Thank you to EVERYONE who has been in touch with us about wanting to support trans and gender diverse youth in Arlington!
As of this writing over 180 of you have let us know that we can count on you to attend this Thursday’s School Committee meeting by filling out our Google form, and 49 of you have expressed interest in providing testimony.
Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions we are receiving:
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
The School Committee is holding a hearing on the district’s Grade 4 & 5 Human Growth & Development curriculum. The hearing is being held in response to a formal objection to recent updates to the curriculum, which make it inclusive of all genders.
WHERE AND WHEN WILL THIS HEARING TAKE PLACE?
The hearing will take place during the Thursday, April 13, 2023 meeting of the Arlington School Committee. The meeting will begin at 6:30pm. As of this writing the meeting is scheduled to take place in the sixth floor School Committee room at Arlington High School.
HOW CAN I PROVIDE TESTIMONY?
Provide testimony in person: Email the School Committee’s administrative assistant if you would like to provide testimony during the hearing. As of this writing, this is all of the information we have about providing testimony in person. We advise you to keep your remarks brief (under 30 seconds).
Provide written testimony: Email your testimony to the School Committee’s administrative assistant by noon on Thursday, April 13 to ensure that a copy is provided to School Committee members in advance of the hearing.
WHERE CAN I READ A COPY OF THE CURRICULUM CHALLENGE?
As of this writing, the School Committee has not made the challenge available to the public.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Click here to read the Rainbow Commission’s testimony to the Arlington School Committee.
Click here to see the February 9, 2023 presentation to parents and caregivers about the updated Grade 4 & 5 Human Growth & Development curriculum.
Click here to watch the LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Leadership Task Force present an update on its work to the School Committee during the Committee’s March 30, 2023 meeting. (The presentation begins at the 11:10 mark.)
WHAT IS THE LGBTQIA+ RAINBOW LEADERSHIP TASK FORCE?
In February 2021, the Rainbow Commission formally asked the School Committee to partner with us in finding ways to broaden LGBTQIA+ inclusivity for students, families, caregivers, faculty and staff in Arlington Public Schools. That request led to the formation of the district’s LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Leadership Task Force, which consists of an Assistant Superintendent, parents, caregivers, teachers, students, and community members (including members of the Rainbow Commission).
Over the past two years, the Task Force has advanced important equity initiatives including the implementation of high quality district-wide professional development and training on LGBTQIA+ issues; collecting and leveraging data to better understand the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students in our district; and community engagement, including hosting a series of Community Conversations that create community for both LGBTQIA+ students and caregivers, and elevate the voices and experiences of LGBTQIA+ students, caregivers and staff.
Arlington, MA Rainbow Commission 