other school staff members, and parents, our number one priority is to ensure that our
students are safe within our care. It should come as a surprise to no one that as teachers,
teachers, a large universally known part of our job is to build relationships with our
students. Without a positive student-teacher relationship, students are less inclined to
fully engage with the material, which will in turn result in lower grades and test scores,
but most importantly, lower morale. Our goal as individuals who interact with students
is to build the students up to reach their full potential, but how could they possibly
have even the chance to if they are afraid while they are in our care? Just while I was
researching statistics to speak here today, as soon as I clicked on the Trevor Project
website there was a pop-up that stated, quick exit, press the escape button three times
to quickly leave our site.
Our gender fluid and transgender students are afraid.
We do not know what happens when our students leave our campuses to go home for the day.
This is not to assume the worst of our parents or legal guardians, it is simply a fact that
our students are scared and they need to know that they have a safe adult that they can
can trust if, for whatever reason, that adult is not
their parent or legal guardian.
Members of the board, I implore you
to truly listen to what I've said in regards to my concern
over our students' safety.
I come to you as an educator who wants nothing more
than for my students to feel safe to learn everything
that they need to from me.
I cannot say that I want the best for my students
and that I care about them if I do not
advocate for their basic needs.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Yumei Yang, followed by Stephen Hosey.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, good evening, your honorable KSD School Board of Trustees.
First, I would like to show you my sincere appreciation for our trustees' hard work,
righteousness and courage to respect the authority of parents my child is the
biggest investment in my life I take care of her when she's sick I am in her
company when she is lonely I provide for her when she is in need so I cannot
imagine when she faces a big challenge or wants to make a big decision in her
early life as a minor she will keep me out of the loop I don't get it why
Why nowadays parents have been portrayed as their own children's enemies, while others
who barely know them are propagandized as their saviors.
This reminds me of what's happening in a totalitarian state where children are the
government's assets, not parents.
I never thought it would ever happen to this great nation.
How sad.
My child wanted to be a farmer when she was three or four, but regretted badly a few years later.
Then she wanted to be an astronaut, then an architect, then a lawyer, and then a writer or songwriter.
And now she doesn't know what she wants to be.
I'm giving you this real example to show you how impulsive children can be and how easily they change their minds.
That's why they need their parents' guidance in many important decision-making processes.
Thank you the trustees who respect our rights as parents.
We are not our children's foes.
We are the ones who care about them the most, love them the deepest, help them the most
unselfishly.
We are entitled to know the important things happening to our children.
Please stop demonizing us as parents.
parents. We might discipline our children. We might make mistakes like everybody else
does, but most of us won't intentionally harm them. I have heard so many people outside
of KISD telling me now how envious they are of us because we have so wonderful school
board of trustees. This school district will only become better and attract more families
and students because of the efforts you make. You should be so proud of yourselves. You
You have been elected by the majority voters,
representing them well.
We all support you wholeheartedly.
You have been doing a great job fulfilling your promises.
We respect you profoundly.
I pray that may God keep shining upon you,
protecting you and granting you with endurance,
backbones and bravery,
to safeguard our children continuously.
May God reward you abundantly
for what you have been sacrificing, what you have been fighting for,
for the children who are struggling as we all...
Thank you, thank you.
Stephen Hosey followed by Rachel Sullivan.
Good evening, school members, school board members.
I'm Dr. Stephen Hotze, CEO of Hotze Health and Wellness Center in Katy.
My medical building pays over $55,000 per year in Katy ISD school taxes.
I'm here to support the proposed parental authority and gender policy.
This policy will put a stop to Katy schools promoting and propagandizing the
trans philosophy which allows teachers and children to lie about their sex
gender. It will also put a stop to allowing boys access to girls bathrooms,
locker rooms, and showers and prevent boys from competing in girls sports. It
It will also prohibit teachers and children from changing their names and personal pronouns.
It will also give parents the right to know if teachers are trying to transition and groom their children.
This is all about grooming.
This transgender movement is about grooming little children into pedophilia.
You know that.
That's what it's about.
God created two genders.
There are bulls and there are heifers. There are stallions and there are mares. There are men and women.
This is just a biological fact.
This is a biblical truth. Genesis 127. God created them male and female.
to say a man can claim to be a woman and a woman to be a man is totally absurd and everybody in
this room knows it it's a lie for those who think this way it is indicative that they have a reprobate
mind according to Romans chapter 1 they're perverted and they're morally degenerate it
It is high time that we stand up to protect our children from being groomed by teachers and others to accept the perverted lifestyle promoted by the LGBTQIA.
IA stands for pedophilia.
A pedophile is a person who sexualizes children, and that is what the transgender promotes, including teachers.
You have a responsibility, board members, to stop it.
It is those who promote the LGBTQ philosophy that are leading the children to commit suicide.
They're responsible for it, not for us that are trying to prevent it.
Jesus said, whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin,
it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Thank you. Thank you.
Rachel Sullivan, Rachel Sullivan, followed by Amanda Richter.
Hello.
I am a KD resident, parent, and educator.
As you go to vote on this new policy,
I ask you to consider your fiduciary duty to this district
and the impacts on student outcomes of this policy as it's written.
As written, this policy is confusing and contradictory
and will open the district up to considerable lawsuits.
Although I personally vehemently disagree with this policy, if the board
chooses to adopt it, it needs significant clarification and editing. First, the
policy should not be blanketly applied to all students K through 12 in the same
manner. Respecting parental authority is crucial, but it is equally important to
recognize that high school students are in a transitional phase towards
adulthood. While parents should be involved in their child's education,
students have earned the right to control aspects of their personal
identity including their pronoun and name usage this policy cannot be treated
as a one-size-fits-all approach the developmentally appropriate needs of
elementary students are far different than those in high school this policy
needs to make a distinction on how this issue is handled with young adults if
high school students cannot be asked directly what pronouns they prefer then
teachers should be allowed to respect any requests made by students regarding
regarding how they are referred to.
Second, wording regarding when notification is necessary
needs to be clarified.
As written, the policy states that staff
must notify parents of any name change.
This implies that if Catherine wanted to be called Kit
or Jacob wanted to be called Bubba,
they would need written consent from parents
and teachers would need to make that contact.
This assumes that common derivatives
of legal names are accepted,
but not even that is specifically stated in your policy.
For high school teachers, this is an unrealistic addition to the workload when we are already in the middle of a teacher shortage and record number of vacancies.
This policy will cause us to lose staff members directly impacting student outcomes.
At minimum, the policy needs to be rephrased to clarify exactly what is meant by other names and the procedure for contacting parents.
And third, if the purpose of this policy is to respect parental authority, that purpose should apply throughout the entire policy.
As it stands, the policy states that district staff will not be compelled to call a student by a different pronoun or name, even if parents have signed consent.
This contradicts the stated purpose of this policy, which is supposed to be protection of parental authority.
This policy is telling parents that only a select group of parents that agree with members of this board will have their authority respected.
Outside of these clarifications and edits, I implore the board to consider the consequences on teachers' ability to build relationships with students, negative impacts on student outcomes, and the financial burden of lawsuits and even more teacher vacancies.
Implementing this policy will expose the school district to numerous potential legal challenges.
As a protector of our district's funds and tax dollars, it is your duty to make sure our policy does not expose us to more danger.
Thank you.
Amanda Richter, followed by Jennifer Agbou.
Good evening. My name is Dr. Amanda Richter. I am a licensed clinical psychologist and I'm in private practice.
I am also a former sex offender treatment provider and I can tell you that the pedophiles are not LGBTQIA people.
They are softball coaches, they are baseball coaches, they are ministers, they are those who we entrust with our kids the most.
Sorry. Anyway, I am here today to speak out against the policy that unfairly outs LGBTQIA youth and their family.
Kids, adolescents, and adults who are forced to come out may be at a higher risk for familial rejection, abuse, and or homelessness.
LGBTQIA youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, the juvenile justice system, and homeless shelters.
shelters. Youth who identify as LGBTQIA are not only socially marginalized, but are more
likely to endorse mental illness symptoms compared to their peers. Because LGBTQIA youth
are typically more likely to endorse mental illness symptoms, the vulnerability increases
the degree to which they endorse suicidal ideation. However, there are known risk factors
for suicidal ideation among youth, including peer rejection, bullying, victimization, substance use,
and strained relationships with families and parents.
To disrupt this pattern, prior evidence has suggested numerous protective factors,
including supportive educational environments and teachers who support their youth,
parents who support their youth, peers who support their peers. This increases
mental health seeking behaviors when in distress, in other words they come and
see me. The data states that LGBTQ youth who have at least one supportive adult
in their life is 40% less likely to attempt suicide. Teachers and coaches are
sometimes youth's biggest advocates yet you are tying their hands by being able
to help these students the coming out process for each person is different and should be the
person's decision to make and not anyone else thank you thank you jennifer agbu followed by
saturn ferguson good evening my name is jennifer agbu and i am a kdisd teacher i did a little
digging it didn't take that much but the KDISD mission states that KDISD
provides an unparalleled learning experience designed to prepare and
inspire each student to live an honorable and fulfilling life. KDISD
believes that all learners are unique and thrive through personalized learning
experiences that when ideas and individuals are respected a culture of
mutual respect is built that benefits all stakeholders that being open-minded
fosters continual improvement that meaningful relationships are vital to
learner success. Our website also states that our learners will have empathy. What a great
mission and wonderful set of beliefs for the community. However, this gender policy does
not align with the mission of the district. It is the opposite of what the district is
supposed to be about. Our students' lives cannot be fulfilling if they are forced to
learn in an environment where they are not accepted for who they are. They cannot live
a fulfilling life if they are anxious and depressed, if they are afraid to seek help
for their mental concerns because of how their guardians may react to their
gender identity, if they are afraid to ask a staff member for help for fear of
being reported, if they're afraid of being physically harmed simply because
of who they are. Our students deserve respect as they discover who they are
and navigate this already difficult world and it is our job to stay
open-minded and listen to the best of our abilities. We are told time and time
again to build relationships with our students but you cannot have a
meaningful relationship when the student cannot trust the teacher severing this
relationship is a threat to the learner's success it is our job to stay
open-minded and meet our students where they are to support them and celebrate
them and to most of all be empathetic and understanding about their challenges
and their needs here are a few data points because I am an educator and I
like data more than half of transgender youth this is from this past year alone
More than half of transgender youth contemplated suicide this past year, with one in five attempting suicide.
Three-quarters of transgender and non-binary youth reported symptoms of anxiety, and two-thirds reported symptoms of depression.
37% have reported being physically threatened or harmed due to their gender identity, and yes, sometimes it abides the hands of a family member.
These students face stressors that their peers never have to worry about and we
should not be adding to it when simple things like support from their
communities and having their gender expression respected can have such a
positive impact on their mental health. So if you truly care about the
well-being of our students, if you truly believe in the KDISD mission and
treating all of our students the same, then you will not pass this dangerous
and harmful policy. Thank you.
Thank you.
Saturn Ferguson, followed by Andrea Norman.
Hello Board.
My name is Saturn Ferguson and I am a senior at Tompkins.
And I am here to discuss the new gender policy, a policy that which may put a lot of transgender
students at risk.
As we have seen in recent years, not everyone is as accepting of trans people as we hope.
Some of these people may be the parents of the students who will be affected by this
bill.
The outing of students can lead to parental abuse, mental health decline, and maybe even
suicide.
Not to mention that LGBTQ students have a higher risk of anxiety and depression than
those who are not.
It's always about save the children unless the child is LGBTQ, then it's whatever.
I don't believe in them.
I would like you guys to look at yourselves and think about how you are affecting children's
lives and this bill that might be the cause of them taking their own life.
I have witnessed a vast amount of bullying from students and parents towards trans youth that needs to stop and this bill will only
provide them backing. As
it is my last year in the KDISD school district,
I could feel called upon to change the policies for future students.
I would like you all to listen to the stories here today and put your beliefs aside while students' lives are at risk.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Andrea Norman?
Is Andrea Norman here?
Bailey Shashak.
Good evening.
My name is Bailey Shashak, and I am a KDISD graduate.
I would like to note that in a town that puts state
championships on water towers, you cannot
not have state championships without queer people because the 2015 KD softball state winning team
would not have had a left fielder. I am also a current KDISD teacher. I am here to speak on the
new gender fluidity proposal. As a teacher, my co-workers and I have the unique opportunity to
provide a safe and healthy environment for adolescents who may not have had one otherwise.
If this new policy is passed, we'll be taking away the only place some of these students have
have to discover themselves and process the many feelings and emotions they are experiencing.
Our students may not confide in their parents, and maybe that is out of fear or purely based
on the fact that they are a teenager.
However, we would rather these students talk to somebody than nobody.
Transgender youth are more likely than their cisgender peers to thoroughly consider or
attempt suicide.
You've heard the statistics tonight, but you need to hear them again.
With 82% of transgender youth having considered suicide and 40% having attempted suicide at
least once.
One of the main protective factors against this is school belonging.
School belonging starts in the classroom.
None of these children can feel safe and accepted by themselves or their peers
if they know that none of the adults in their life love and accept them.
With a population already known to struggle more with mental health,
taking away one of their only safe spaces could become a life or death decision.
Further, by making teachers report to parents to request a change,
the name of the pronouns they go by,
you are losing the trust of all students and possibly putting all students at risk.
Transgender youth are already at a higher risk of child abuse than cisgender children.
No one knows these students' families like they do.
They understand their family dynamics and have the best idea of how their guardians will respond.
We do not have the right to out them to their families and cause more harm than good.
Ultimately, this policy speaks extremely black and white on a topic that to its core is gray.
And we could go back and forth for years about what the best thing to do is.
But at the end of the day, our first priority is the safety of our students.
and by passing this policy you'll be taking away the only access some
students have to safety and acceptance thank you
Sarah Orlando followed by Jennifer Knight
Sarah Orlando here followed by Jennifer Knight hi my name is Sarah Orlando and
and I'm a product of KISD, as well as a parent to three KISD students,
one in high school, one in junior high, and one in elementary.
When I was growing up in Katy, my friend group was made up of a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, an atheist, and a lesbian.
