Teacher has sex change and wants to return to teaching.

[Justin24]

http://www.modbee.com/24hour/nation/story/3204189p-11920556c.html

Many parents dont like the idea of having a transgender teaching their kids.

Just let her teach. Education is more important than worring about his/her gender.

 

[verte76]

I agree, let her teach.

 

[nbcrusader]

I wonder what grade she will be teaching?

Old kids may be able to understand what happened, but that is quite a change to explain to younger children - to the extent it even needs to be explained.

 

[martha]

71 years old and still teaching?

You go girl!

I'd be

 

[yolland]

Young children will be confused by the conflicting appearance of McBeth, who has a deep voice and masculine features but otherwise looks like a woman, other parents said.

Not to be juvenile, but as I recall this pretty aptly described several of the teachers at my grade school. Anyhow, that's clearly not what they're really worked up about.

"I will not allow you to put my kids in a petri dish and hope it all turns out fine," said Mark Schnepp, who had taken out an ad in a local newspaper urging parents to turn out for the meeting.

petri dish.

If this was my kids' school, I would just start by calmly explaining to them that Mr. McBeth was very unhappy being a man, so his doctors helped him become a woman and now she is happy, but still the same nice teacher they knew before. I don't think really young kids would need or want to know much more than that.

Honestly, I'd be more worried about the "damage" to kids who will witness their parents seething with an intense disgust they can't really understand, or overhear their more "sophisticated" older siblings or friends crudely snickering about it. That kind of thing unsettles young kids far more than a calm and simple explanation from an unworried parent. Unfortunately, now the parents who would've preferred the latter strategy are going to have to cope with explaining the behavior of parents who encourage the former.

 

[Irvine511]

Honestly, I'd be more worried about the "damage" to kids who will witness their parents seething with an intense disgust they can't really understand, or overhear their more "sophisticated" older siblings or friends crudely snickering about it. That kind of thing unsettles young kids far more than a calm and simple explanation from an unworried parent.

that's a great way to put it. for children, the world is often only as scary and dangerous as their parents make it. if you were to get all nervous about explaining something, then the child is going to get nervous as well -- children read body language *very* well.

so, simply say, "Uncle Adam and Uncle Steve live together and love each other just like mommy and daddy love each other" and, really, it's not such a big deal after all.

 

[all_i_want]

71 years old and still teaching?

You go girl!

I'd be

71 years old? I wonder why he decided to undergo surgery now. Isn't it a tad bit late? If he lived with such a weight on his shoulders for so long his life must have been unbearable. It reminds me of the story of two 90 year olds who waited till their children were dead to get a divorce, so they wouldnt get upset about it.

And yeah, let her teach

 

[blueyedpoet]

so, simply say, "Uncle Adam and Uncle Steve live together and love each other just like mommy and daddy love each other" and, really, it's not such a big deal after all.

Didn't you get the memo? God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

I swear, as the son of a baptist pastor i've heard that lame line so many times.
The last time i heard it was at a wine tasting at some winery in the Santa Barbara county. The bartender made that joke to my dad since they were talking about republican/christian politics. I refused to pay for my tasting on account of his rude comments. Of course my dad paid, but whatever.
Back to the topic...did anyone here else think about South Park when reading the thread topic?

 

[fly so high!]

When i was in primary school i used to think ALL teachers were aliens let alone REAL PEOPLE! ,it still spun me out in high school seeing them with their families and/or wives/hubbys! i thought "you can't have another life other than school! Your'e a TEACHER!!!!!

 

[hiphop]

I wonder what grade she will be teaching?

Old kids may be able to understand what happened, but that is quite a change to explain to younger children - to the extent it even needs to be explained.

Younger children probably won´t even notice it. A transsexual takes meds, operation etc., but the changes you can see from outside don´t happen overnight. I don´t think it needs to be explained to 7 year old children, and if it needs to be explained because they ask questions, that shouldn´t be a problem for a good, responsible father or mother.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Young children can deal with strange things better than older ones, teenagers are a problem as are the entrenched views of adults.

 

[fly so high!]

I agree, i don't think little kids would really care! They will prolly think she is a little odd looking, high school however, i feel for this person, does he/she really know what he/she's in for,kids can be little bastards!

Although if she/he keeps it to herself no-one should be any wiser! It will keep them guessing!

 

[randhail]

I don't have any problems with this. I might have been more apprehensive had he had the surgery done of christmas or february break and then come back as a woman. Since the surgery was done last year and I'm assuming he hasn't been at the school since then, most kids probably won't even recognize him. However, I think now that parents are making a big deal about this the kids will be more likely to call him names and be less accepting of it. Whatever "chaos" ensues as one parent put it, will be the fault of the parents.

 

[Justin24]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/01/D8G2PLHO0.html

Now a Trangender woman has been arrested for using the womans restroom.

 

[blueyedpoet]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/01/D8G2PLHO0.html

Now a Trangender woman has been arrested for using the womans restroom.

this makes me so angry and sad...seriously, everyone go out there and read Stone Butch Blues.
For so many of us our binary system of male and female is simple and easy. If i have to use a restroom in public it's obvious to me which restroom is right for me. However, our binary society creates a false dichotomy - you must be either male or female.
It is a tragedy our society is so uncomfortable with gender issues that we violently enforce heteronormativity (hey, didn't i start a thread about that?)