Teachers with Red Deer Catholic complain to ATA about anti-2SLGBTQ+ presentation

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The directives are said to include:

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• removing all Pride material, including ‘safe space’ stickers
• referring to students by their legal name only, unless parental authorization is given
• reporting to administrators any instances of a student disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity
• not engaging in any conversations with students about preferred pronouns

Schilling’s understanding is that the directive on reporting to admins extends to conversations simply overheard by a teacher, rather than just direct disclosures from a student to a teacher.

“They’re not allowed to have Pride materials in their classrooms, nor safe space stickers which the association has produced for many years, and these are just stickers that go on a door that indicate this room is a safe space,” says Schilling.

“All of these things that we heard undermine the safety and security of our students in our schools, especially our most marginalized students. That is something that teachers are not very fond of being told to do because we want school to be a safe, secure place where students feel welcome.”

In January, Premier Danielle Smith announced new incoming policies around pronouns and reporting of students who disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to a teacher, but those policies haven’t yet been implemented.

Schilling says while it would seem Red Deer Catholic is jumping the gun on something the premier has stated won’t be implemented until the fall, they do have the purview to do so under the Education Act, he says.

However, it has led to the confusion of some local members who weren’t anticipating such action so soon.

Jason Schilling, ATA president. (ATA)

“These policies are going to put a chilling effect on schools and it reduces the opportunity for students to learn about diverse families and individuals,” says Schilling. “These policies aim to erase the 2SLGBTQ+ community from schools, and it endangers our most vulnerable students.”

The news is all the more perplexing, he agrees, given the stance Red Deer Catholic’s board appeared to have taken in recent months against anti-2SLGBTQ+ measures when they removed a former trustee for an offensive social media post.

That trustee, by the way, has the judicial review she took out against the division to challenge her dismissal scheduled for May 1-3.

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READ MORE

• Red Deer Catholic will not hold by-election to replace ousted trustee
• Red Deer Catholic school board to discuss by-election on Jan. 26
• Dismissed former trustee taking school board to court, hopes to be reinstated
• Red Deer Catholic releases official report on former trustee’s dismissal
• After second Code of Conduct complaint, Red Deer Catholic removes trustee
• Red Deer Catholic trustee invoked Holy Spirit in explanation for posting controversial meme
• Lawyer: Red Deer school trustee likely won’t follow through on training & apology
• Monique LaGrange won’t be removed as Red Deer Catholic trustee
• Trustee LaGrange removed as ACSTA director, Minister of Education also speaks
• Red Deer Catholic writes Education Minister on dismissal of trustee who posted Nazi, 2SLGBTQ+ comparison
• Red Deer Catholic school trustee likens Pride movement to Nazism

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“Teachers have been dealing with this stuff for so long and they are exhausted. They are embarrassed,” Schilling says.

“All they want to do is be able to teach their students in a safe and secure atmosphere, and not be distracted by these other things while they’re dealing with issues like class size, lack of supports for kids, and lack of resources for a new curriculum.”

rdnewsNOW requested comment from Alberta Education, with Minister Demetrios Nicolaides saying school boards have the autonomy and discretion to debate, discuss and implement any new policy, as long as it remains in compliance with provincial legislation.

“I want to be clear the policies announced by our government are about supporting students,” says Nicolaides. “I will continue to engage with stakeholders on how to best implement these policies. I’ve already met with the Ministers Youth Council, many school boards, the ATA, and other education partners. More information will be shared when it is available.”

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UPDATE – March 14 (original story continues below)

This week, Premier Smith did a one-on-one interview on Real Talk with host Ryan Jespersen where she asked about the stories concerning Red Deer Catholic this week.

She stated that what the division is reportedly doing is, “going in a direction that is inconsistent with what it is that we’re trying to do.”

Watch the entire clip below, courtesy Real Talk:

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The Opposition NDP released a statement as well, saying that a, “secret directive,” should cause great concern.

“Seemingly based on implementing Danielle Smith’s new gender policy that attacks trans kids, Red Deer teachers are being directed to take measures that put all kids, especially trans kids, at great risk,” says Lizette Tejada, Alberta NDP Critic for Anti-Racism, Diversity and 2SLGBTQ+ Issues.

“The UCP’s attack on trans kids is creating chaos and real harm to kids. The premier has made a choice to go after vulnerable students. At a time when Danielle Smith and the UCP should be spending their time figuring out how to build schools and invest in our students, they choose instead to put them at greater risk.”

Tejada wants the premier to withdraw her plan for the new policies.

In a statement, the Red Deer Queer Community Association (RDQCA) calls the actions, “extremely concerning.”

“The act of outing students to the administrator and reporting them to unsupportive or non-accepting parents puts their lives and well-being in danger. It could result in them being harmed by their parents or being forced to leave their homes and end up on the streets or in shelters,” the RDQCA says.

“We demand that the Red Deer Catholic school board immediately retract these harmful and dangerous policies before any student under their care is harmed. This is not up for negotiation, and we expect prompt action.”

As noted, rdnewsNOW contacted Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools with several questions for the superintendent and board, including about a connection to this with the Archdiocese of Edmonton, as reported by the Edmonton Journal. We will add their comments to this story if and when they respond.