That's the beautiful diversity of our district.
I moved my children here in 2016 so they could grow up experiencing the same level of diversity,
and more importantly, the acceptance and inclusion that growing up here taught me.
I fight as hard as I do to amplify the voices of minority communities because I grew up here.
You've already heard from the brilliant voices of other speakers tonight on the statistics
regarding the risk of homelessness, suicide, bullying, harassment, all the other horrific
outcomes that this policy is subjecting our LGBTQ students to.
It's important to note that this policy will place even more unnecessary pressure
on our already overwhelmed teachers by putting their students at risk and violating their
privacy, which will in the long run make it even more difficult to hire and retain high-quality
teachers in the future. Imagine if a teacher calls and outs a student to
their parents and the student suffers abuse or neglect from that parent
resulting in the death by suicide of that student. Imagine what that teacher
has to live with the rest of their life knowing that their phone call led to
that horrific outcome. If you've ever been an adult helping a young person
fight for their own life through suicidal ideation you know how important
it is to set aside your own personal beliefs and listen with an open heart
and open mind. Listen to the students who have the courage to come up here and
speak so eloquently tonight. They are products of KISD's inclusion. Listen to
them as they fight for their own lives and for the lives of their classmates.
I'm so proud of each and every one of them tonight. Violating their privacy to
further your own political agenda is irresponsible and potentially deadly. Are
you willing to live with that? But what I also want to address tonight is this
false narrative that by honoring students preferred pronouns we are somehow indoctrinating
students i argue that insisting everyone in our district adopt the beliefs and definitions of
gender according to a particular religious or political movement one which i know many of you
on this board are affiliated with that that is indoctrination posting the ten commandments in
classrooms is indoctrination praying on the field before a football game is indoctrination
A public school choir singing religious songs during a holiday performance, that is indoctrination.
Respecting individuality is not indoctrination.
I know most of you aren't listening to the facts tonight because you're committed to your religious convictions.
I know for you this is spiritual warfare, but you are not sitting at the head of your church right now.
You are sitting at the head of what was once considered one of the best public school districts in the country.
You represent public education where the separation of church and state is vital.
Our frequent appearance in national media coverage for discriminatory
actions as of late is quite frankly embarrassing. Thank you.
Jennifer Knight followed by Imelda Mejia.
Good evening.
If my child was to be caught using cigarettes or drugs at school, would people say we must
not tell the parents as they might not affirm their kid's use of drugs?
If my kid was cutting themselves or suffering from bulimia, would people say we must not
tell the parents they may not affirm their kid's cutting or bulimia?
Of course that sounds ridiculous, but that's the exact argument that those who want secrets
to be kept from parents are advocating for.
I'd like to share two stories recently in the news as a warning to what has happened when secrets were kept from parents.
A 14-year-old Virginia student started dressing and identifying at school as a boy.
The teachers knew she was dressing as a boy and identifying herself as a boy, but they did not tell the child's mother.
They intentionally chose to keep it a secret.
After much distress at school, which the mom knew nothing about, the child ran away from home.
She was found in Baltimore, Maryland, where authorities rescued her from a convicted sex offender who had violently raped her.
The Maryland court system refused to send the girl home to be with her family because they claimed the family was abusive.
What was their supposed abuse? Calling their daughter a she.
The Maryland system instead chose to put this teenage girl in a group home for boys.
She ran away in five days.
Two months later, that girl was found here in Texas.
She was beaten, raped, and trafficked numerous times.
Thankfully, Texas authorities did the right thing and returned her to her family, but
due to the Maryland court decree, she was required to attend a facility that urged her
to have a mastectomy.
Soon, the girl started asking her mom to bring her girl clothes and said she no longer wanted
to be a boy.
She's now recovered from her gender dysphoria symptoms, but will suffer a lifetime of trauma
from her experiences.
This entire heartbreaking process to get her home took 20 months and all started because
the school was hiding from the parents a struggle a child was going through.
story to also comes from a Virginia school where a male student was
identifying as a female and was allowed to use the girls bathroom at school one
day while in the girls bathroom he raped a female student rather than telling the
parents what happened the school quietly transferred the male student to another
site in the district where he raped another female student that boy has now
been found guilty of abduction and sexual assault imagine if that those
were your daughters in those situations it's important to point out now that the
The data from 12 separate studies show that 4 out of 5 gender-questioning children will
grow up and accept their bodies the way they were made if they're not put on medication.
One board member recently stated that she was concerned trust between students and teachers
would be in danger if policy 7.13 is passed.
My response to that statement is that you are going to destroy all trust between parents
and the school system if the policy will be to keep secrets between students and teachers.
No school employee loves my child and sacrifices for them like we their parents do.
We have an absolute right to know what is going on while they are in your care.
And after hearing these speeches tonight, I want to know how long biological boys have been changing in front of girls here in KDISD.
I will end with don't keep...
Thank you. Thank you.
Imelda Mejia.
Imelda Mejia followed by Ben Armenta.
Hello, my name is Imelda Mejia.
I'm the proud guardian ad litem
to four children who attend Katy ISD.
I'm also the director of communications
for Texas Freedom Network,
an organization of parents, clergy, young people,
and other Texans who support public education.
I was last year supporting my kiddos at a choir concert.
I'm not here to support all students as I ask this board to use their vote
to oppose the harmful proposed gender policy.
As currently written, the proposed gender policy would require teachers
to effectively out transgender and LGBTQIA students to parents
without consideration of what's best for the child.
It would bar transgender, non-binary, and intersex students from using restrooms
that provide a safe space for them.
It would restrict pronoun usage,
it would prohibit books with transgender
or gender-expansive characters,
and it would prohibit any displays
supporting LGBTQIA students.
The policy would make it all but impossible
for transgender and non-binary students
to find safety on KDISD campuses
and possibly their homes.
And as a reminder, Title IX
and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution
protects all students from discrimination
based on sex which includes transgender students as elected board members I ask
that you listen to the count
students and parents that are here telling you that this policy will harm kids. A policy that
harms one child is not a policy that should be considered at all. We all want to keep children
safe and to do what's best for them, and LGBTQIA children deserve to feel safe at school. They
shouldn't have to fear bullying and harassment from adults who are supposed to protect and nurture
them. KDISD lists its beliefs on its website, which include the following, quote, we believe
that when ideas and individuals are respected, a culture of mutual respect is
built that benefits all stakeholders." And, quote, we believe that being
open-minded fosters continual improvement. I'm asking you to prove
it. Prove it by opposing the gender policy. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Ben Armenta, followed by Kayden Parviz.
Board Trustees, Dr. Grzegorski, thank you for the opportunity to address you this evening.
My name is Ben Armenta.
I've been a resident and taxpayer in the Katy area for roughly 10 years.
My kids attended elementary, junior high, and are now enrolled in high school.
I take education very, very seriously.
I'm a former educator myself.
myself, a former board member of education nonprofits such as the Barbara Bush Houston
Literacy Foundation, and I'm currently a board member of the Hispanic Leadership Alliance.
And recently I served on KDISD's Bond Advisory Committee. Over the last several years, I
have cast votes for each and every one of you, and I've done so knowing that at times
I might not agree with every decision that you make, but I recognize that each
of you approaches your efforts by putting student academic success at the
forefront of your decisions. Tonight is no different. The academic success of our
students must remain front and center as you determine the outcome of the
Parental Authority and Gender Fluidity Matters policy. Let me remind you of the
the first line of KDISD's mission statement, KD Independent School District, the leader in
educational excellence, together with family and community, provides unparalleled learning
experiences. Together with family and community. See, I do believe that this district provides
unparalleled learning experiences today, but let me be clear. I also believe that the number one
reason KDISD has achieved and sustained its excellence is because of the role of
families in our schools. Any policy which prohibits district personnel from
keeping secrets from parents is a policy that should be considered. Any policy
which fosters active communication and increases transparency between district
and parents is a policy that should be considered. And just like
actions KDISD has taken to increase security, any policy which proactively
establishes safe learning environments is a policy that should be considered. If
you have ideas which may shape the proposed policy for the betterment of
of KDISD, then now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
But this is not going to go away.
Moms and dads like myself are going to hold the line against social indoctrination in
our schools, and I am requesting that you do the same.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cadence Carter, Cadence Carter, and then Elizabeth Tite.
tight, tight.
Good evening.
My name is Cadence Carter
and my pronouns are he, him.
Cadence, a wonderful name. I know, I picked
it myself.
Speaking of my name,
I'd like to share a piece of
my award-winning poem with you tonight.
The name that you assume is mine
is nothing more than a scramble of letters
you put together to refer to me, a wild jumble of sounds you compiled to grab my attention,
a symphony of identity but a wild, horrid off-tune instrumental simultaneously.
However, it is not the fault of the musicians who play every note as written,
it is the fault of the composer who constructed this precious but pernicious piece,
and the band plays joyfully, oblivious to the fact that they play the most upbeat performance,
performance, the most magnificent melody for a mourner at a funeral. My name is Cadence.
Now, you can look me in the eyes and tell me that I'm exaggerating the importance of this situation,
but the statistics themselves paint a pretty clear picture. Now, this was going to be the part where
I tell you about the alarmingly high suicide rate in transgender youth, but you've heard this time
and time again. And I know it's probably past your bedtime, and a lot of you seem to be falling
falling asleep or on your phones. I mean, unless you want to tell me what is on your pant leg that has your attention grasped so hard.
How many more of us have to die before you realize your policies are killing us?
Who dies next? My friends, my boyfriend, or me?
I've never even seen the inside of my school's restrooms because I'm afraid of getting in trouble for being myself.
I'm afraid of getting in trouble because I have bodily functions and need to pee.
Inviting trans people into the restroom does not raise sexual violence rates.
If you're afraid of creepy boys pretending to be trans to get into the girls' restroom,
I think the issue is the creepy boys, not the trans girls. Just a thought.
God forbid a book in the school library mentions gender.
You know, I actually have friends who check this book out at the school library.
It contains themes of murder, sex, rape, and indoctrination.
I think you guys might have heard of it. I believe it's pronounced the Holly Bibble.
I've been called all sorts of names and slurs, but out of all of the most hurtful names I've had thrown at me,
it's the one that is printed on my school district ID.
And I think you should all take that into account.
Oh, and you might want to disinfect your mic. I think I contaminated it with the trans virus.
you don't want anyone catching that. Thank you for your time Mrs. President.
Thank you. Elizabeth Tate, Elizabeth Tate, followed by Maria Chavez.
Good evening. My name is Elizabeth and I am a high school choir director here and I've
been teaching and working with teenagers for nine years now. And I just first want to express
my appreciation for sitting here and being willing to have all of us be heard.
It makes us feel that we have a part in our process and that's very important to
us so I appreciate that. Thank you. I want to bring the perspective of a teacher
who is interactive with a lot of students who this affects as being a
choir director and I'd like to specifically hone in on the part that
that talks about do not ask for their preferred pronouns
and report the preferred pronouns to the parent.
I don't want to address other issues on this
because this is where I feel I have the most expertise.
The coming out process with these pronouns
is very delicate and tender for these students.
As someone addressed a couple of speakers ago,
being a teenager is a transitional time
where they are discovering their inner selves
and their inner lives in a way that's unfamiliar to them.
And I believe that it's very important
that we allow them to do that in their own space and time.
So in those moments when a student expresses something
to me that they are not ready to share with their parents,
I absolutely understand that parents want to have
all the information about their students,
and I respect that very deeply.
However, the gender policy as written
does give sort of the assumption that teachers would maliciously withhold
information from parents which to me as a teacher who has been through the
political landscape of the last couple years feels like just another slap in the
face I would be very cautious about adding additional barriers for teachers
to connect with their students because we are very tired we're very tired of
of being restricted of using our professional judgment.
And I truly believe that this will reduce quality applicants
for teaching positions in our district.
I have had beautiful and touching experiences
with students who have expressed to me in privacy
their gender fluidity.
And they have been allowed the space
to explore that very slowly.
And during that slow experience, every step of the way,
I encourage them to talk to their parents and I always put that decision in their hands and I want to make sure that you
understand that I believe the majority of teachers are
encouraging their students every step of the way to talk to their parents, but
Teenagers at this point in their lives are starting to get more autonomy and I think it's important that we honor that in their developmental signaling
And I have two specific questions. It refers to teachers will be disciplined for not following these policies
We need to be very specific about what that means. That's going to be a lot of time on our administrators and
We already don't have
Thank you
Maria Chavez, Maria Chavez followed by Sharon Grinnell
Is Maria Chavez here?
Maria Chavez
is marla sorry about that that's okay i get it called a lot and sharon granella for that thank
you good evening board members and um superintendent dr gregorski okay in 2000 my family and i moved
to katie texas we had the option of either coming here or to the other side of town but everyone
that we talked to said Katy ISD was an immense school district so we decided we
were going to come to Katy and I was hired by Katy ISD in 2001 and I retired
last month after 22 years working for Katy ISD so what I'm going to do now is
going to give you story time before we move to to Katy we lived in California
we lived in Orange County in a town called Mission Viejo and I was a pre-k
teacher at a private Christian school and when I started hearing about this
policy it brought back a memory that was so vivid in my head and in my heart
as a pre-k teacher so now I'm going to share that story with you for story time
of what I experienced with my student and his parents I had a four-year-old
little boy in my class in my pre-k class who was the kindest sweetest little boy
but I started noticing tendencies in him that were not normal he loved playing in
the dress-up corner in and dress up like the mommy I had options of mother father
feminine dresses wigs shoes everything and they had the option and he loved
dressing up as the mommy and would put the shoes on the hair the purse
everything and he would come to me and say this is Travis and I saw if I get a
motion because it was so close to my heart because I loved my my students as
their teachers and he said mrs. Chavez I love being a mommy I want to be a mommy
I said absolutely you follow your heart and how you feel and I will answer any
questions you have as your teacher I will be here for you and I gave him that
trust and confidence as his teacher that he could come and share that and I
noticed other things in the classroom he had different tendencies as a teacher
you're observant of your students you're watching over them seeing what's going
on and I could see this in my little boy my student that I just loved and so I
observed and I watched for a number of weeks of my student and how he was
Thank you.
