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On Monday, the Marysville School District No. 25 Board moved forward on a parental consent policy for non-curricular clubs.
This policy will create barriers for all clubs but directly targets the Safe Space Club, a student-led club that supports LGBTQ kids. Kids who may not feel comfortable or might be at risk telling their anti-gay parents.
LGBTQ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness, and family conflict is the most common cause of all youth homelessness. Half of all teens get an adverse reaction from their parents when they come out to them, and more than one in four are forced to leave their homes.
The reality is that there are kids every day with parents who don't even sign a syllabus for classes. These students must find another trusted adult to receive credit for their courses.
There is this assumption that all parents are capable and kind to their kids. That is not true. There is an assumption that even good parents are always as engaged as they want to be. That is not the case. There is an assumption that parents are without faults and don't need to grow.
Giving birth and reproducing does not make someone a skilled parent or magically give a person a degree in child psychology or other training. These assumptions are dangerous and harmful to the kids in our communities.
During the meeting, teachers who staff Safe Space Clubs pleaded with this board to support LGBTQ students and all students by not putting up barriers to being part of non-curricular clubs. They asked them to stop preventing students from getting the support and love they deserve – support and love they are not getting from home, from safe and trusted educators, advocates, and spaces at school.
These teachers are not doing anything nefarious. They do it out of a passion for education and student success. They don't get paid enough to deal with these backward policies from leadership.
On Monday, May 16, hundreds of people showed up at the board meeting to testify. One board member proposed an amendment to remove the parental consent lines. It did not receive a second. Another proposed amendment is to apply the policy to just kindergarten through 8th grade. That amendment passed 4-1.
In the meantime, we made headway with the Board President, who decided to have an executive session with legal counsel earlier this week to discuss the risks. That day, they also voted in the new Superintendent, Dr. Zachary Robbins. This was done a month early so he could assist with their required budget cuts.
We received word before the meeting on June 6 that the district might postpone the proposal indefinitely. Unfortunately, it was discussed, but no action was taken. The policy is still tabled and could be taken up at any time.
The next meeting is Monday, June 21, and will include a public work-study session where they will continue to discuss this policy. We don't know what to expect, but we are ready to mobilize.
Media Coverage:
Would Marysville's school-clubs proposal be unconstitutional? – Everett Herald
The latest culture-war clash could shape after-school activities for LGBTQ students in Marysville - KUOW
Marysville School Board backs off from contentious parental consent vote (This title is not entirely accurate) – KOMO 4 News
Dori: Parent permission for Marysville school clubs becomes `hot button' over LGTBQ issue - KIRO Newsradio
The proposed policy changes:
2153 NON-CURRICULUM-RELATED STUDENT GROUPS_Edits.pdfPage updated
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