School board OKs return to classroom after sex change

[cardaway]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/02/28/teacher.sex.change.ap/?section=cnn_latest

 

[ducklite]

As long as she's a good teacher who cares? You'd think that with the shortage of good, licensed, experienced teachers our country is facing, they'd be glad to have her experience and talents.

It's too bad that some people can see the floor past teh ends of their noses.

Anne

 

[skiwee1]

As long as she's a good teacher who cares? You'd think that with the shortage of good, licensed, experienced teachers our country is facing, they'd be glad to have her experience and talents.

It's too bad that some people can see the floor past teh ends of their noses.

Anne

I agree but that woman is postively gruesome!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Yup! Who cares?

It's the adults making the uproar that are "bringing this issue into the child's psychology". Kids don't take these things the way adults too. You just tell your kids "Miss McBeth felt like she should have been born a woman, instead of a man. So she finally had an operation to change into a woman, and is much happier now." A young child isn't going to make a sexual connection unless the adults bring it up. They'll probably think she changed her gender because her favorite color was pink and a boy's favorite color can't be pink.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I agree - all that matters is that she is a good teacher!!!

"brought into my child's psyche"?!?!..."chaos"!?! OMG!!! These people need to get over themselves - a case where if the parent doesn't make a big deal out of it - the kids probably won't even notice!!!!

 

[kdibattista]

As long as she's a good teacher who cares? You'd think that with the shortage of good, licensed, experienced teachers our country is facing, they'd be glad to have her experience and talents.

It's too bad that some people can see the floor past teh ends of their noses.

Anne

 

[DawnCt1]

As long as she's a good teacher who cares? You'd think that with the shortage of good, licensed, experienced teachers our country is facing, they'd be glad to have her experience and talents.

It's too bad that some people can see the floor past teh ends of their noses.

Anne

I think it would have been more appropriate if she couldn't have started out in a different class room, in a different school without taking a public history with her. I used to work on a surgical floor back in the 1970's that did sexual reassignments. My experience in caring for them post operatively was primarily male to female. They would have frequent rehospitalizations for certain procedures and my overall impression is that they tend to be exhibitionistic and flamboyant. Almost like carricatures of women. I had the sense that they had to "learn" how to be women. It wasn't unusual for them to be admitted with extremely sexy lingerie, complete with hot pink boas. Some required heat lamp treatments to private areas and it was an issue to have them keep the curtain pulled during treatments. I tried counseling, attempting to teach culturally acceptable "female behavior" with regard to modesty, etc. With one patient, the only recourse we had was to move her to a private room and then it was a issue of keeping the door closed.

 

[Aneille]

Personally I would never try to stop someone from being a teacher that had a sex change but if my child was already in that school and knew her as a man I would be concerned.

I agree that for most kids it will not be a big deal and a simple explanation would be fine.

But I also know some other children in my family that a simple explanation would not be enough. They would be making connections and wondering how it was done and I can say for certain they would ask. Now there is nothing wrong with answering the questions truthfully and that is how I would handle it, but it would be a discussion I would prefer to have when my child was a little older.

So although I think the parents in the article are over the top, I do understand the concern. But I would never make a big deal out of it or try to stop her from working.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm more amazed that she underwent the surgery at the age of 70 more than anything else. Talk about waiting!

It might be a little hard to explain to a child but I see no reason why kids wouldn't understand. There's no reason to stop her from teaching that I can see.

 

[mickeyboat]

I don't think something like this would harm my childrens' psyche.

I may feel differently if she was a regular classroom teacher who at the beginnig of the year was a man and at the end was a woman, but this woman is a substitute. I doubt she has formed any lasting relationships with the students which would be confusing for the kids. They might not even notice - unless someone is bringing it to their attention.

Denae

 

[HoneyPooh]

My DH thinks the guy looks like Linda Tripp now! Anyway, I could see that maybe it would be confusing for the younger kids who had already had this person as a male teacher and now to have the same teacher only as a female. By all accounts he was an excellent teacher before and we need as many of those as we can get.

 

[cardaway]

So how would people feel if it was a much younger, everyday teacher, that took a few weeks off and came back to the same class as a different gender?

 

[nliedel]

Woudn't bother me in the least. If my boys are happy and getting a good education I don't care if the teacher is purple with pink spots. That would be interesting huh?

 

[mickeyboat]

So how would people feel if it was a much younger, everyday teacher, that took a few weeks off and came back to the same class as a different gender?

I think I would feel differently. Not so differently that I would oppose her return, just differently that I would have to do some explaining to my kids - in very general terms, without judgement. And I do think it would cause some difficulties in the classroom.

Denae

 

[Laurabearz]

I'm more amazed that she underwent the surgery at the age of 70 more than anything else. Talk about waiting!

It might be a little hard to explain to a child but I see no reason why kids wouldn't understand. There's no reason to stop her from teaching that I can see.

When I read how old she was.... wow... I guess it is never too late to find 'ones self"

 

[kdibattista]

So how would people feel if it was a much younger, everyday teacher, that took a few weeks off and came back to the same class as a different gender?

I think it would be a great opportunity to explain to your children about differences in the world and that everyone should be accepted for who they are. I still would not have a problem with it although maybe that's easier for me to say since I do not yet have children.

 

[DawnCt1]

So how would people feel if it was a much younger, everyday teacher, that took a few weeks off and came back to the same class as a different gender?

Again, Why does she/he need to return to the same classroom? I think that no one should deny any teacher a job if there is no educational/professional reason to do so. However, I do feel that the teacher needs an opportunity to foster their new identity with as much privacy as they can be afforded. It has just been my experience that many transexuals do not seem to want privacy. I don't think that young children need to sort this out. It can be done in another classroom and hopefully another school for the benefit of the teacher, the children and the co workers.

 

[pixiemomma]

I would not care. I'm pretty sure my kids wouldn't even notice.

 

[ducklite]

So how would people feel if it was a much younger, everyday teacher, that took a few weeks off and came back to the same class as a different gender?

I could care less. If anything I think that kids are accepting of most anything, it's adults who put crazy ideas into their head.

I don't think it's any different than a teacher who has cancer and loses her hair to a kid. They just don't think of things with a sexual connotation.

Personally, if she was a good teacher, I rally to keep her. There jsut aren't enough of them these days.

Anne

 

[Maleficent13]

Wouldn't care. All of life is a learning opportunity.