Sharon, thank you.
Sharon Grinnell.
Thank you.
After that, Ann Russell.
I wish I could give her my time.
She seems so heartfelt.
My name is Sharon Grinnell.
I'm a longtime volunteer at Katy ISD schools and a parent of a Cinco Ranch high school graduate
I came to address two issues the board was or is considering and that seemed to me
Interconnected one is the issue of eliminating bullet point K from the code of ethics
rejecting the current standard of basing decisions on fact rather than supposition opinion or public favor
directly relates to the second issue on the agenda, the proposed gender policy.
How can a school board of all organizations turn its back on using
facts instead of personal opinions? Turning to personal opinions has led to
this extremely misguided gender-based rule that would accomplish little except
to disrupt the student-teacher relationship and put an unwanted burden
on teachers. If indeed there are teachers who feel their right to free speech is
somehow compromised by allowing students to be called by the gender they relate
to, I would remind them that their free speech does not extend to expressing
their opinion during the course of their work obligations. This school board
should focus on the many real issues and challenges facing the
the Katy educational system and please quit trying to stir up culture wars.
And by the way, the comment made at the previous board meeting about leadership I feel has
it all wrong.
Leadership is not ramming your personal agenda through.
True leadership is less about telling people what to do and more about offering support
for what the community wants.
These proposals are not what the community wants or needs. Thank you for your time and attention.
Thank you.
Anne Russey, followed by Rhonda Sherman.
Hello. This comment is being shared on behalf of a district educator
who happens to share my first name and pronouns and was unable to make it here
to sign in by the 445 cutoff time. My name is Ann and my pronouns are she her.
I'm a mother of two current and one former KDISD students and I am a veteran
teacher in the district. As a product of my specialty area I have more than the
average teachers experience with children who live under the LGBTQ plus
umbrella. I have seen them suffer and I have seen them blossom. I decided a long
time ago that my only job was to love children where they showed up. I didn't
need to understand what was driving them. All I had to do was accept them and
ensure they were safe. My room had to be a safe space. I had my first experience
with a gender dysphoric student a few years ago. That child suffered with their
mental health deeply. I worried for them constantly. I just kept telling myself to
keep showing up for them however I could. Last summer that child who still
struggles with mental health stood up and told a room of over 300 people and
spoke to their own mental health they said that this song helps them feel like
they deserve to try again tomorrow to figure out where they fit that music and
choir saved their life because it was the only place they were seen and called
by their preferred name I was present that day and I cried because I have seen
the alternative I have seen students who choose to die by suicide because they
couldn't find a single place where they felt safe and seen I am begging you
please don't take away this ability for teachers to show up for their students
and help them see the beautiful humans we see in them please do not approve
this change to our policy that concludes educator and comment this and out of
respect for mr. Graham's request will not address my peers sitting behind me
tonight instead I will invite all of you to put a reoccurring reminder on your
calendar for the first Saturday of every day to cast a ballot in the Katy ISD
school board elections we won't overcome the Christian nationalist extremism that
has taken over our district until we outvote it at the voting booth thank you
Thank you.
Rhonda Sherman.
Rhonda Sherman followed by Ben Anger.
Hi, I'm Dr. Rhonda Sherman.
I'm a parent of KDISD students since 2011, but more importantly tonight I'm here as a
licensed psychologist for the past 25 years.
I'd like to address the proposed policy on parental authority and gender fluidity and
and my grave concerns about the negative impact
on the mental health of transgender students.
Specifically, the policy that states that teachers
are to notify parents if their child requests
to be identified with different names or genders,
then their biological sex,
and that district staff cannot refer students
to resources regarding mental health issues
related to gender identity.
First, the research and statistics again tonight.
Two out of three LGBTQ youth do not have support at home.
50% of trans youth think about suicide, 18% of trans youth attempt suicide, over 70% of LGBTQ youth experience anxiety, and 50% of these kids experience depression.
The research from the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2021 found that 73% of transgendered adolescents reported psychological abuse, 39% reported physical abuse, 19% reported sexual abuse.
Many LGBTQ youth fear coming out to their parents. This has been researched
all throughout the 2000s, 2003, 2009, and many may experience rejection from
parents, again putting them at greater risk for suicide. Next, the positive
statistics. The research has shown that LGBTQ teens who have family and
community support have lower levels of mental health issues and suicidality.
Even our own Centers for Disease Control research shows that when students feel connected to a supportive community, they do better socially, emotionally, and academically.
When schools implement LGBTQ supportive policies and practices, all students experience less distress, less violence, and decreased levels of suicidality.
Further research has shown that LGBTQ youth who report having at least one
accepting adult in their life were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt.
That's 50% decrease. Having support from teachers and parents significantly
lower the suicide rates while family rejection and lack of social support
increase mental health issues and suicidality. So if this passes in KDISD,
if a child identifies as having gender identity issues or a gender identity
different than their biological sex and school staff contacts their parents,
this could lead to further isolation, rejection, and suicide. If a child
continues to suppress and hide their identity out of fear that parents will
be contacted and rejected, the research also indicates increasing rates of
suicidality and mental health issues. They are damned if they do and they're
damned if they don't. If you want the legacy of KDISD to be high levels of
mental distress and suicide vote for the policy thank you thank you ben anger
followed by doug moan
good evening uh my name is dr ben anger my pronouns are he him and i'm here to speak
I speak against item 7.13. I speak on behalf of trans kids close to me and for every other kid in the school district, regardless of how they may identify, this policy has nothing to do with protecting the children. Nothing at all.
This policy is based on bigotry and prejudice and is also based on shoddy, lazy legal thinking that couldn't even be bothered to get basic definitions right.
You should be ashamed that you accepted this work and are basing this policy on such shoddy work.
Ultimately, this horrific policy places this district on the wrong and embarrassing side of history.
KDISD is in the news a lot lately and that's not very good most of the time.
The children you are targeting already belong to a marginalized group that are treated as less than and as other.
The statistics are clear and you are actively considering a policy that will place a heavier burden on these kids.
Are your reactionary and regressive politics really worth sacrificing these kids? Is your point really worth it?
You're trying to force teachers into horrible position of outing their students
even when they know such an act may place these students into greater danger?
Are you seriously considering requiring district employees to go against their professional ethics
and to place their students and their charges in dangerous situations?
Once again, I ask you, is your bigotry and the opportunity to score cheap political points
worth the sacrifice of these children?
This policy has nothing to do with the children.
This policy has everything to do with making people like you feel comfortable
and protecting you from the sheer horror of treating every human with the dignity
and respect that they deserve. Listen to the kids. Every single kid, nearly every
single kid that has spoken today has come out against this policy. These are
the kids that you are attacking. Listen to the kids. Do better. Don't sacrifice
them. Do not adopt this policy. Throw it in the trash where it belongs. This
this community and these kids deserve better.
Thank you.
Followed by Randall Higgins.
Thank you.
It's starting to become a long evening
and I think it's gonna get a lot longer.
I appreciate the time you've provided for us to speak.
I appreciate your board service.
My name is Doug Moan.
I've lived in the district for 21 years.
I can't help but point out that I've voted every last 21 years, and I will be voting again next spring.
I think a lot of people are going to wake up and vote this spring because, frankly,
I've made 21 years without being here to speak, only been in the audience before to support
other folks, but I read the draft document of the gender policy this weekend and I was
struck by how amateurish it was, how embarrassing it was, and how mean-spirited it was.
I no longer have any kids in the Katy School District.
They've graduated.
I have a wife who teaches.
And I shudder to think what will happen when my wife has to report that some kid is a teacher.
whose parents won't acknowledge him
have to come out
because he made this mistake
of using his name in front of my wife.
God knows what's going to happen
if that kid has crappy parents.
Maybe you don't realize it
because we generally vote for people
who have good families.
We meet people through family organizations
and we vote for them and say, oh, they've got a good family.
They'd be good on the school board.
And you guys maybe associate with other people who have good parents, good families,
and don't realize that there are a number of families in KDISD that frankly don't have good parents,
who have failed at their responsibilities.
And I'm not saying that we should be taking over their parental responsibilities at all.
I'm saying there's some families out there that don't communicate with their kids and aren't going to love them and appreciate them when this news happens.
And when one of those families is told their son or daughter is out, and that kid runs away, and we don't hear about the kid for three months, what's the teacher supposed to feel when that happens?
How do we fix that?
And God forbid that the kid takes his life.
Please drop this policy.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Are you Lorelei?
That is me, yes.
I'm Lorelei Stockhausen.
Thank you for having me.
I normally would not come to any of these meetings because I don't have kids.
I didn't grow up in this district, but I moved here.
And I'm at that age where I'm planning on maybe having a family, trying to figure out
where I'm going to settle down for the next 20 years and I'm ashamed that this
year I'm seriously considering moving out of this state and finding a place
where where I raise my kids they will be safe where they won't be ashamed that
they have a trans woman as a mother and that's it's really hard where they would
have to censor themselves at school and teachers would have to pretend that I
don't exist when I pick up my kids from school and I was struck by how much the
policy has a air of nostalgia to it when I grew up we still had sodomy laws up
until the age of 12 it was illegal to be somebody like me in many ways and I
I lived in constant state of fear of everyone.
There were no stories of parents accepting their kids when I was a kid.
You couldn't find them. You couldn't read about them.
I read so many books when I was a kid, and the way I found myself wasn't from reading about trans kids,
but was from reading about girls coming of age and realizing that this was what I was looking for in my life
and why I was so frustrated and anxious and scared all the time.
I couldn't talk to my teachers.
Kids constantly bullied me for being different.
It wasn't until I was gone to college or my senior year of high school,
and I went to Conroe ISD, but it's fairly similar to Katie,
that people started treating me with respect.
There was a cultural change.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell had ended.
The sodomy laws had ended with Texas v. Lawrence.
There was growing acceptance for gay marriage.
People started affirming each other.
People started coming out.
I think that this policy is a backlash to people being themselves for the first time
in a long time.
for teaching.
saying no you are safe with me because they didn't do that when I was a kid I
looked up to my teachers I respected them I felt safe with them but nobody
told me that I was allowed to say what I knew on the inside and I persisted and
consistently kept that up until now I didn't come out to my family until I was
30 this was yeah this is I very much hope that you vote against this proposal
because it is I don't want people to go back to what thank you
Randall Higgins Randall Higgins here Brian Palmer Brian Palmer here they
Dathan Beasley.
Dathan Beasley.
Followed by Alfredo Castro.
Thank you.
My name is Dathan Beasley.
I refer to agenda item 713.
This policy contravenes Title IX.
Compiling with Title IX is necessary for the district to receive federal funding.
I'd like to know what programs and initiatives in this district that are going to cut on
on the account of the policy being implemented.
Will the bus routes, will the active shooter training,
security, learning programs, learning resources,
staffing or facilities that you'll choose to cut back here?
When will the community, our teachers,
be given the opportunity to discuss
how those cuts affect them and their children?
Given that this policy's natural consequence
is discrimination against students,
which will lead to litigation for the district,
I'd like to know what resources are likely to be diverted away from learning
outcomes into funding these litigations. I'd like to know what opportunities this
board will provide people affected by the diversion of funds to make
representation on how the diversion of funds will affect them. As Board of
Trustees this community looks to you to uphold the state mission and objectives
of the district. I am curious as to how the policy designed to ostracise children
children who are gender diverse can be reconciled against the district's mission and objectives.
The policy does not support the mission of providing unparalleled learning experiences
designed to inspire each student to live an honourable and fulfilling life to create the
future.
Having children suppress their true selves is not honourable.
Denying students the opportunity to be and live and interact as their true selves is
not honourable either. This draft policy has brought dishonour to the Board of
Trustees and I encourage you to consider the needs of gender diverse students
before you go ahead and make their life difficult for them, their peers and their
teachers by voting on it. One of your goals stated goals as board of directors
or sorry board of this district is to actively support the emotional
well-being of all learners. This policy attacks the emotional well-being of
of gender diverse students,
it's not only places them in danger of discrimination,
it demands it.
It necessitates the gender diverse students
through no fault of their own,
be ostracized and made to feel uncomfortable,
unwelcome in a place where they should be free to learn,
grow and prosper.
This community expects you to do better
by our gender diverse student body.
Please vote.
Do not vote yes for this policy.
It's dangerous and it's irresponsible.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Alfredo Castro is our next speaker.
Board members, Dr. Gregorci, bigots and homophobes here tonight, thank you for your time.
Let's be real.
As some have said, there are many bad parents out there.
And if a child is fearful of telling said bad parent about themselves, then it's those
parents who are the problem not the child don't possibly place a child in
harm's way and don't place an undue burden on our teachers with this gender
policy under consideration people are bantering the phrase rights of parents
well I never felt that my parental rights were ever violated during the 10
plus years that my two sons were educated in KISD I say to you the four
four pack puppets up there, Victor, Morgan, Amy, Mary Ellen,
that no matter what you do,
we know that your pack handlers are pulling the strings,
telling you what to do,
but whatever bigoted policy you may pass,
we who see through your veiled hatred
will ensure that through the power of our future vote
that your time on this spot will be limited.
I want to say to all the teachers out there,
thank you for all you do,
and to all the LGBTQ and other marginalized children who are currently
fearful of this school board majority I want you all to know that we got you you
have the right to be free and to be your true selves and we who don't live a life
of hatred or fear will do all we can to protect you always and one last thing
some other people are talking about parental transparency well you can't say
that word without trans thank you
Thank you.
We're now moving into our list of non-agenda item speakers.
Is Johnny Faltz here?
Okay.
The next speaker then is Paige Martin.
Good evening.
Good evening.
I just came to talk about the bus.
That's why I'm here.
Whoo!
I picked tonight.
Seriously, you guys are volunteers,
and I want to say thank you.
Unbelievable.
Taking a beating.
Thank you.
We need your help.
