Tired of fighting over sex, gender in schools? Here’s a fix: Demand more of parents
Florida’s new law on discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools has spawned lots of debate about what teachers can or should say about delicate matters.
But here’s something else that needs to be said: The entire conversation demonstrates how we expect too much of schools and not enough of parents.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, practicing for her future punditry gig, has taken heat for lamenting that the Florida law creates questions about what a teacher should say to a child who says “I’m not sure if I’m a girl or a boy.”
Speaking to CNN’s Chris Wallace, she added: “These are kids who are experiencing, you know, these moments in their lives.”
How about the teacher says nothing? If the child is genuinely questioning gender, tell the parents. It’s a matter to deal with at home.
Yes, there are some situations in which a child will be in danger if Mom or Dad finds out he or she has questions about gender identity or sexuality. But that’s a parenting problem. And we’ve let too many parents struggle for far too long, piling more of society’s needs on schools.
So, it’s not a surprise that we’re fighting over how to handle private matters in a public setting.
During the pandemic, a top concern about closing schools was how to make sure children got enough to eat outside of school. And even in normal times, some schools send food home with children over the weekend. Some provide laundry services.
There’s a word for an institution that feeds and clothes children, and it’s not “school.” It’s “orphanage.”
If parents genuinely can’t provide, of course the state should step in on behalf of a child’s well-being. But we need programs to help parents do better, too, and more backing for institutions that can help them. The first one would be marriage.
Too many teachers are burned out and frustrated. Too many schools fail at the basics of education in part because of the sprawling mission we’ve given them.
If we scale that back, we won’t have to fight as much about what teachers should or shouldn’t say.
Editor’s note: A version of this column originally appeared in our conservative opinion newsletter, Right Turns. It’s delivered every Saturday with a fresh take on the news and a roundup of our best center-right opinion content. Sign up here.
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 5:02 AM.
