Some thoughts on our mixed gender bathroom locker/room policy.
What happens here is of concern to me.
I oppose the mixed gender bathroom policy.
We currently have children claiming to be transitioning from one sex to another, using the bathroom of their preference. This is happening now! We cannot allow this.
I support going back to handling the issue the way it was handled prior to President Obama’s executive “guidance” on May 13, 2016. We were handling this on an individual basis; making special accommodations for children. Any child can get additional privacy upon request.
Folks, gender binary is a fact: we are either XX or XY, male or female. This is both science and reality.
It is written in the Constitution that we all have the right to pursue happiness. If it is our happiness to live on a computer and indulge in a life of video games, we can do it. The facts are however, It will likely have negative consequences on our future, but we have this freedom. The result is likely not good one, but we can choose to go down this path.
If someone wants to create an illusion, to give them a sense of happiness, they can do it. A person cannot however live in this utopia for the rest of their lives, because it doesn’t exist.
Allowing a child who is externalizing as someone they are not, is one thing: But allowing boys who are externalizing they are a girl to use the girls locker room, shower, or girls bathroom, is not rational. This does not protect our children. This opens up risks and bad possibilities. This is not ensuring all children succeed in a changing world.
Good Governance is needed to change the headlines and improve our academic outcome.
The Board can and must provide active direction, periodically review interim results, and identify and execute adjustments to ensure achievement of the goals. We know that we cannot just look at the big picture alone: there is also a need to periodically examine the details and ensure that this Administration makes the best use of the tax money, our community has entrusted to them.
The upcoming Budget and academic shortfalls presents a picture, of the challenges our Community continues to confront today, with a School District not being properly governed.
Many of our opportunities are rooted in systems and processes that, are badly inefficient and susceptible to waste.
I want to make it clear: Our Governance is needed, to ensure that all these processes and systems—are properly serving our community.
Are we victims of our procedures and processes? Or can we change them?
When all of us were elected, each of us accepted this duty on behalf of our community. We did so without the expectation that we would just get on a merry-go-round, and wait our term out— thus, perpetuating the status quo and perhaps even exacerbating existing problems. Rather, we did so with the resolve to effect transformational change and fulfill our duty to our community.
The School Board exists precisely to govern Administration and improve the School District; to ensure improvement in our academic rankings in the context of a limited Budget.
We govern by giving goals (the desired end result) and direction (policy). The Administration defines and facilitates the details to achieving and implementing the stated goals and direction. Not the Board!
Transparency, Accountability, and Governance
Experience shows that when we adhere to the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance, our School District will tend to achieve better academics along with an improved public image.
Transparency, accountability and good governance are principles that are important pillars in our society. These principles are critical to the efficient functioning of our School District.
The School District video recordings of our committee meetings and Board meetings are an initiative dedicated to the promotion of transparency, accountability and good governance of our School District.
In recognition of the importance of these principles, several years ago the School District began the initiative of filming these public meetings. It was to demonstrate a firm commitment to achieving and promoting the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance.
It goes like this:
Transparency ensures that information is available and that it can be used to measure the Administrations performance. It will guard against any possible misuse of powers. In that sense, transparency serves to achieve accountability.
Accountability means that administration can be held responsible for their actions. Transparency and accountability, results in good governance.
Effective and efficient Governance is not possible when trust is lacking between the three entity points; our community, the communities elected School Board and the school board’s elected Administration whom the School Board is here to govern. Distrust would be catastrophic and can have a long-lasting impact. Be on guard: The absence of these three principles and can and will adversely affect the actual academic performance of our School District.
Transparency accountability and good governance are therefore critical for ensuring the school districts primary directive of ensuring that all children succeed in a changing world. I think it is clear that transparency, accountability and good governance benefits everyone.