Teh One Who Knocks
09-22-2017, 12:07 PM
Ryan Dailey, Tallahassee Democrat
https://i.imgur.com/HdMY8AF.jpg
TALLAHASSEE — A Canopy Oaks Elementary School teacher has apologized for any confusion caused by a recent letter sent home to parents of fifth-graders regarding the use of gender-neutral pronouns in the classroom.
Chloe Bressack sent the letter to parents requesting students use gender-neutral pronouns such as "they, them, their" when addressing the teacher in the classroom. Bressack asked to be referred to as Mx.(pronounced Mix) rather than the traditional Miss or Ms.
After the story grabbed global media attention, about 5 p.m. Thursday afternoon Leon County Schools issued a statement in which Bressack apologized “for any confusion” the letter caused.
"My practice in addressing my students is to refer to them by their personal pronouns, be they 'he, she, or they,' Bressack said in the statement. "We work together to create a positive environment of respect and understanding. I understand that students will not always address me in the way I prefer, and that is okay. We keep moving with a smile and continue on with our learning. In our classroom, our learning and our well-being is the priority."
The letter became controversial after it was posted on the Tally Moms Stay Connected Facebook page, where it garnered hundreds of comments in a heated debate.
The release also includes statements from Canopy Oaks Principal Paul Lambert and Superintendent Rocky Hanna.
“There has been a lot of confusion about this letter, but as the principal of Canopy Oaks I can assure you that students throughout our school are greeted and responded to in the same way no matter which class they are in,” Lambert said in a statement.
Hanna, too, apologized for the manner in which the letter was distributed.
“As superintendent, I want to apologize for the letter going out to parents as I am the person who is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in our school district. I will work hard to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Hanna wrote.
Hanna said he believed Bressack cleared up any misunderstanding about the language used in the classroom.
"I can assure you I take matters like this very seriously and I will not allow teachers in our school system to influence our children negatively — though in this situation I do not believe this is the case," Hanna said.
https://i.imgur.com/HdMY8AF.jpg
TALLAHASSEE — A Canopy Oaks Elementary School teacher has apologized for any confusion caused by a recent letter sent home to parents of fifth-graders regarding the use of gender-neutral pronouns in the classroom.
Chloe Bressack sent the letter to parents requesting students use gender-neutral pronouns such as "they, them, their" when addressing the teacher in the classroom. Bressack asked to be referred to as Mx.(pronounced Mix) rather than the traditional Miss or Ms.
After the story grabbed global media attention, about 5 p.m. Thursday afternoon Leon County Schools issued a statement in which Bressack apologized “for any confusion” the letter caused.
"My practice in addressing my students is to refer to them by their personal pronouns, be they 'he, she, or they,' Bressack said in the statement. "We work together to create a positive environment of respect and understanding. I understand that students will not always address me in the way I prefer, and that is okay. We keep moving with a smile and continue on with our learning. In our classroom, our learning and our well-being is the priority."
The letter became controversial after it was posted on the Tally Moms Stay Connected Facebook page, where it garnered hundreds of comments in a heated debate.
The release also includes statements from Canopy Oaks Principal Paul Lambert and Superintendent Rocky Hanna.
“There has been a lot of confusion about this letter, but as the principal of Canopy Oaks I can assure you that students throughout our school are greeted and responded to in the same way no matter which class they are in,” Lambert said in a statement.
Hanna, too, apologized for the manner in which the letter was distributed.
“As superintendent, I want to apologize for the letter going out to parents as I am the person who is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in our school district. I will work hard to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Hanna wrote.
Hanna said he believed Bressack cleared up any misunderstanding about the language used in the classroom.
"I can assure you I take matters like this very seriously and I will not allow teachers in our school system to influence our children negatively — though in this situation I do not believe this is the case," Hanna said.