Proposal would out transgender students

Abill, which would require school o cials to tell parents if their child identi es as a gender not aligned with government or school records, was re-referred to the California Committee on Education in early March.

Assembly Bill 1314, proposed by Bill Essayli (R), would require schools to notify parents when students participate in sex-segregated facilities and school programs, including athletic teams and bathrooms, that do not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. School o cials would also have to notify a student’s parents when they become aware that a student publicly identi es as a gender identity inconsistent to that listed on their government or school records.

Senior Mars Bau, who identi es as nonbinary, said they oppose this bill because it would forcefully out students. ey said coming out should be a personal decision.

“Someone’s gender identity, sexuality and anything like that is very personal to them,” Bau said. “It’s really something that no one else has the right to disclose to anyone else.”

California AB 1266, which took e ect in January 2014, currently protects transgender students and allows them to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities and use facilities consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records. However, the California Education Code requires that changes to a minor’s name or gender on school records be made by their parent or guardian.

After Mars publicly came out at school, they attempted to change their name on school records without having to disclose the change to their parents.

“On In nite Campus, ‘Mars’ was put as a nickname in parentheses next to my name,” Bau said. “So I emailed (my counselor), and he (said) I needed to get a form, and I had to sign it, and my parents had to sign it. And that was at a point where I wasn’t comfortable asking them to do that. So I was just like, ‘I’m just gonna leave it.’”

In a March 13 press conference, Essayli said AB 1314 aims to increase transparency between students, parents and schools. e law will reset the appropriate relationship between educators and parents and rea rm that children are the domain of their parents, not the government,” Essayli said.

However, Bau said forcefully outing someone has more problems than bene ts.

“Because my parents aren’t queer, they don’t understand the things I’ve been through,” Bau said. “We live in a heteronormative society, so when (parents) are supportive, it’s a nice surprise. But there are a lot of cases where parents aren’t supportive, and they can be more destructive than helpful.”

AB 1314 contains a provision that requires schools “bring parents and guardians into the decision-making process for mental health and social-emotional issues of their children at the earliest possible time in order to prevent or reduce potential instances of self-harm.”

However, senior Reed Jadzinsky, who identi es as male, said the bill would end up causing what it aims to prevent, eliminating the supportive environments many schools have cultivated.

“It will likely increase depression and increase suicidal thoughts or suicidal rates among LGBTQ+ youth,” Jadzinsky said. “When we’re starting to force people to be outed and start forcing adults to tell parents about their kids’ gender, it gets really messy. People need a safe space, and this bill is going to prevent that. A lot of people are going to feel isolated if they can’t talk to their teachers, school counselors or school therapists.”

But at his press conference, Essayli cited a 2023 NPR study that LGBTQ+ youth are less likely to feel depressed when they have parental support, and he said that is another reason he was proposing the bill.

Although Jadzinsky agrees parental support is important for the mental health of transgender youth, he said this bill incorrectly addresses the complex subject of gender identity.

“Parental support is probably one of the most important things when coming out, especially when you’re a kid, since (family) tends to be your biggest support group,” Jadzinsky said. “But I don’t agree with the (idea) that being outed to your parents by school will automatically create parental support.”

Bau said the bill is unlikely to pass given Democratic control of all three of California’s branches of government but the implications of the bill still perpetuate misrepresentation of transgender youth.

“It seems like (Essayli) doesn’t understand what the queer experiences because a lot of it is fear and fear of being rejected,” Bau said. “ ere’s a huge emphasis on coming out when you’re ready, respecting someone’s decision to come out or not and letting them be in control of that.”

Ti any He News/Opinion Editor mentally di erent from xedroute transit,” Baird said. “ is rideshare-like system expands the number of addresses served easily by transit but is not currently suited for trips external to the city.” their syllabus and monitor their actual work.” e agenda item for math placement also sparked debate regarding recent changes implemented by the district. ough many people used the shuttle to commute, Nathan Baird, the city’s transportation manager, said ridership was down in the years leading to the shuttle’s closure. ough Palo Alto Link is new, word is spreading. One of the drivers, Valentine, said the service is quickly gaining popularity.

People will no longer have to walk a block or ve to get to the nearest shuttle stop before waiting for half an hour for the shuttle to arrive either. With Palo Alto Link, riders can make a phone call and walk a block to get picked up.

