A committee of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education Thursday night tabled regarding the rights of parents, including access to student counseling records. Several groups, including teacher and LGBTQ student advocates, had called on the community to speak out against the proposal.
About 30 community members showed up in person, many with signs from LGBTQ advocacy group that read, 鈥淲e stand with transgender students鈥� and 鈥淲e stand with LGBTQ+ students.鈥�
Public comment isn鈥檛 accepted at APS board committee meetings, so as the proposal was taken up, the audience gave their input through the multicolored signs that stayed aloft throughout the hour-long discussion.
The Parent Rights and Responsibilities policy proposal stated parents have the right 鈥渢o have access to all educational records of a school district concerning their child,鈥� including counseling records, Individualized Education Plans and social support plans. In their call to action ahead of the meeting, disclosure of these documents could potentially out LGBTQ+ students.
Board member Courtney Jackson 鈥� who said she was one of the lead authors of the proposal and that she received hundreds of emails about it 鈥� spoke first, defending its purpose as misunderstood.
鈥淭his policy is not intended to out students, to create fear, to betray trust or to hinder communication with counselors,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is intended to foster and improve communication with our parents, their children and the schools.鈥�
Board member Crystal Tapia-Romero said she thought the critical community feedback on disclosing student counseling records and social support plans to parents was misguided, saying schools should include 鈥渢he whole family鈥� of a student in hard conversations 鈥渁bout certain topics鈥� related to a student鈥檚 鈥渢houghts and feelings.鈥�
She went on to compare the situation of schools outing LGBTQ students to their families to when she became pregnant at a young age and was afraid to tell her father, but is glad she did.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 imagine 鈥� now, looking back 鈥� if I had been told not to have that hard conversation with my parents because they might not have been accepting or approved of what I had done,鈥� she said.
Neither community advocates nor APS board members suggested that LGBTQ students should be told not to come out to their parents, but rather that they should be allowed to do so on their own terms.
District 4 Board Member Barbara Peterson said students should not be forced to disclose their identity to their parents. She said it is with support of confidential advocates at school that a student can feel able to approach their parents when they're ready to repair their relationship.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know of a single counselor who doesn鈥檛 have that as a goal,鈥� said Petersen. 鈥淏ut to out a student 鈥� without that being the fundamental part of the relationship coming from the student 鈥� is absolutely destructive.鈥�
Petersen, along with several other members throughout the discussion, acknowledged that they believed those who developed the proposal had good intentions. 鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 hugely problematic,鈥� she added.
Co-author Jackson proposed several amendments to the proposal, including striking the list of educational records parents can see, leaving only a reference to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as a guide for what parents can have access to. All board members agreed, including President Yolanda Montoya-Cordova.
鈥淚 think striking all of that piece is important because I think it was misleading,鈥� she said.
Another proposed amendment included striking the entirety of a section entitled 鈥減arent responsibilities,鈥� which included directives that parents should 鈥渨ork with their child at home in learning activities,鈥� 鈥渉ave high expectations for their child,鈥� 鈥渞emain involved with their child鈥� and 鈥渂e role models.鈥�
Several board members, including Josefina Dom铆nguez, thought the list had a negative tone.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an assumption behind that,鈥� she said of the list. 鈥淎nd the assumption is that it doesn鈥檛 happen.鈥�
She added it lacked regard for social and economic barriers parents may face in accomplishing some of the 鈥渞esponsibilities.鈥�
鈥淲e have parents who are homeless,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want this document to reflect understanding, compassion, respect for our very diverse families and communities.鈥�
Dom铆nguez said she had 22 total amendments to propose, but would be willing to discuss them with co-author Jackson directly rather than laying them all out at the meeting.
President Montoya-Cordova was the first to suggest tabling the proposal. During their comments, Petersen and board member Peggy Muller-Arag贸n also suggested not putting the proposal as it stands to a vote.
The panel voted 6-1 to table the proposal with only Jackson in opposition.
Committee Chair Danielle Gonzales said clarity on what the Board鈥檚 next steps would be to revise the proposal and bring it back for a vote was important.
Members discussed an intention to work with APS Superintendent Scott Elder to develop a plan for revision, which could include ad hoc committees or listening sessions to gather parent and student input. Petersen added that another key group should be included.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really also important for educators to be a part of that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think if we do it one-sided, we are going to completely miss the boat.鈥�
Members said the board plans to reintroduce a likely heavily amended policy proposal in November or December based on a timeline recommended by APS Policy Analyst Heather Bassett.
To listen to the committee's full discussion of the proposal, click the LISTEN button below.