My name is Paige Martin, and I come to you this evening
concerning the Katy ISD bus situation
in the new community of Sunterra. I'm a resident of Sunterra, a registered nurse
trained to be mindful of safety and a parent of a Katy ISD school bus rider. I
am guessing Katy ISD or at least the Transportation Department does not know
of the tremendous growth going on in North Katy. Our community alone is
bringing in 7,000 homes yeah crazy from this time last year our community has
grown 84% almost doubling our son rode the bus last year without any issues
this year is a completely different story some of what Sunterra school bus
riders are experiencing is overcrowded buses overcrowded bus stops one bus stop
91 elementary school students headed for Robertson Elementary. 91 kids that are
running around. The kids are sitting three to a seat or they're sitting on
the ground in the bus or on the floor of the bus. This is especially bad for the
high schoolers because they're too large to be sitting three per seat and they
start fighting. This is what we're experiencing. We have stressed out bus
Bus drivers cussing at the children and turning off the air conditioner in 100 plus heat to get them to quiet down.
Or I'm not sure what he's trying to do, maybe kill them.
Fights are breaking out on the bus.
Children are arriving late to school and they're returning home late in the evening or in the late afternoon.
And then the other problem is we have bus stops in the middle of live construction areas where there's not a four-way stop.
So you have those 91 kids on the side of the road with construction trucks blazing by them. It's very very dangerous
Anyway, it's our job to get them to school safety. I'm running out of time
I'm not sure what the answer is because I don't know the restrictions of KDISD
Maybe we need bigger buses more drivers better pay to attract more drivers more bus stops
I don't know, but what I do know is that they that we are happy to work with KDISD
If you want to contact me you're welcome to we can form a committee
It is our job to get our kids to school safely and to get them home from
Home from school safely as well
Thank you
Shannon Shannon for us
Shannon for us here Lisa Babin is our next speaker
Lisa Babin.
Good evening, Mr. Perez, ladies and gentlemen of the board, Dr. Grigorski, and all employees that are in attendance tonight.
I want to thank all of you for working very, very hard for this district.
district. I of all people have been around this district since
I was knee high to a June bug came to school board meetings
in the old board room. so I've seen the tremendous growth and
I appreciate all that you do what I don't appreciate is the
strife that is happening in the community. I do not like drama
and theatrics at all and I don't believe that this school
board deserves the bullying that they are enduring. I'm actually afraid for your safety
and Dr. Gregorski, I'd like you to take that very seriously for these board members.
I'm very grateful you hired your own attorney. That needed to happen a long time ago because it
separates the general counsel for the district and gives y'all an opportunity to seek outside
council to protect yourselves I am for the policy I'd like it to be modified I
think maybe there needs to be a focus group there might need to be some things
but for I generally am simply because it protects our superintendent and it
protects all of you ladies and gentlemen on the board in case something does
happen they granted we are here to protect children and educate children
children, but I want our district protected as well. I
think that's extremely important in the times that we live in.
We live in a very litigious society.
And I want our Superintendent to be protected. He's not broken.
I don't think he needs to be fixed right now, although for
the next Superintendent I would like and please don't take this.
I want you to retire right now. I would like a national
Superintendent starts. We did not do it for the previous
superintendent how fortunate were we that we had dr gregorski waiting in the wings in light of what
we endured but that's not always going to be our case so i just would like for y'all to be protected
from the bullying that is occurring to y'all in the district i know freedom of speech and all of
that but i just don't appreciate the community um believing that they run y'all um y'all ran for the
school board you were duly elected and they don't own you okay they don't and i don't like when
they're saying really bad things about dr gregor ski has children in this district he has a wife
i don't like it so i think as a community we kind of need to calm down and stop hiding behind a
keyboard and have dialogues and discussions if you've got a problem with the superintendent call
him up email him he might take a while to get back to you but be persistent if anybody has an issue
with anybody that works for the district give them a ringy dingy i guarantee you they answer
the phones down here i have no problems thank you thank you so much thank you
the next speaker is uh zingrui lee sing really
Lee. Good evening, school board members. My topic is still gender related. I'm a parent
of an eighth grade KDI school students.
As a parent, I want to say that as a parent,
I'm grateful for our school board members
who are looking to make a very common sense policy
of kids using the bathroom and the playing on sport teams
of their biological sex.
sex teachers or any adults should never be discussing sex
or sexual issues with children that are not their own.
If my child has a favor, the school notifies me.
If my child has lies, the school notifies me.
But the fact that anyone that says that it's okay
to hide if my child was suffering from gender dysphoria is sickening. That is groomer behavior.
Don't mess up with our kids. People are standing up for dignity and protection of children
in KD schools.
I want to tell you thank you.
School board members and the superintendent
please support the policies that keep parents rights
front and center.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Is Cynthia Clemente here?
Cynthia Clemente, okay.
After that, Kim Roberts.
Good evening, board members and those in attendance.
My name is Cynthia Clemente.
I live in Ellison.
I'm a mother of three, two girls and one boy, and now a 20-year-old who graduated from Seven
Lakes High School, a 15-year-old 10th grader who is attending Pato High School, and a bright,
energetic 7-year-old who is in the second grade at McIlwain Elementary, who also happens
to be special needs.
I stand here before you today as a mother and advocate for that special needs girl and all of those others who share my situation as I propose that you please consider the implementation of a special needs awareness day.
This event should take place during the first week of school in order to enable all those parents and caregivers
whom are willing to educate their children's peers about their child's condition to be able to do so freely.
Why? We both, adults and children, at times fear the unknown, and ignorance is our biggest enemy.
Therefore, our children need advocates.
kids. Two years ago I was allowed to address her classroom and during that
time I briefly explained her diagnosis, talked about her limitations and
capabilities, explained why she needed a wheelchair, passed around her AFOs for
those for all of them to touch and even answered many questions. Those five
minutes had an immediate and long lasting effect on both my daughter and
her peers it reduced the number of uncomfortable stares hurtful comments it boosted her self-esteem
created a sense of respect and even camaraderie camaraderie amongst themselves as many proudly
took on the roles of many caregivers themselves all qualities that kdisc strives for i started a
tradition two years ago with my children from the 20 year old down to the seven
year old in which I wished him a successful school year and consists of
saying the following while sprinkling confetti on their beds tomorrow is the
start of a new chapter in your life I wish this year be full of happiness new
friends and much wonder and that it all ends with a better you a smarter you
However, just recently as school split due to overcrowding, her wonder has now
have has her now wondering asking questions as such as, mommy are you sure
that I can be a doctor when I grow up because such-and-such says that I can't
because I'm special needs or mommy why am I special needs kids look at me funny
and it hurts my feelings.
So I ask that you please consider implementing this day
in order to help us create.
Thank you.
Kim Roberts.
Kim Roberts here.
What about Michelle Marconi?
Janet Godfrey?
Janet Godfrey?
No.
Well, this concludes the open forum portion of our meeting.
4. Closed Meeting
The Board will now convene.
The closed meeting is authorized under Section 551.001 of the Texas Government Code.
For the following purposes, Texas Government Code 551.071, 551.076, and 551.129.
Thank you.
5. Reconvene from Closed Meeting
The Board will now reconvene in open meeting.
Today is Monday, August 28, 2023, and the time is 1013 p.m.
On behalf of my colleagues, I welcome everyone to this evening's regular Board meeting.
Each Board member received a copy of the agenda and documentation for this meeting on Friday, August 25, 2023.
23 the board will receive information and recommendations from staff
administration and the superintendent on these agenda items at tonight's meeting
board members will ask be able to ask questions receive answers and should be
prepared to take action the board has just reconvened from closed meeting in
accordance with chapter 551 of the text government code any action arising from
discussions in a closed meeting must be taken in an open meeting the next item
6.1 Strategic Design 1.3 Elementary Literacy Update
of business is a report item 6.1 a strategic design 1.3 elementary literacy
update presenter is dr. Sinead Bell assistant superintendent for teacher
teaching and learning good evening president Perez board members and dr.
Gagorski I'm here to provide the monthly update about literacy phase 3
implementation focus areas include training implementation of resources and
and structured literacy instructional practices
and ongoing support.
During this update, I want to specifically focus
on feedback gathered from the summer HMH training
and the campus literacy leadership launch session.
I also want to update the board on how the quarterly goals
and strategies to monitor implementation
and briefly touch on how ongoing support will be provided
to teacher, instructional coaches, and administrators.
Throughout the implementation process,
a key strategy must be utilized to keep a pulse on the needs.
A key strategy that must be utilized is asking for and responding to feedback.
Gathering feedback throughout the implementation phase will help the Division of Teaching and Learning to adjust support as needed.
At the conclusion of the HMH Level 1 training, participants were asked the following question.
How comfortable are you with your ability to teach using HMH into reading?
There were 767 survey participants, mainly teachers, who responded to the question.
84% of the responses ranged from extremely comfortable to pretty comfortable.
15% indicated they were somewhat uncomfortable, and 1% indicated they were not comfortable and needed more training.
It is important to note that this question was posed after the Level 1 training that happened throughout the summer in June and July.
July. Teachers engaged in a Level 2 training during the August 3rd and 4th district training
days, which was a more in-depth training than they had during the summer training in June
and July. In addition to the Likert rating information that was on the previous slide,
participants had the opportunity to provide open-ended feedback to the following question.
Thinking about what you learned so far, what are your thoughts and questions about HMH
into reading this slide provides a summary of the 634 open end of responses shared the feedback
focused on the resource being comprehensive well structured which is helpful in planning high
quality lessons grounded in research in addition the emphasis on explicit instruction and
differentiation was also a common thought shared among participants one of the areas that needs
attention throughout the school year is the need for ongoing support especially in the area of
implementing all of the necessary components in the structured literacy
block based on the feedback gathered from teachers here are the top five
action items that teachers want to be a focus throughout the year ongoing
training and support assurance that the curriculum is aligned with district
expectations support and implementing all of the lesson components into the
literacy block guidance on how to streamline and organize resources and
and opportunities for teachers to observe and learn from others.
In addition to gathering teacher feedback,
we also gathered feedback from principals,
assistant principals, and instructional coaches.
Campus leaders indicated that they needed time
to get familiar with all the components of the resources
and time for their teachers to implement the resources
and structured literacy instructional practices.
Time is also needed to collaborate
with peers, which includes the sharing of ideas, strategies,
strategies, successes, and challenges so that everyone can learn from each other and work together to find solutions.
Ongoing professional learning, clear expectations, district guidance and feedback were also areas of need
highlighted in the open responses shared by campus leaders.
Based on the feedback gathered from campus leaders, here are the top five action items that we want,
that they want to be a focus throughout the year. Professional learning specific to instructional leadership,
Time to understand the resource and how it impacts student learning support in establishing planning expectations.
Opportunities to collaborate with other instructional leaders and guidance on how to give effective feedback.
And timely literacy updates and time to collaborate with district support staff.
This slide outlines the four quarterly goals that will be monitored throughout the year.
I want to focus specifically on quarter one, which is the goal that we're focusing on at this time.
In quarter one, campus leadership teams will be focusing on identifying classroom look-fors,
which focuses on classroom environment factors that are essential in a structured literacy classroom.
This includes sound walls, morphology walls, room arrangement for whole group and small group instruction, just to name a few.
Habits of collaborative planning focuses on effective and efficient planning.
planning. To facilitate planning sessions, two protocols have been developed and introduced
to guide teams through a deeper analysis of the literacy modules prior to teaching, as
well as help teachers understand the assessments and instructional components that foster differentiation
and engagement in the lessons. In order to support the campus, I think I got a little
little bit ahead of myself. In order to support the campus quarterly goals,
District 1, our district quarter focus goals were established to help guide the
district's work. Instruments have been developed to measure implementation
progress. Support plans have been developed for teachers, instructional
coaches, and administrators. Mechanisms for gathering feedback throughout the
year have been established. Beginning of the year assessments will be reviewed to
determine student needs. Campus leadership teams have been trained and will continue
to receive support on how to effectively use the protocols that are aligned to the KDISD
literacy framework. Here are the structures where ongoing training and support will be
facilitated throughout the year. The first three meeting structures are existing structures
that we have already used to facilitate learning for administrators and instructional coaches.
The last two on the slide, elementary principal cluster chats and literacy cluster meetings,
are new formats that will be utilized throughout the year to address the needs identified in the feedback that was reviewed in previous slides.
This comprehensive approach focuses on creating ownership, scalability, and sustainability.
I'm happy to answer any questions that you have at this time.
Thank you. Do you have any questions?
Mr. President.
Ms. Fox.
Go ahead.
Thank you for the update.
This interests us all.
I appreciate all of it. It's a huge change. So there are going to be hiccups. There are
going to be things to work through. I appreciate your plan to make sure that happens. Do you
have all the resources you need from us to make sure that implementation is thorough?
Yes, we do.
Okay. I appreciate the principals having their cluster conversations so they can compare best practices and get that done.
I just want to make sure that you all know that we're just, I think I can speak for us.
We are fine with you saying there's some problems we need to work through.
Just as long as transparency is there and honesty is there and you tell us when there are hiccups.
So that, you know, when teachers are calling us, we're not like, uh-oh.
You know what's going on? So I appreciate that very much and I
Know there are hiccups and we're gonna get there and thank you for this and I look forward to the next update
Thank You, mr. Sella
Dr. Bell was very a survey given at the end of the August training
So they understand the survey that you presented was at the end of the June July. There is a general survey
It wasn't the same exact surveys which I presented the June and July information, but general survey
Basically about the whole training in and of itself that particular training day, so not the same level of question
That I asked at the beginning and the reason is that June and July
we really wanted to know what we needed a plan in order to make a comprehensive plan for the
the entire school year.
And so that's when the bulk of the teachers
went through level one.
And that helped to plan for August and the ongoing support
plan throughout.
OK.
And then one quick question.
I just want to make sure the rollout, you're saying,
is quarter two and doesn't start till October through December,
you're saying?
So we're in quarter one right now.
And so that's where we're focusing on.
Just basic classroom look fors, what
what we should see in a literacy classroom,
whether it's the environmental pieces,
and then the planning piece,
which is important for as teachers are digging
into the new resources and they're calibrating
and they're learning the material.
So we really wanted to get comfortable with that.