Recent changes to o cial district grade point average calculations and the controversy surrounding the PAUSD math lawsuit took center stage at the March 28 Board of Education meeting.

Among the issues discussed during the open forum were alterations to the dual enrollment Multivariable Calculus course for the upcoming academic year.

Palo Alto’s free shuttle service used by students to help commute to and from school closed due to the pandemic in 2020, forcing many to nd an alternative way to school once in-person instruction returned. Enter Palo Alto Link, Palo Alto’s new rideshare service.

Palo Alto Link began its services on March 7, with nine Teslas and Toyota Siennas driving customers through the city. On weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., drivers tirelessly ferry people within Palo Alto’s city limits.

Palo Alto Link helps ll the gap left by Palo Alto’s last public transportation option, a free shuttle.

“Although the Palo Alto shuttle once provided approximately 550 daily rider trips, the shuttle service ridership experienced declines in ridership,” Baird said.

Residents can schedule rides through the Palo Alto Link app or by calling 650-505-5772. Each ride costs $3.50, but students, seniors, those who qualify as lowincome and those with disabilities only pay $1.

After a customer books a ride, one of nine cars will pick them up within a block or two of their location. Wheelchair-accessible vans and vans with bicycle racks are also available upon request.

“I’ll say it’s getting busier,” Valentine said. “On Monday, it was barely known. On Tuesday, people were catching on.”

Baird said Palo Alto Link o ers the advantage of expanding the available pick-up and dropo locations beyond the set route of the free shuttles.

“ e system expands upon much of the previous utility of the discontinued shuttle routes, as on-demand transit is funda-

Despite the exibility of the ride-share system, Baird said Palo Alto Link also faces the traditional scalability challenges that established ride-share companies experience.

“When a great number of requests is made at once, more than can be handled, wait times might increase,” Baird said.

And while the shuttle was free, Palo Alto Link costs up to $3.50. Residents can also purchase a Palo Alto Link Pass that o ers four rides per day for $20 per week or $65 per month.

Baird said while the city hopes Palo Alto Link will provide students with another option to commute to school, he does not expect it to replace walking or biking.

“Don’t expect that it can be the only option,” Baird said. “ e city is actively interested in helping middle and high schoolers in bicycling and walking to school as often as possible, and expect that Palo Alto Link will be an aid to these e orts, not a replacement.”

Currently, PAUSD o ers Multivariable Calculus as a dual enrollment course with Foothill College, but Superintendent Don Austin said the current PAUSD teacher lacks the speci c credentials needed for dual enrollment and so the course can’t be o ered as dual enrollment for next year.

In a comment about a new district policy where o -campus courses will no longer counting toward a students’ GPA, parent and City Council member Greg Tanaka said he was concerned this change may a ect Multivariable Calculus enrollment.

“Our primary concern should be academic growth and the success of students,” Tanaka said. “ ese policies might inadvertently penalize those who pursue o -campus courses or classes such as Multivariable Calculus. I urge the school board to reconsider these decisions and adopt a more nuanced approach.” ere are literally hundreds of places we have certi ed to accept credits from,” Austin said. “We’re not going to go through each of those and evaluate e district was sued by a Palo Alto parent for non-compliance with the California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015. In March, a Santa Clara County judge ruled that PAUSD must present a new plan compliant with state law. Since the judge’s decision, Austin has blamed vague language on the district website for the confusion surrounding math placement and the subsequent lawsuit.

Tanaka suggested a case-by-case review of o -campus courses to evaluate their eligibility for GPA inclusion. However, Austin told e Campanile that there are too many courses to monitor and verify e ectively.

Paly Board Representative Johannah Seah said the conversation surrounding math has been misconstrued.

According to Seah, the California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015 aimed to address racial disparities in math placements, speci cally to prevent students of color from having to repeat Algebra 1 in freshman year despite scoring pro cient on placement tests.

Seah refuted proponents of the lawsuit by saying the act’s original purpose has been misinterpreted by the plainti s.

“ e focus of math placement in this conversation should be on getting students to the appropriate level,” Seah said. “If we’re distracted by only considering those who are accelerating one, two or three levels, we’re unfortunately not directing our attention as we should to students who are falling behind in math.”