When one asks a teacher why they got into the teaching profession, the answer is never “because the money is so good” (it’s not), “because I wanted a job where I get three months off during the summer” (you don’t), or “because I have such incredible knowledge about my field of experience that I wanted to share it with the world” (students seldom care about their teacher’s background and knowledge until they know that their teachers care about them as people).
Typically, what one hears as a response to the above question has something to do with “it’s all about the kids”. Those who don’t have this mindset, usually exit the profession after one or two years. Why? Because being an educator is difficult, challenging, stressful and incredibly rewarding though one typically has to get through several “trial by fire” years before experiencing the rewards.
Education serves a purpose that goes beyond simply transmitting “knowledge”. The Lake Superior District has a concise, focused declaration of its purpose and mission entitled, “Anchor Our Future”. This statement can be found on the District website. It reads, “Lake Superior School District has a long legacy of helping students develop the skills and knowledge they need to pursue their dreams. That has always been our mission and our promise. Together, our schools in Silver Bay and Two Harbors prepare students for life beyond our classrooms, whether they choose to attend college or start their careers.”
Such an educational mission is critical not only with regard to the future lives that district students will pursue, but it is essential to our society as a whole. Why? We expect to live in a civil, free, functional society if we don’t have a well-educated population. It takes informed citizens to maintain a healthy, prosperous democracy.
Fulfilling this mission requires that district staff show up every day to teach students to think for themselves so that they grow to interpret, understand and appreciate the complexity, blessings, challenges and shortcomings that exist as a part of our Nation’s collective past, present and, as we face the future.
It requires a teaching staff that can inspire students to think critically and analytically so that students grow in their ability to create new knowledge, develop new medicines, create cleaner energy systems, build better houses and push entrepreneurial, artistic and scientific boundaries. This is, after all, how we address pressing issues and advance as a society.
Corporate America is demanding a workforce where employees are literate, able to work as part of a team, have emotional intelligence, are open to diversity, have strong time management skills, have strong communication and negotiation skills and are teachable. These are skills that are taught in our public schools and go beyond the curricular designations of Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies, etc.
We live in an incredibly complex and diverse society. This reality makes some people uneasy, but these complexities and diversities are not going away. In fact, they are here to stay. As lyricist and drummer Neill Peart (Rush) wrote, “Changes aren’t permanent, but change is.”
The issue of Gender Identity recently came up at a school board meeting and as I listened to some of the discussion, the thought, “It’s all about the kids” came to mind. School communities have been considering the gender identity issue for years and though the issue may seem “new” to some, gender divergence has been a part of human society since the dawn of recorded history. There is actually a large body of research that can and should inform educators and all of us about this issue as it relates to how we educate all students.
Transgender kids are, in many ways, like any other kid. In order to learn at an optimal level, which is what we expect from our public schools, they need to feel safe. They need to know that they are seen, heard, and valued. Like any other student, they need to be recognized for their talents and abilities and encouraged to reach for a bright and rewarding. Transgender kids also face a unique set of challenges. They struggle with gender dysphoria, anxiety, depression and often, suicidality. Like any adolescent, they are in a natural, yet challenging process of developing and expressing their identity and they need to be able to do so in a supportive environment, free from the judgments of those who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with trans. If we mean it when we say “it’s all about the kids”, we have to take these unique challenges into account. School districts have done this, by the way, when it comes to serving the diverse needs of students who are from marginalized racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. Schools have done this in order to meet the educational needs of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder or students that have other unique educational or psycho-social needs. Embracing these differences is part of the mission of public education. If we fail to recognize and consider students who are transgender, the sentiment “it’s all about the kids” becomes, “it’s only about some kids.” Ultimately, that translates into policies and behaviors where “only some kids” get to feel safe, be seen, are valued, encouraged and supported so that they can find their place in the wider world. Unfortunately, we have a long history in this country regarding the sentiment that, “It’s only about some kids.” Think about the legacy of Indian Boarding schools and Jim Crow segregation and consider the impacts on the quality of education and life of children so afflicted. If we allow that only some are worthy, then we are in effect teaching our children that it’s alright to discriminate, marginalize and demean people that are “different.” Haven’t we, as a nation, had enough of that? Doesn’t that fly in the face of the ideas of equality before the law and the God-given right to self-determination?
Personally, I believe teachers when I know they have been in the trenches for years, and I hear them say, “It’s all about the kids”. Their track record proves it. The Lake Superior School District is recognizing the fact that transgender students are attending Lake County schools. This is not about promoting or endorsing some current cultural trend. It is simply about recognizing that there are transgender members of the school community and applying that fact to fulfilling the School District’s mission and promise, for each and every kid that comes through the doors.
I graduated from high school in the mid-1970s, in a time when issues of sexual and gender identity were not open topics of conversation. However, we as students did have our suspicions about who “those” kids were. More often than not, they were quiet, kept to themselves and were often openly ridiculed and bullied by their peers. Our teachers and administrators did little to intervene on their behalf. Haven’t we had enough of that?
I retired a couple of years ago after a 38-year career as a high school social studies teacher. I am relatively new to Two Harbors. I have no desire to offend anyone or pick a fight over sensitive social issues. I do, however, applaud the Lake Superior School District for their efforts to recognize the educational needs of transgender students and set policies to address those needs. I unequivocally stand with LGBTQ+ students and all students who are marginalized by current cultural prejudices. Readers are not expected to take my word regarding any of the content of this article. I encourage all readers to educate themselves on these matters. Included below are some of the resources that I have used to inform some of what has been written in this article. One can Google these sources as a starting point, if one wants to know more about the importance of recognizing, educating and supporting kids who are transgender.
Education. It truly needs to be “all about the kids.’’ Every one of them!
Why Does Democracy Need Education?
Top Business Skills for Success on the Job Transgender youth in school
Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic
U.S. Departments of Justice and Education,
Joint Guidance to Help Schools Ensure
The Rights of Transgender Students
The Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools.