And then in October, October through December,
we're gonna focus on the foundational pieces,
structured literacy components.
We wanna give our teachers time.
We wanna give our administrators time
and we wanna calibrate across the district.
Okay, so from a parent's perspective, they won't see anything until maybe October.
No, parents, they're using the curriculum right now.
Okay.
Yeah, so the teachers are using the curriculum.
They've been using it since day one.
They're utilizing the resources.
This is to help support the scalability and sustainability of a huge system change.
So parents should be seeing HMH, the HMH resources, our window for assessment started today,
that this is what we're using.
okay though implementation is october through december no okay quarter two that's what i see
quarter two structured literacy implementation october through december yes that's what we're
looking at
Specifically in terms of our goals that we're monitoring it, but the structured literacy
Classroom are the structured literacy
Pieces components in the classroom. They're happening operational now right now. Yes, but we're focusing on
Habits of planning and classroom environment first as our goal across the district to calibrate
So in October from October to December is when we'll be focusing on really specifically
looking and drilling down and figuring out where we need adjustments so thank
you sorry mr. president dr. Bell I want to tell you first of all I visited
almost all my schools and they've actually let me walk into some of the
classrooms and I get to see them using and the teachers from those few that
I've talked to are so excited about the new material the new resources but my
My question is about the people, the teachers who say that they need more training.
Are they, I mean, do you know who they are and are they going to get more training?
So this last slide here when I spoke of the literacy cluster meetings and elementary principal cluster chats,
we have 46 elementary schools, as you guys know.
So in order to break the district down, we've kind of assigned them by a central office support staff.
So we have literacy facilitators and, of course, our literacy coordinators that already exist.
But that literacy cluster, we can give them the specific support that they need within 15 schools
instead of 46 schools trying to figure out what everyone needs.
So within the 15 that is really assigned by assistant superintendents, that's how those teachers will get the support.
That's how those instructional coaches will get the support.
And that's how we're able to drill down so teachers can, we can build capacity with doing classroom visits and walks,
instructional coaches collaborating in smaller chunks and groups instead of 46 large, big, large groups.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
6.2 Update on Voluntary Benefit Products for Plan Year 2024.
Our next presenter is
Lance Nauman, Director of Risk Management for an update on Voluntary Benefit Products for Plan Year 2024.
Welcome. Thank you.
President Perez, Dr. Grigorski, Board of Trustees.
Steve's. Board policy CR legal states that a district may procure with any insurance company authorized to do business in Texas to insure its employees.
Voluntary benefits made available to district employees through payroll deductions are offered to provide access to services that provide and enhance the health of employees and their dependents.
Additionally, the district makes available to retirees both dental and life insurance,
utilizing the group size of KDISD for the select group.
The benefits are presented to the Board of Trustees on an annual basis.
The Risk Management Department recently completed a market evaluation through the Request for
Pricing process to secure pricing and program design for plan year 2024.
The offerings presented represent the most competitive pricing along with benefits which are available under these types of coverages.
It is recommended the Board of Trustees approves the voluntary products for plan year 2024.
And as a follow-up to our last presentation last week, you will see those benefits in your package where we achieve significant savings across all lines of coverage.
So I feel very confident in these benefits and very proud of the success of that survey marketing effort.
Thank you. Any questions?
Thank you.
7. Consent Items
We're now moving into the full consent agenda.
and a consent agenda shall include items that were discussed and considered at
the previous work-study board meeting as well as items of recurring nature the
board shall be furnished with background material up for each item consent agenda
items shall be grouped together under one action item all items shall be acted
upon by one vote without separate discussion unless a board member
requested an item be withdrawn for individual consideration be illegal and
be local i actually would like to remove item 7.13 from the consent agenda the student welfare and
parental authority and gender fluidity item to have that removed from the consent agenda and
then i'm asking board members are there any other items that you would like to remove from the
consent agenda mr. president should we remove item 7.1 for and talk about some
of the changes that were provided to us this week that were different from what
was talked about and shared widely but we all we all have that I don't know if
we if we need to discuss it we all have that information just we can just
include it in the consent or since unless somebody wants to pull it out
Otherwise, we'll leave 7.14 along with everything else.
And that would be made available for our public tomorrow to see?
It's available now.
Leave it.
It has been available.
Okay.
The only thing I want to do is thank you for adding those changes that I asked for last week for that.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
well in that case I'll entertain a motion to to approve the consent agenda for items 7.1 through
715 except for 7.1 3 mr. president I move that the Board of Trustees approves the consent agenda for
item 7.1 through 715 except for items 7.1 3 which has been removed from the consent agenda second
second okay the idea is just go ahead and vote pressing your keypad we can
send it the motion carries 7-0 at this time we'll take up 7.13 with discussion
7.13 Consider Board approval of FFJ-Student Welfare: Parental Authority and Gender Fluidity Matters.
and I'd like to go ahead and start out by making some comments on on 7.13 and
and then we can open it up for any other discussions.
I felt it appropriate to pull this policy out of consent
agenda due to all the confusion about this policy
and also what I would call mischaracterization of it.
So I just want to clarify some things.
First of all, the policy does not target or out anyone.
This policy does not deal with anyone's sexual orientation.
The policy does not require district staff
staff to ask about anyone's sexual orientation or gender identity.
In fact, that is something that schools should absolutely not be asking about,
whether in the classroom or in a counseling session or in a survey.
We are here to educate.
Following up on that train of thought, for the policy, district staff should not
ask kids what their preferred pronoun is or discuss preferred pronouns with students.
Again, we're here to educate.
The policy also does not prohibit the use of preferred pronouns, which is different
from biological sex, as long as the parent gives their approval.
According to the policy, district staff shall notify parents in just three specific circumstances.
If a child takes a step of asking that they be identified as transgender, changes name
name or uses a different pronoun in school.
Such notification to parents is not required if it is prohibited by law or in cases of
suspected abuse.
The district staff notifying parents could be counselors or other administrative staff,
not just teachers.
District leadership would determine the appropriate process when this policy is rolled out and
implemented.
minute. This policy does not pry into private conversations, confidential
conversations with district staff. So I'm talking about this is three
situations only when a child is asked to use their pronoun in school for example
or ask that they be identified as transgender or change their name but it
It does not pry into private, confidential conversations with district staff, with teachers,
counselors, etc.
The policy also does not force district staff nor students to use pronouns in any manner
that would violate their First Amendment right.
It seems the biggest area of disagreement about this policy is the role of parents.
The policy recognizes the primacy of parents in making decisions about the health and welfare of their children.
We should not err on the side of concealing information from parents.
Parents and teachers work together in partnership concerning other areas, academic and learning issues a child may have.
Similarly, coaches and parents communicate with each other about the progress of students
involved in sports or fine arts.
It is only fitting that the district's staff and parents collaborate on any mental issues
a child may have.
We cannot assume parents are going to abuse their kids and therefore keep secrets from
them.
We've heard a lot of talking points about suicide.
suicide. The teen suicide rate is a tragedy in our country, especially with kids that
may have deep depression, anxiety, or some other type of psychological stress. These
issues may manifest themselves in gender dysphoria, gender confusion. Withholding such information
from parents places a big burden of responsibility on teachers, counselors, and other staff,
staff, something that may weigh heavily on them.
They should not have to bear this burden.
Parents need to be notified to make sure their children get the appropriate help.
This is the role of the parent.
This policy provides guidance, guidelines for district staff.
We raise our children to never keep secrets, let's not keep secrets from parents.
parents. Let's encourage a culture of collaboration between parents and staff and make sure parents
have full knowledge of what is going on with their child. After all, we have to remember
these children belong to the parents, not to the schools. And I just wanted to make
those comments. Hopefully they're helpful. And at this time, I'll open it up for any
additional questions. Mr. President, I have a question about something you said, if I
If I could get clarification. When you say it doesn't out anyone, this policy does not out anyone,
what, how is that possible when, if they're telling a teacher they want to use a different
pronoun or they're transgender or they want to be called a different name, maybe a girl's name or,
and you call, we call the parent and tell them your child is telling us they're transgender,
If the parent doesn't know, how is that not outing them?
Well, it's different outing them like in school, in a school setting, to be bullied, et cetera,
versus giving the parents full information.
We're saying the parents need information on their child.
Outing them to their parents.
Well, that's not outing them.
That's not outing.
That is the parent's role.
Their terminology is saying I came out to my parents.
When I'm ready to come out to my parents or out to my friends, the whole terminology is about revealing that.
So if we reveal it for them, that's outing them.
I just wanted to clarify your terminology about we're not outing anyone because I think that maybe is a misunderstanding.
We're not concealing from the parents.
That's correct.
We're not concealing from the parents.
It's different.
Exactly.
But we are outing a student by telling the parents.
Mr. President, could I make a comment or respond to that?
Ms. Cosella, go ahead.
Okay.
The student initiates the communication with the teacher when they want to about a preferred pronoun,
a name change, or wanting to be specifically called transgender.
So they're initiating that information with the teacher.
And ahead of time, I loved what one of the speakers had said.
a young speaker had suggested making sure the whole class the schools
understand the new policy if it were to pass so everyone's fully aware of what
would happen when a student shares that information with the teacher it's fully
transparent they know so they would have that experience with how what the
actions will entail when they share that information I have one follow-up
question about something you said and and maybe you'll have to repeat it the
biggest concern over this policy of parents rights is that something is
concerned seems to be about as far as disagreement seems to be about what the
parent is told or not told that's the way I read I disagree with the parents
rights my my concern with it is putting that burden on the teacher or the staff
staff member to take on an added responsibility and to be the one to make the call.
I would say it's a bigger burden for the teacher to be, or a counselor, what have you, to be
concealing or having the burden of having that information.
We've talked about suicide rate, et cetera, and the parent not having that information,
not being able to help their child get help and get help that, you know, they're supposed to be looking out for the health and welfare of the child.
So it's withholding that information from the parent.
That's a great burden on staff and teachers.
Mr. President, I've actually prepared something to say, but before I read what I actually wrote before I got here,
I have been reached out to by many, many teachers.
In fact, some teachers even have called me at home, friends of mine, including the teachers
who are here tonight.
I have not heard one teacher who wants, I hate to call it, but the burden, an extra
burden of having to report this to, I have not had one.
Let's say I've talked to 100, not one, not 99 out of 100, not one wants that burden.
So I think it's important to listen to what teachers are saying.
I applaud the teachers that came here tonight.
It takes a lot of bravery for them to come and say what they want to say.
And I think there was about maybe five or six employees that came,
and all of them shared that they didn't want that.
But let me just read you what I wanted to say.
I want to make sure that, first of all, everybody knows, at least from my point of view,
that I'm supportive of the majority of this policy.
I am not against parents being informed if we know for a fact that the child will be safe at home.
What I'm having trouble with is the
paragraph in 1.6 which says, except to the extent prohibited by law or in cases of suspected abuse,
district staff will notify parents if their child requests he or she be identified as transgender,
change his name, or use different pronouns at school. And then this was added since last week.
the administration may create a process that allows district staff to fulfill their obligation
to provide the parental notice required by this paragraph such notice may be given by the district
staff by any district staff member and then there's some citations but i wanted to just
reiterate that as i said last week there are wonderful teachers who are great at building
relationships and these relationships only exist because of trust and a teacher just reminded me
today that the most important job of an educator is the safety and well-being of their students.
If a staff member is forced to call parents upon a child telling them that they want to be called
by a different pronoun or would like to be known as a different gender, then obviously that trust
between that staff member and child will be broken. If that parent that they just have called happens
happens to be abusive than that poor kid.
I'm not going to go over the statistics about the suicide because that was said by many
people but I want to talk something about child abuse.
I don't know if everyone knows this but the Texas School Board members are required to
take a two hours of child abuse training every two years and I just took mine with TASB and
and I learned that there are 56,944 confirmed child abuse cases in Texas in 2022,
which translates to 156 confirmed victims daily and six children hourly.
Children who struggle with gender issues have a much higher likelihood to be abused than others.
These kids should have a safe place to fall somewhere,
and God bless the teachers and staff who have become the safe place for them.
And also, with this training, we're told that the reason why we get this training is so that we can act policies to protect children.
But now, counselors, the Texas Constitution Education Code 33.06 protects counselors.
B7 states that they serve as an impartial, non-reporting resource for interpersonal conflicts.
And Education Code 38.009 states, under FERPA, a public school may withhold a minor's counseling records from parents.
Counselors, teachers, and other staff members are scared of the implications of this new
policy.
Staff members, by the way, include bus drivers, registrars, librarians, library aides, security
guards, cafeteria workers, receptionists, secretaries, custodians, pairs, teachers,
and many more.
A child can develop a friendly and trusting relationship with any of these employees.
employees. Even though the new statement says that the such notice may be given by any staff member,
it will not define what that process is, and the process should be the same across the district.
This new part says the administration may recreate a process, but we need to have the
same process. It still states that any staff district staff member can give the notice,
So does this mean that any employee can contact the parents?
What's the protocol for this?
Do they refer these children to the counselor or call or email the parents immediately?
Should someone verify with the child that this is what was said?
Or maybe the child was kidding.
Or maybe the child will change his mind tomorrow.
Could this aid in the spreading rumors about the child?
Also, it appears that the counselor may have discretion not to report this to the parents as defined in the Texas Constitution,
which has precedence over the policy.
I also have a problem with calling parents if a child wants to use a different name.
So Alexis wants to be Lexi, Robert wants to be Bob, Leonardo wants to be Leo, etc.
What will this look like? I think a nightmare.
The citations used to support this, just this part of 1.6, I didn't look at all of them, are not strong in my opinion.
They all have to do with keeping information from the parents, but the circumstances involved are much more serious.
One is about encouraging a child to have an abortion.
Another is about coercing a child to take a pregnancy test.
And another is about committing a child to a mental institution.
None of them are about pronouns.
In closing, I want to reiterate that I do not believe that it is best practice to keep
information from parents.
Gender fluidity should not be taught in our schools, and if it is, then the teacher should
be reported.
But before any district staff member reports to a parent about what a child has confided
to them, there must be a well-defined process for this, a process that is the same across
all campuses and for the entire district.
