PSD 202 Asks Students Sexual, Religion And Gender Identity

A Cultural Climate Survey recently went out to students in PSD 202 Middle and High Schools. The survey asks children about their identity, including gender, sex, race, ethnicity and religion. The survey was designed by students and teachers in the District’s Cultural Competency Committee (CCC). The CCC does not include Mental Health professionals or any individuals with professional experience meant to design such surveys. The survey was sent to parents less than 24 hours before the survey was administered. The method of notice was email. No text messages or phone calls were made for more immediate and definitive notification. Hence, many parents may not have been notified if they did not check their email that very day. Most of all, express consent of parents was not sought before administering the survey to children whose parents may believe that express consent should be required before someone else asks their children about such sensitive topics.

The email notification indicated that students could volunteer to opt out of taking the survey. However, again, if the parent did not see the email, they could not have been able to give their child guidance or a “heads up” on the survey. Furthermore, albeit it being touted as a volunteer survey, at least one school also noted in the assignment instructions that it was “required,” thereby confusing the parents and students. Additionally, a screenshot of the survey assignment from one school indicates that credit was provided to students to complete the survey, thereby incentivizing them with additional grading benefits beyond what the school curriculum provides for.

• The Survey was designed poorly with little professional methodology or input: The survey was approved by the District’s Cultural Competency Committee (CCC) which includes Students, Teachers, Administrators and possibly Association of Plainfield (APT) Union representatives as well as Illinois Education Association (IEA) representatives. It also appears to have been designed by a student or students. In comparison to well-constructed surveys such as the “Panorama” survey, it was clear that there was not much thought applied in the preparation or review of this survey.
• The purpose of the Survey is not mentioned: This survey was meant to collect data, but there is no indication as to what purpose that data will be used for. The notification to parents about the survey indicated that it was being administered to create a welcoming environment for students. However, this is not a tangible purpose since it does not indicate how in fact the results will create that environment. The District and the Cultural Competency Committee should reveal their intentions as to what they will do with the data they obtain.
• The Administration of the Survey was poorly managed: Screenshots have surfaced from Google Classroom which indicate that the survey assignment was marked "required." In another instance, a screenshot indicated that grade credit will be provided for completion.
  
• The School District DID NOT obtain Parental Consent to administer the sensitive survey:
  
  • The survey was administered to students without express parental permission. It was instead automatically provided to students with only a casual email “warning” to parents (with very short notice). With multiple emails coming from the district on a daily basis, many parents did not know that the survey would be conducted.
  • While the survey was “voluntary” for children, given that these topics (gender identity, sexuality, religion) are sensitive topics, a more reasonable approach would have been to obtain express permission from parents.
• The School District Indirectly targeted Teachers and Administrators:
  
  • Survey questions (#16, #17) asks if students see positive representations of many races, cultures, backgrounds, LGBTQ+ in each class, including classes that are not meant to discuss identity components such as these. For example, Math class would not discuss representations of races and cultures due to its function as a Math class. Band/Choir and Science are also included, as are all major subjects. If children indicate that, for example, ethnicity isn’t discussed in Math class, that school and/or teacher may potentially carry the risk of getting reprimanded inadvertently.

We, as parents and taxpayers, need to let the District know that discussions of sensitive topics such as gender identity, sexuality and religion should not be conducted in the classroom outside of the curriculum without parental involvement and without proper professional standards. This hurts children in marginalized communities the most. No child deserves this amount of confusion, especially as they have gone through major learning loss. As the world changes and more people are evolving in their identities, poorly designed and poorly administered materials have no place. We must apply more professional standards in addressing these concerns. These are sensitive topics that parents should be involved in discussing with their children with more professional input, from licensed Psychiatrists and Mental Health Counselors who understand the topics firsthand.

In the future,

• Any surveys need to be conducted by professionals that are well versed in survey design and include input from all parents, as well as Mental Health Professionals.
• A parent survey could be disseminated to understand the necessity and need for such student surveys. If the purpose truly is to create a more welcoming environment, School Administrators need to explore alternative, proven and professional methods to do so, rather than inferior methods such as this.
• Ample notice should be provided for parents and request a direct response from them, before their children engage in any such activity, survey or otherwise. This does not mean just email, but also District phone calls as well. Otherwise, it appears "sneaky."

Premature introduction of the sensitive and complex topics in such an abrupt manner can create confusion, pressure and damage to both children and their relationships with parents. Please attend the next PSD 202 School Board meeting and make your voice heard. The next meeting is slated to be on Monday, June 14, 2021 at 6:30 pm in the PSD 202 Administration Building at 15732 Howard Street, Plainfield, IL 60544. However, there is a chance that the meeting may be virtual as has been the case since the pandemic. In that case, reach out to Tom Hernandez, Director of Communication with comments at tahernan@psd202.org with "Public Comment" in the subject line. You can contact him even if you do not wish to make your comment public.