by Hayley Feland
A teacher in the Osseo school district asked students to share their preferred name and pronouns on the first day of class and state whether they should be used when contacting home.
“Please circle your answer choice for the following in regards to your pronoun/preferred name use,” a handout reads. It then asks if the teacher should use the student’s preferred name and pronouns when calling home.
The handout was given to students in a high school geometry class while similar questions were asked of students in a biology class, a parent told Alpha News. A spokesperson for Osseo Area Schools said “staff throughout our district are following school board Policy 508: Gender Inclusion.”
The policy, passed in 2021, requires the school district to “identify and address students by their preferred names and pronouns that align with their gender identity.”
It also requires students to be allowed to access facilities and programming that match their gender of choice.
“School district employees will receive professional development to ensure that staff understands their responsibilities pursuant to this policy,” the policy explains.
A parent reported to Alpha News that questions regarding gender identity were asked in both middle and high school classrooms in the Osseo district.
Osseo Area Schools has been criticized for its passage of the gender inclusion policy and a related “LGBTQIA+ History and Culture Resolution,” which directs teachers to adopt “gender-affirming curriculum and pedagogical practices.” Many concerned parents spoke out against the policies in June, saying that schools needs to leave instruction on these issues to parents.
The school district also recently announced that it will be flying Pride flags indefinitely, instead of just during “Pride Month” as was previously required.
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Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
Photo “Handout” by Alpha News.