This is too serious for us to form a policy without any direction.
Children's lives could be at risk, and this is not a risk that I care to take too lightly.
Can I answer? Let me answer your address to part about the process.
Yes.
It's not our role as a board. It's the administration's role to define the exact process.
Who on the campus needs to be involved? Who is it a phone call? Who makes the phone call?
Is it a personal visit? Those details in terms of if it's a teacher, a counselor, a combination of them,
an assistant principal, et cetera.
That process, assuming this is implemented,
that process is to be done by the administration
and the cabinet and counselors and so on,
not by the board.
So that's why it's saying here,
the administration may create a process
that allows district staff to fulfill their obligation.
So we're not being specific in terms of if it's a teacher
or a counselor or two counselors or an email or a phone call.
That's up to the district to figure out
and work out what's the best process and who's involved okay but mr president so tomorrow if
this is implemented this is voted on and approved tonight tomorrow some child gets on the bus and
he's friends with the bus driver and he or she says i want to be called a different pronoun
the policy is in place today so what is that bus driver supposed to do
that they haven't had the time to make a process
us the bus driver is watching us and knows about this okay a lot of people have not will know that
this has been passed so i'm just trying to find out because what i hear from teachers and other
people is that they're scared that they won't be following the policy correctly and they're going
to get in trouble so they want to know so if tomorrow morning johnny gets on the bus and says
says call me John L. What is the best?
What's what just so I'm gonna be quiet.
So just what is the best driver to do tomorrow?
You're really worried about the bus driver calling the parents.
I mean, well, the policy district is going to establish a policy.
They're going to establish the steps in the process for who notifies the parents.
And you know how they do it and who does it on a campus by campus basis, etc.
That's not for us to detail here, like one through 10, how it's all done.
Mr. President, I don't know if everyone's aware, but there...
I'm sorry.
Go ahead.
Senate Bill 763 allows us to, in fact, requires us to vote by March 21st, 2020,
and it's legislation that was passed to fill a need of qualified individuals
to counsel students in public schools.
It permits a public school district or charter school to allow an unpaid volunteer or hire a school chaplain to perform duties required of school counselors.
The law requires every school board in Texas vote on this by March the 1st, 2024, on whether to adopt a policy authorizing individual schools have the chaplain as counselors.
And there's all kinds of rules on how the chaplain has to proceed.
SO THIS IS ONE AVENUE THAT WE COULD USE,
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO ADD MORE TO A TEACHER EITHER,
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO TAKE
THE RESPONSIBILITY OFF OF THE TEACHER.
BUT I DO TAKE ISSUE WITH A COUPLE OF THINGS
THAT WERE SAID LAST WEEK THAT THIS ISN'T A PROBLEM
IN OUR DISTRICT, AND IT IS, BECAUSE MY NEIGHBOR,
THEIR DAUGHTER CAME HOME FROM 7TH GRADE AND SAID
to her parents she thinks she's a boy and they said why and she said my
teacher told me I have male tendencies so this is a price here this is a
problem I have a teacher that posted anonymously and this is what she said
I'm glad that teachers are be giving or being given guidance on how to work with
students requesting changes in pronouns this is a situation I found myself in
And several years ago, a student asked me to call her different pronouns based upon which bracelet she was wearing, blue or pink.
How she was feeling that day depended on how I was to refer to her.
It changed daily.
I did not feel comfortable either way.
Of course, I wanted to be supportive of my students' well-being, but then I wanted to respect the parents.
I called the counselor.
I ended up suggesting that I would support her request with her parents' permission.
She did not want to involve her parents, so she withdrew her request.
So she continued to thrive as a student, thankfully, but it still haunts me, this is the teacher speaking, that that decision could have gone badly.
Sometimes kids do this for attention, sometimes they do it because they want acceptance, and sometimes they do it as a cry for help.
And so she's commending that we're actually coming up with some guidelines and some ways to protect herself.
In 2022, there was a survey, and let me read directly from it.
Asked at the beginning of the school year, please use this space to tell me what pronouns you prefer.
He, him, she, her, they, them, et cetera.
I will always use what makes you comfortable.
I cannot promise to be perfect, but I promise I will try.
2022 then the district released um notification about student surveys and they said some teachers
in the district have surveyed their students to get to know them for information and that should
not be asked preferred gender pronouns etc when parents fill out their students annual student
student update they complete personal information and you need to stick with that so then in 2023
same that that is that was directive given in 2022 here we are august 16 2023
personal financial literacy class preferred gender pronouns he him her hers they them so we've got
directive from our administration and it's still a year later is still not being followed so i got i
I have, this is a problem.
This is here.
Hold on just a second.
So, you know, I want to make sure that you understand that there is a need for this.
And I don't want to add more to the teacher.
Ms. Cuzela, could you give us an example of how this is not going to be going towards the teacher?
Mr. President, may I respond to Ms. Cuzela?
So this can go to any staff member.
So it specifically states in the policy district staff.
And that was purposeful so that we weren't directing operationally how it's going to be decided on how it's implemented.
That is not our role as board.
And it makes sense that we should consider a teacher's workload administratively as well.
but their administrators are the best ones to make that decision so it's not
just a teacher it could I think it makes sense the counselors involved an
administrator there's many numerous staff members that we employ that
support the classroom correct mr. president hold on I'm sorry I just want
to go back to you have to address I'm sorry this is a point of order you have
Thank you. So can I give you an example of what it would look like in my classroom if I were teaching?
So a student comes to me while we're changing classes.
They say, hey, I want to change my name or I want to change my pronoun.
And I say to them, okay, just get that in writing from your parent and we'll go from there.
And I can quickly send an email to the counselor.
and then I'm off to the races with my
Pelagian
theorem lesson,
right? And then after
class, I can send an email to the counselor
and say, hey, here's a heads up.
This is a conversation.
I had, I would do that just to be good communication to show, take that extra step to show that
I care for that student, but I don't have to, that's it, right?
Yeah.
Okay.
Mr. President.
Ms. Champagne.
Okay.
First of all, as I said, I'm hoping you heard this, I said it three or four times last week
and then I said it twice again today, but I'll say it again.
I'm for 90% of this policy.
What you were talking about, the surveys and all that was not, I read the whole thing what
I was disagreed with which was not what I disagreed with it was just the one
part of how to report it had nothing to do with the surveys which I do disagree
in that too I disagree with all of those same things that you addressed which was
nothing about what I said so I have a problem with district staff to me
district staff is anyone who works for the district okay so some kid could tell
the guy mowing the lawn out there it's something like this you know and he's
required the way is worded is that he's required to call the it doesn't say you
know like you said you're not telling the steps of it so now he doesn't know
what to do because it says he's required to report it to the teacher I mean to
the yeah to the parent so that's the part I have a problem with the teachers
Teachers don't want the burden of it.
And I do agree that if what Mrs. Fox said, that if the teacher,
if their policy is going to be their process, the teacher tells the counselor,
the kid doesn't know that he told the teacher, the teacher told the counselor,
and now the mom knows.
You know, a lot of these children don't have safe places to go.
and I added it up and if you figure out all the different statistics and
everything and with the 20% of the 50% who commit suicide that equals about 50
of our kids will attempt suicide not because not just because of that but I
mean of the transgender kids or what you know the LGBTQ kids not just because of
that but I'm just saying we don't want to be a part of that equation we want to
to be a part of the equation that would prevent that, not to escalate that.
Let me address for a second again about the district staff thing.
I doubt that, I mean, this is up to, assuming this gets approved, Dr. Brivorski and his
reports to put in place the process of how it's done in the campuses.
I doubt it's going to say that anyone of the 12,000 employees can make that communication.
I think it's going to be very specific in terms of who does it in the campus.
So I think it's going to be very specific.
And as I mentioned, this is not precluding, for example, private conversations with trusted
conversations with teachers, with counselors, et cetera.
It does not address that.
It's only addressing where the student has asked and is using preferred pronoun on his campus, in his classes, what have you,
and has asked the teacher to use that preferred pronoun.
In that case, we're saying that the staff member should get parental approval to do that.
Mr. Preston, I'm sorry, just one follow-up.
What about the nicknames and stuff?
You know, so if they want to be called by a different name, so Robert wants to be called Bob.
I know what you probably mean, but that's not what it says.
And these teachers are rule followers, and they want to follow the rule as it's stated.
I don't think that's a big issue.
That's not what I've heard.
That's not what I've heard from teachers across the place.
You know, they're concerned about this.
Someone wants to be called by their middle name or something.
Mr. President, I have a question about what you just said, which was this doesn't preclude them from having conversations with teachers.
But do you think that a student who comes to a teacher and says, I think I want to be transgender, I really want to change my pronoun,
and that teacher follows our guideline, tells the counselor, the counselor calls the mom,
Do you think the student will feel safe coming back to the teacher or any teacher and having that conversation?
So I understand you're saying that doesn't mean they can't have the conversation,
but once the teacher breaks that trust, they won't come back to the teacher.
Mr. Perez.
Ms. Teeming.
I understand what you're saying, and I don't like it.
That's not my intent.
I don't think that's anyone's intent that the student would not want to trust their teacher
However, it's just a fundamental. It's a fundamental belief. Do you believe that the parents are in charge of their child's education?
Or do you not and I do so, you know with with I mean in fact, you know
sometimes, you know as a teacher I
Well, that's for another topic
But I'm just saying I think that parents should have a right to know and I hope the teacher
I hope the teacher would still be trusted
I hope the parent would encourage this their own child to still trust the teacher
But I think parents right to know trumps that
the most the people that talk the most into their children are their parents and
hope that should be the case and that is the case with my kids and
It just, we have, from the math I heard tonight, it sounds like we have about 800 students LGBTQ.
So what happens, so we're going to, I'm sorry, trans, sorry.
So what happens to the other 93,000?
We're going to not honor parental rights for 93,000 so that we can honor 800?
I don't know.
I just don't see the math doesn't add up for me.
That's confusing too, Mr. President.
Mr. President, I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask our superintendent about our current policies.
May I do that?
Sure.
Dr. Gregorski, are there processes in place sufficient to meet the needs of students and staff in this current environment?
I'd say so.
We have processes in place.
Does the district provide safe bathrooms for all students, meaning are there single bathroom provisions for students who do not feel safe in a girls or boys community bathroom?
A staff bathroom.
Yeah, we have a variety of restrooms.
Are the students aware of those provisions if they ask for them?
I would assume so.
Are boys allowed to play in girls sports and vice versa?
No, that's a UIL rule.
Did the legislature pass a law directing school districts about sports last legislative session?
That's correct.
That already exists?
Correct.
Bathrooms already exist.
Are teachers and staff allowed to call students by their biological name even if the student prefers something different?
Do teachers have First Amendment rights to call students by the biological name or the name on the registration card,
even if they're asked to call them something different?
I would say so.
Okay.
Are they required to refer to a student by the preferred name of the student asked?
I don't think we have a policy on that or anything that mandates that.
Can teachers and staff be instructed or given guidance to refrain from asking,
introducing, or discussing gender topics or preferred pronouns without this policy?
Yeah, I'd say so if they ask.
I think you've instructed them to not all of them are following those instructions. Could we refresh that maybe make that more a stronger communication about the preferred not asking preferred pronouns?
Sure.
Can teachers and staff be instructed to focus on curriculum content and avoid social issues without a formal policy adding more pressure or work to their already full schedule?
Yeah, I'd say so.
Do parents have the right to access their students' records,
curriculum, health matters, and student needs without this policy?
Yes.
What is the district guidelines on parental rights?
That's a good question.
The parents have rights.
There's a parents' bill of rights by the governor, right?
Do we do that?
Yeah, the parents bill of rights by the governor. I support that.
In your opinion.
Well, this policy, if implemented as it's presented, cause lawsuits that will divert taxpayer money away from classrooms.
It's a little bit tougher one for me to answer because I'm not a lawyer.
But from some of the things I've heard tonight, there appears to be that understanding.
standing. Thank you. May I make a comment Mr. President? Go ahead Ms. Coffman. It feels like
that what we're doing is that we're making blanket statements that cover the assumption
that a parent is going to do the absolute worst to their child if their child comes out as LGBT
LGBT or queer in however way that you want to do it. And we're just making this blanket statement
that parents cannot be trusted because for their child to come out as transgendered or queer,
it is the worst possible thing that could happen. And they're just going to beat the
living hell out of them. That's what we're saying. Parents cannot be trusted.
Well, misunderstanding that. I've never said that.
Okay. Well, you're saying that parents cannot be trusted with the truth of what's going on
with their child we're not even getting say that either well I'm still speaking
so I think you should be quiet thank you very point of order I am still speaking
thank you very much I'm sorry there's rules of decorum that are not being
followed and please don't interrupt me no I'm making a point of order which
actually I've looked it up it can't be interrupted when a person does a point
well I disagree with your point of order and I want to miss government you're
I'm the only one that has not spoken besides Lance.
Can I please speak?
The rules of decorum are just...
You're still interrupting.
You're still interrupting.
You're still doing it.
Can we...
Point of order, you get to interrupt.
Can we speak one at a time, please?
One at a time, please.
Point of order says that you can interrupt with a point of order.
And the point of order I'm making is that you're not following the rules of decorum.
You're being very rude.
And I really demand an apology to Mrs. Fox.
For what?
For what?
What?
Because, Mrs. Calhoun, you're being rude.
And point of order means I can interrupt.
And how are you being rude?
The words that you say are being rude to her.
You're rolling your eyes.
Play the tape back.
I disagree with your point of order.
Mrs. Calhoun, could you finish what you were saying?
What I said is we are making a blanket statement accusing parents
without even giving them the opportunity to step into this moment in their child's life,
which is a huge deal.
For a child to come to the decision that they may not be the gender in which they were born
is a massive deal.
That's huge.
And that is a family issue.
That is a parental issue.
These parents made these children.
They adopted into their homes in some cases.
They're raising them.
they're giving up everything that they have for these kids.
And we're going to tell them, you are not owed the information.
We are going to let a child decide on when it's appropriate.
