Parental Notification Policy proposed by Informed Parents of Irvine Unified
The following is the Parental Notification policy drafted by Informed Parents of IUSD submitted to Board President Cyril Yu and Superintendent Terry Walker on January 12th with the request that it be placed on the January 23 IUSD Board of Education meeting agenda. The request was submitted in accord with Board policy. In addition to requesting the proposed policy be added to the agenda, the Board was asked to 1) Discuss the issue in open session and then 2) Vote on passing the Policy:
The District will provide the following notifications to parents/guardians in accordance with these provisions:
1. Any administrator or certificated staff shall notify the principal or other designee within two school days, in writing, when any of them becomes aware a pupil is experiencing gender dysphoria and/or gender incongruence, either of which may be evidenced by the pupil doing any of the following:
(a) Requesting to be identified or treated, as a gender (as defined in Education Code Section 210.7) other than the student’s biological sex or gender listed on the student’s birth certificate or any other official records. This includes any request by the student to use a name that differs from their legal name (other than a commonly recognized diminutive of the child’s legal name) or to use pronouns that do not align with the student’s biological sex or gender listed on the student’s birth certificate or other official records.
(b) Accessing sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, or using bathroom or changing facilities that do not align with the student’s biological sex or gender listed on the birth certificate or other official records.
(c) Requesting to change any information contained in the student’s official or unofficial records.
1.1 The principal/designee shall notify the parent(s)/guardian(s), in writing, within five school days from the date any administrator or certified employee has notified the principal/designee that the pupil has engaged in any of the activities enumerated in sections 1(a) through 1(c).
1.2 Where the pupil is under 12 years of age and does not engage in any of the behavior in sections 1(a) through 1(c), but reveals to a school counselor/psychologist his/her desire to be treated as a gender other than his/her biological sex or gender listed on his/her birth certificate or any other records, or expresses that he/she is experiencing gender dysphoria or gender incongruence, the parent(s)/guardian(s) shall be notified in writing by the school counselor/psychologist no later than five school days following such knowledge.
2. The principal/designee, or staff shall notify the parent(s)/ guardian(s) of the student immediately or as soon as reasonably possible, that the student has experienced any significant physical injury while on school property or participating in a school sponsored activity.
3. For purposes of this Board policy, Family Code Section 6924, and Health and Safety Code Section 124260, notification of parent(s)/guardian(s) is appropriate, unless specifically prohibited by law.
This Policy will:
(I) Provide procedures designed to clarify communications between the School District and parent(s)/guardian(s) of pupils.
(II) Bring parent(s)/guardian(s) into the decision-making process for mental health and social-emotional issues of their children at the earliest possible time in order to prevent or reduce potential instances of self-harm.
(III) Promote communication and positive relationships with parent(s)/guardian(s) of pupils that promote the best outcomes for pupils’ academic and social-emotional success.
(IV) Nothing in this policy affects the obligations of the District’s employees, administrators, and certificated staff as mandated reporters under Article 2.5 of the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act Sections 11164-11174.3 of the Penal Code, and the District Board Policies 5141 and 5141.4.
(VI) This policy is subject to the confidentiality and disclosure provisions in Education Code Section 49602 as applicable.