And I appreciate that kids are going through a change in their bodies
and a change mentally and hormonally, and it's extremely confusing.
And I do appreciate that, and I appreciate how terrifying that has to be for that kid.
But to not allow a parent to come into that with their child, that's insane.
That's absolutely insane.
What are we talking about here?
Mr. President, may I please address Mrs. Calhoun?
So 44% of these kids come from abusive homes.
So you're about one in two chance that they're going to call someone that their home is abusive.
You're thinking a best case scenario.
Like, you know, I'm sure you're a great mom.
Mrs. Timmy, we're all good parents.
Probably most people in here are also.
But what, so you're taking a 50-50 chance of calling a parent that is abusive.
That is not a chance I'm going to take.
Or that's not a chance I would like to take.
I feel sorry for these teachers.
The way the policy is written right now, it says that the district staff,
staff, I understand what you're saying, Mr. Perez, that you want the administration to
develop their own thing.
But if it's passed today, there's not a process tomorrow.
And that's a big burden on teachers to call when they know they have a one in two chance
that that kid comes from an abusive home.
Can I ask another question, please, Mr. President?
Ms. Calhoun?
So the other concern that I have here is we have all sat here for now, I don't know, six hours, five of which was over 100 speakers, which called us every name in the book just about as bigoted, fascist, white, Christian, nationalist, hateful, awful human beings who at one point we should just evaporate into the air.
What would make you think that a teacher who maybe doesn't agree with trans ideology or LGBT belief would want to come out and say this knowing what they just witnessed?
What onslaught of vile, awful, horrible, horrific harassment would that one teacher get on social media, on mainstream news, if she said, I don't want to call you that and I'm not going to.
I'm exercising my First Amendment right.
the ACLU would be attacking her with everything they had,
and she would be in here losing her job.
So why would a teacher come out and say,
you know, I'm just not comfortable with that,
doesn't sit well with my views,
without a policy to help back her up,
him or her, to help back her up to say,
hey, you know what?
We respect what you've got going on in the classroom.
We respect your viewpoint.
We respect where you're coming from.
If you don't feel comfortable with this,
You don't have to do it.
Ninety-nine teachers are probably going to.
Ninety-nine teachers are probably going to say, hey, you know what?
Mom said it's okay.
I say it's okay.
We're good to go.
Not a big deal.
But the one teacher who says, you know what?
I don't feel comfortable doing that.
She needs to know that there's a guideline that helps.
She needs to know that there's something that's protecting her.
And a parent needs to know that they can trust what's going on inside of the classroom because right now they don't.
Mr. President, so the several teachers that I've talked to, I did not approach them with this question.
They came to me.
They called my house.
They took it upon themselves to tell me that they do not like this policy or this part of the policy.
So I don't believe that they're liars.
I don't think the teachers are liars.
I believe that they were being honest when they told me this.
And so I'm standing up for teachers, okay?
that that's what i'm doing right now i'm saying and i stand up for parents also as i've stated
i think parents should know but we need to make sure that they're in a safe environment before
the bus driver says hey by the way miss smith your kid just told me that they want to be called a
different pronoun mr perez can i see me okay so i think the reason why teachers were confused maybe
over the last week is because of the board i think the there are people on the board that said this
is all going to fall on a teacher when that's clearly not what the policy says i don't know
if people didn't read it before the meeting or not i'm not sure but it doesn't say that this is going
to fall on the teachers it was board members that said it's going to fall on the teachers
so if teachers are confused about the policy it's not the policy it's the members that have
miscommunicated what the policy says i'm sorry mr president miss timmy the policy says district staff
Okay, but it doesn't say teacher.
It means all district staff.
You're a staff member if you get paid by KDISD, district staff.
As I mentioned, the district administration, assuming this policy is approved,
the district administration is responsible for laying out the specific processes that would...
Would you agree with that, that that's the role of the administration and your reports
to come up with the specific steps who and who in the campuses are responsible for any kind of communication like that.
It's not going to be just 12,000 employees and the bus driver, et cetera.
It's going to be very specific and with counselors, the assistant principal, the teacher, as determined by the administration.
Mr. President, I think what we're seeing here is good policy takes time.
This policy was created in a vacuum without any input from administration, those that are implementing it.
The reason people were confused is because they couldn't see it when we talked about it last week until after the meeting.
The board was even confused as we talked about it.
And so I think if I go through my list of questions, we've made big strides in bullying over the past couple years.
And it seems like we're taking a step back that I've got questions.
What does that look like when we implement this policy for our kids in bullying?
Now are there speak-up apps reports happening?
And now we follow up with some of them, some of them we don't.
Somebody mentioned that student groups would be restricted.
So I know if student groups are restricted, that seems to be a First Amendment issue.
have we gotten any legal issues or counsel on what what this opens up I mean we talked about
being fiduciary responsibilities fiduciary responsible for this district when I think
about the implementation while it's not our place the simplest thing I believe is a teacher is
gonna want to go look at the file and see if it's approved all right we don't have a special file
somewhere called gender fluidity that they say, well, let me go see if this kid has permission
to be called a different pronoun. So does that go in their file? Do we start tracking it? I'm not
comfortable with that. What are those other unintended consequences that school started,
we're rolling, and are we able to take a step back and process through this and involve the
people over here that are going to have to carry it out? They can tell us what's going on.
I think we've given clear direction there, but I mean like Miss Champagne is talking about what
does that policy does this mean it's in effect tomorrow or we're saying hey in 30 days you have
to create how you're gonna implement it I just think it I think we need more work done on it
that it should probably be tabled probably be committed and the last thing I mean realistically
what happens every kid in the district that is gonna want to be identified by
different pronouns gonna know about this conversation tonight every single one
of them is gonna learn I'm not allowed to talk to somebody I need to be quiet
about it because I don't want people to know and that that that seems to just
cancel out the entire policy mr. president
May I piggyback onto what Mr. Redmond says?
I have a few more questions for you, sir.
If you're going to do that, I want to address a couple of his comments, if you don't mind.
I'll echo his.
There's nothing in here that prohibits any kind of student groups or after-school clubs or anything like that.
There's nothing in here about that.
this is we're dealing strictly with curriculum and classroom district
sponsored extracurricular offerings that that's that's with regard to that's with
regard to you're talking about like overnight accommodations that kind of
thing no course first sentence in 1.7 no course of instruction unit of study
materials instructional materials or any other curricular or district sponsored
extracurricular offerings adopting supporting or promoting gender fluidity
will be used or introduced any district classroom right it has to do with
introduced in district classes okay so so an after-school club that would not
apply to that's not no so I think that would probably lead to good policy takes
time and we need these things need to be then clear
The only thing I want to say is the bullying.
How do you think that this will lead to increased bullying?
I'm just wondering about that.
Well, currently, we've taken big steps over the past couple years.
I mean, if you were around for the past five years,
years, there was all kinds of accusations of bullying, adults, kids, all kinds of things.
We've got a staff member now that focuses on mental health, and a lot of that's education,
right? Walking parents and kids through what is bullying, what's not, what is, you know,
like there's the education portion of it. And now, I mean, kids are mean. Like I was
in junior high here.
How does this policy make that worse?
How does that policy help?
Does it just strip any protections?
As I look at it, I think you immediately have a kid that feels like they're targeted.
How are they targeted?
I mean, we're saying that the teacher or no one should be asking the kids about their sexual orientation or gender identity, etc.
They shouldn't be asked about.
So it's not going to be like, okay, we're going to ask and then we're going to tell kind of thing and add to bullying.
It's not going to happen.
It's not part of this policy at all.
Okay.
Mr. President, may I respond to the bullying and harassment?
harassment. We already have... Excuse me, sorry, thank you. Do I have your permission, Mr. President?
Go ahead. Sorry. We have an existing bullying policy that covers all bullying. We have an
existing harassment policy that's not new. There's one, two, three student welfare policies, one, two,
three four existing right now uh student safety child abuse and neglect freedom from discrimination
harassment and retaliation freedom from bullying those are all existing policies so this works in
concert with those policies those are not null and void with this policy period
okay i think it's pretty clear okay
Okay.
Ms. Fox, did you have something?
Mrs. Calhoun, do you have something to talk about to Mr. Redmond?
Because I'm going to change a little bit of course of direction.
No, I'll let you go.
Ms. Fox?
Mr. President, I have a few questions to clarify for people who have called and asked me these questions.
And just to have it here.
Who was on the policy committee?
Ms. Cozzella, Ms. Calhoun, and myself.
Okay.
And this was announced a couple of months ago.
Okay.
I announced all the committees.
Who created the committee?
I created all three committees, finance, policy, and also academic performance.
Okay.
Who wrote the policy and crafted the language?
I think we talked about that last week.
It was written by the policy committee and reviewed and edited
and approved by outside counsel.
Okay.
When did he see it?
After it was written?
Or did he help craft it?
It was in early draft form,
and then he started to give us feedback on it.
Okay.
What was his charge by you?
What was he asked to do?
Was he asked to fortify it?
Was he asked to find the weaknesses?
Fortify it and do legal due diligence on it.
Okay.
Okay.
Are there other Texas districts who have implemented a similar policy?
Something just like this?
I don't know.
Something similar.
Mr. President, I have portions of it.
Keller?
There have been two.
Keller and Southlake have both put these in place this summer.
Okay.
And Keller, I understand Keller ISD passed theirs on June 28th, and it's already challenged by the ACLU.
So there are already legal challenges about that.
The Board of Trustees has not received a legal brief about this policy or the supporting cases cited within it.
The board majority has not had a conversation with our board attorney about it.
So in absence of a comprehensive legal brief for us to make sure that this is really solid,
I agree with Mr. Redman that good policy takes time. Even you in your opening statement last
week said it's not a problem in KDISD yet, so we're not in a hurry. Let's take some time to
get it right let's watch what happens with the keller policy and be able to construct a policy
that will not divert important dollars away from classrooms for legal challenges the board has not
asked stakeholders for their input we work for them something i keep at the forefront of my
decision making these are their students their schools their money so mr president i move to
postpone this action until we receive a comprehensive legal brief and form a focus group of teachers,
staff, parents, and community to give input and guidance on this proposed policy before it's
implemented and ask them to give a report to this board on or before the October work study meeting
meeting on October 23rd. Second. We have a motion and a second that we, would you
care to repeat that again? The motion is to postpone this action until we
receive a comprehensive legal brief and form a focus group of teachers, staff,
parents, and community to give input and guidance on this proposed policy before
it's implemented and give a report to this board on or before the October
work-study meeting on October 23rd and it's been seconded by mr. Redmond we
will not proceed to vote board members please record your vote on the screen
the motion fails those have it mr. president I move that we I move that we
we vote to the consent agenda item of 7.13.
Mr. President, I would like to move to amend Section 1.6 in the new gender policy.
I move that that paragraph, beginning with the accept to the extent prohibited by law,
be entirely deleted.
Actually, there was supposed to be discussion after the second.
It was seconded.
she made a motion there's a motion not a second and we voted no we're talking about the next
motion which mrs calhoun has made i'm still waiting on a second i second it okay now mrs
kuzella has made a second now there can be discussion or well we've already had the
discussion not on this motion not on this motion okay any any further discussion on this motion
It's been motioned, it's been moved by Ms. Calhoun, seconded by Ms. Cuzela.
Any further discussion?
Ms. Mr. President, my discussion is that I'm very disappointed that this board is in a
hurry to push through a policy that has clearly been shown that it has significant problems,
that we will have legal issues.
We are taking money meant for children and we're going to spend it on legal fees.
That's not what we want to do.
Mr. President, Mr. President, and our community.
May I have a quick response to Ms. Fox?
I think there's legal issues if we don't do anything,
and money spent to defend that if we don't have anything in place.
We must do due deliberation on this important topic,
put our district in a good position with a policy on the books as soon as possible
to avoid legal challenges as well.
Well, this happens the other way.
Mr. President, in response to Mrs. Cuzela, I respect you very much.
I think you ask really great questions, and I appreciate what you've said.
And I do think it's important to have the discussion and get the policy right, to get it solid, because it has issues.
Mrs. Champagne has brought up issues, and many speakers tonight have brought up concerns.
and we haven't seen the legal brief about it.
We're taking someone's word for it that the lawyer said it was good.
He works for all of us, and four of us have never gotten to ask him a single question.
We can step into closed session right now if we want to
and ask him whatever questions you want.
We can go back into closed session.
But the motion's already been made.
We're having a discussion.
We're having a discussion.
I know, but I mean, there's already a second on it, so we're going to vote now.
There is no hurry to put this policy into place tonight.
We have time to come back to it and make sure that we have examined everything.
We already voted on that, Ms. Fox.
Mr. President, can I make a small comment to that?
No, I understand that you feel like that there's no rush to this,
and I'm sure Loudoun County felt the same way when they had multiple girls being raped.
I'm sure that that's how they felt too.
You can ooh and aah over that all you want to, and that's fine.
But we take the security of our daughters extremely seriously.
And I appreciate that you don't feel like it's necessary,
but we do feel like it's necessary because there is pressure from our children
that we do need to protect them.
We get emails.
You guys all got the same emails that we did.
And I understand that there were a lot of people that came out
And it had a lot of things to say I got all the same emails that you did from Alaska and from
Pennsylvania and from all of the places with the same copy and paste
Right, they don't count
the people who live here count the daughters who live here count and
So we're protecting them with this
We are putting our daughters and our kids first and our parents first our parents are going to sit in the front seat of this
And I appreciate what you're saying. I do
But I'm sorry.
You have waited for a very long time to do the right thing.
You have been on this board for 18 years, is what you said last time.
And you had multiple opportunities over the last five years being presented with evidence over evidence over evidence.
And you did nothing.
So now it's our turn.
So I'm sorry.
You had time and you did not.
Any other comments?
Yes, Mr. President, I would like to say, Ms. Calhoun,
I've also I've been on the board for the last five years and this has not been a
prevalent problem and believe me if it from not from my from the people who
email me and talk to me this hasn't been a prevalent problem if it would have
been dr. Gorg or ski can tell you I send every email that I get to him I said
we're the copy and paste ones but I sent every email doesn't in back on the track
record how many times I've received an email like this before y'all got on the board zero so you
are not listening to the same emails that Amy miss Timmy yes I said since I've been on the board so
if you were getting that before you were on the board I don't know about that we know we know that
teachers some teachers are asking at the beginning of school year for the preferred pronoun we know
that's happening well and that's different from what I'm saying and I'm hated that y'all keep
keep misquoting me because I'm not talking about asking for about preferred pronoun.
I'm against that also.
I'm talking about that the reporting of students, adding the students, and all that.
That's what I'm talking about.
That's the only three or four lines of the whole thing that I'm talking about.
And I don't like the misrepresentation that, you know, I like for the teachers to have guidance also
and the bathroom issue and all that also.
So the pronoun issue, I have not heard much about until y'all got on the board.
Maybe it's because that's what you campaigned on, and now they have it.
I heard it last year.
I'm being completely honest.
You could PIR my emails if you want to.
This wouldn't be the first time it's happened.
But just look and see.
I do not get emails like that.
I'm not saying that y'all don't, but I don't.
not about this issue, about the unsafety-ness,
about the feeling that their child is going to get raped in a bathroom.
I have gotten no, not one email about the fear of that.
My three children, I have two daughters also,
and I'm completely paranoid of their safety.
But I just want to say I was never afraid of that.
I trusted the administrators at the high school and the junior high that they were at.
Mr. President.
I have two comments.
One is I'm not against parental rights.
I'm absolutely for parental rights in our schools.
This is not about that.
And girls are not being raped in bathrooms by boys who want to go by girl pronouns.
Can I, Mr. President, can I make a comment towards that?
I know that we're saying that you didn't get, that nobody got any emails from any girls,
but I have an email right here that you are all CC'd on.
I am a sophomore at Cinco Ranch High School and would like to advocate for this policy.
It has nothing to do, I want, gender ideology has no place in the school.
It has nothing to do with math, science, history, or any sport or other class.
I would like to stay safe in my classroom, locker room, and bathrooms.
I do not want a biological male in private female spaces.
That's a...
They're not allowed by law.
right and we're protected hey yeah we won't have a participation by the so you
said that you haven't gotten any and then I have another email that you were
since you were I said before you're on the board
similar it's a be Katie IST substitute teacher maybe because they feel like
they have the freedom to actually say something now listen to them let me
interrupt let me interrupt I'm sorry have any issues legal issues we can call
the attorney that worked on this right now, or we can continue our discussion here and so on.
But I'm just saying, if there's legal questions that you want to address, we can go give him a call right now.
I believe he's available.
Mr. President, I have another point of order.
The Roberts Rules of Order say that the rules of decorum is that you do not make personal attacks against other board members.
I have the book.
If you want me to get it, I can show you the page number of it.
Okay.
Do we have any further discussion?
Can I make one comment, Mr. President?
Yeah, go ahead, Ms. Cuzela.
I would like to.
Go ahead, Ms. Cuzela.
Okay.
I find this policy that we're proposing is right in line with the common thread of what came out of the 88th Texas Legislature on laws that came out that affect public school system.
And that common thread is parental authority and notification and transparency to the parent.
It's common in what our lawmakers that we voted for and what they legislated on.
It's what recently came out of the legislature.
It's not, this falls right in line with that.
It also falls right in line with existing, I don't know if it's necessarily policy or process,
of how we notify parents about so many other things about their student.
Correct?
I mean, we have progress reports that must go out.
An abusive parent can react to that.
An abusive parent could react to so many things.
Usually they're very irrational.
We cannot, sadly, protect.
We are not in charge of abusive parents, right?
A child could suffer from any kind of phone call that comes from the school, not just this, right?
So this is consistent with how we communicate with parents on all kinds of things that deal with their student at school.
So I find comfort in that.
I think it makes sense.
It's right in line with how we communicate with parents on what's happening at school and what was just legislated on.
Mr. President.
it so when our superintendent tells us that everything is in place and that he is able
he and his staff are able to send directives to teachers to cover all of the issues that this
policy covers without the formal policy which will immediately upon the passing of it here
here come the legal challenges.
My concern is diverting money that should,
our precious money that we don't have enough of
to give enough big raises, or bigger raises to our teachers
and all the things that we need in our schools,
and we're gonna divert that money to legal challenges
and legal fees and defending the policy we put in place,
but the superintendent has assured us that he and his staff
have the tools to enforce every bit of this so the policy is not needed with it
we are going to make problems worse the way that happened with our book policy
our book policy that we we talked about books for over a year and we lost more
ground than we had when we started because the ACLU came and sued us and
and made us open the Trevor Project to our websites
to our vulnerable children.
Our junior high and high school children
can now get to the Trevor Project on the website.
Our books, the books are more available.
They were passed out for free on a KDISD campus after school
by a student group.
The ones we didn't want in the hands of our students
were paid for by outside people and allowed
to be given out for free.
And they're in the hands of our students,
which is what we were trying to protect.
And now we're enacting a policy I fear will do the same, that we will find more challenges and more restrictions and consequences that we may never want to have on our hands.
If we enact this policy and one student is harmed, that's on us.
Any more questions?
Mr. President, I simply want to say zero people on this dais are against parents' rights.
like there's again we asked it last week do we have any policies that instruct
our teachers to keep things away from our parents that mandate that not
happening there was not a red line option in the policy is there a story of
a teacher being told that at some point by somebody sure if you can figure out
how to mind control every single employee in this district to make them
do everything they're told to do you'd be you'd be a billionaire sitting on a
to be somewhere. But I believe with this policy, what I've heard up here is that there's a way to
get to a 7-0 vote. We just need some more time. We need to talk with those that would be implementing
it. And we need a phone call at 11.37 p.m. at night with our lawyers, probably not going to
give us the full legal breakdown we need to totally understand what do these do with Title IX?
what does this look like with anti-discrimination laws all those
things that we need to take into account regardless of what we believe or not and
so that's my opinion I know that the motion has been made it's been seconded
to vote but everybody up here like I would I would like to see as we move
forward to get rid of the us versus them it's not against parents first teachers
or the districts on this board,
the things we could accomplish on this board
if we can move past this, whatever it is,
and recognize that we all want what's best for kids.
And so believing that, you know,
well, maybe what it looks like is they talk to a counselor
and then the counselor encourages them
to go talk back to their parent,
but it takes a little bit of time,
but they're being told and instructed
to point back to their kids as opposed to,
yes, a teacher.
They usually talk with the teacher first,
So that's why it keeps going back saying the teachers responsible for that now
Then the teacher has to tell somebody else saying that they're not telling the parent
But they're the one that's gone and told the counselor
I just I believe we we could accomplish a lot more as a board
If we work together and and if we are very conscious about not making it us versus the community or teachers
Versus the community
It's a dangerous road. That doesn't end good for anybody
I still don't think it's a teacher versus parents.
It's parental rights.
And again, this does not preclude private confidential conversations between teachers and students, students and counselors, et cetera.
It doesn't obligate the teacher to having conversations and then having to rat out the student.
That's not what this says.
So mr. President, so I heard you say that earlier. Maybe I didn't understand
So you're saying if a kid goes to a teacher or counselor and has that conversation but is saying I'm struggling with these things
But they're not asking to be called a different pronoun in the classroom
That's not that that's a different situation
That they haven't they haven't they're not using a pronoun in school. They're not using a different name
in school, they haven't been, they haven't asked to be identified as transgender.
They're just having conversations about feelings, what have you, with their counselors or teachers,
but they're not taking any proactive step, if you will, and that's when, you know, when
it's, like when it's being used in the school and everybody knows about it, then, you know,
you would think that the parent needs to be notified, and the parent should know in that
case that the student maybe needs some help or some, you know, at home.
I've read through...
Because I think it's a big burden for not to be telling the parents that, especially
when we're talking about high suicide rate in this group and we're keeping a secret from
the parent.
And I've read through this every day and I've talked with my pastor and counselors
and social workers and all those people and I've read through it multiple times and that's
the first time I've ever understood what you just said to be described in this policy.
There's not at one point that anybody I've talked to that's read this has understood
that if a kid comes and has a private conversation, that the teacher or the counselor or whoever
is not required to immediately pick up the phone and call somebody.
That's a totally different understanding of this policy.
I don't know that anybody else out in the audience thought that.
That is what it says at 1.6.
That's what it says at 1.6.
Read 1.6, Mr. Perkins.
Read the section where it says, with the exception of the child.
Right, except to the extent prohibited by law or in case of suspected abuse,
district staff will notify if their child requests he or she be identified as transgender.
Change his or her name or use different pronouns at school.
school. So he's asking to be referred to use a certain pronoun in school. He's not just
having consultations with teachers, consultations with counselors about feelings or what he's
feeling or whatever, but he's actually taking the step, if you will, to use different pronouns
at school.
So I'm going to go, I'm sorry, Mr. Redmond, but I'm just going to go back to the kid gets
on the bus tomorrow and wants to be called, I know you're rolling your eyes at me, but
I'm curious.
Because the example of the bus driver, that's not going to be in the policy.
The bus driver, the registrar that they're friends with,
the librarian that they hang out with, the librarian in the morning.
What are these people supposed to do?
They're district staff.
What are they supposed to do tomorrow after this?
This is going to get approved.
Obviously, there's four against three.
I don't know, but it's going to get passed tonight.
So tomorrow morning, a kid, do you think a 14-year-old is going to read the policy
and know that it got changed?
They're going to go and they're going to say, hey, Ms. Smith, you know, I was thinking last night I want to be called Jonnell now rather than Johnny.
So that librarian aide, what is her duty tomorrow morning?
Mr. President, may I just interject one thing?
If we're having trouble understanding your interpretation and your intent in writing the policy and we don't understand it and people who have read it don't understand it,
see how we need to shore it up a bit more before we roll it out?
Because it sounds punitive, and that's not what you intend.
Can we please take time to shore it up so that we can pass it and have a unanimous?
We've already.
But you're having to explain it, Mr. President.
It's not clear.
It's not clear.
Teachers are afraid that they're going to get in trouble
if they're kind to a student or have a conversation with a student and now they have to choose between the child and their job and
That's not how you intended it and I'm just now understanding it the same as mr. Redmond and this policy doesn't really lay it out
succinctly or
Definitively could we please just happen? What about next month? We could just work on it and do it next week
We've already voted on that. No, I'm asking you to reconsider
consider when we're about to, we're going to, we can make an amendment.
Is there any other comments?
I'll make one comment, Mr. President.
The rollout and implementation of this policy is critical.
And that's where the communication and making sure everyone understands what it says.
That's when that will happen.
A policy needs to be set.
But it doesn't say it clearly.
It's black and white.
It is black and white.
It is a black and white, but it's not what you said.
It's not your interpretation.
We can interpret and mischaracterize, read into, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not.
But if you read it, the words, what I'm referring to is black and white.
It says it in one sentence.
Mrs. Champagne is correct.
correct. If a student wants to go by a nickname, I'm Cameron, my family calls me Tripp, call
me Tripp, they have to call and get mom's approval. That's a lot of burden on teachers
to have to do that kind of stuff.
Any other comments?
My final comment is that I'm very disappointed that the majority of this board voted against
including our stakeholders in a policy as significant as this.
Okay. I will now entertain a motion with the approval of item 7.13.
Mr. President, I believe we already have a motion.
Hang on a second.
Okay, great. Sorry about that.
We will now proceed to vote.
Vote members, please record your vote on the screen via your keypad.
The motion carries 4-3.
The motion carries 4-3.
Item 8 is information items.
Do we have any requests for information?
No.
Did we have to do the consent?
No, we already did.
We did? Okay.
Any information items?
9. Future Meetings
The next board meeting is work study meeting is on September 18, 2023.
And the regular board meeting is on September 25, 2023.
There being no further visit for the board, this meeting is adjourned.
The time is 1146.
Thank you.
Official documents
Motions and votes
Recorded actions
MOTION 001 · AGENDA 7.1
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves of the June 2023 Financial Reports.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 002 · AGENDA 7.2
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the 2022-2023 final amended budget for the Katy Independent School District.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 003 · AGENDA 7.3
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the resolution to commit and assign fund balance.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 004 · AGENDA 7.4
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the 2023-2024 State Compensatory Education funding and other End-of-Course Assessment funding budget, as required by House Bill 5.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 005 · AGENDA 7.5
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees adopts the 2023-2024 Official Budget for Katy Independent School District.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 006 · AGENDA 7.6
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the TASB Risk Management Fund Interlocal Participation Agreement for the administration of work compensation claims for 2023-2024.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 007 · AGENDA 7.7
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the renewal of the Excess Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Policy offered by Midwest Casualty Company with a $550,000 specific retention for an estimated deposit premium of $149,176 for the period 2023-2024 and a flat rate renewal period for 2024-25.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 008 · AGENDA 7.8
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the Self-Insured Health Plan design and premiums for Plan Year 2024.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 009 · AGENDA 7.9
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the Voluntary Benefit products for Plan Year 2024
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 010 · AGENDA 7.10
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves Amendment Two to the Anslow-Bryant Construction, Ltd. contract related to the addition and kitchen/cafeteria expansion to West Memorial Elementary School for the Guaranteed Maximum Price of $7,179,733 and approves the total project cost not to exceed $11,050,256.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 011 · AGENDA 7.11
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the attached contract to VLK Architects, Inc. for design services associated with the construction of the Northwest Transportation and Maintenance Facility for a fee of 6% of the final construction cost.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 012 · AGENDA 7.12
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves of a Resolution to declare a good cause exception for House Bill 3.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 013 · AGENDA 7.13
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves of FFJ-Student Welfare: Parental Authority and Gender Fluidity Matters.
4 Yes · 3 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | No |
| lance-redmon | No |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | No |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 014 · AGENDA 7.14
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approve of the 2023-2024 Board Operating Procedures.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |
MOTION 015 · AGENDA 7.15
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the minutes for the July Board meetings.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| amy-thieme | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| mary-ellen-cuzela | Yes |
| morgan-calhoun | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |
| victor-perez | Yes |