School Board opposes new Title IX rules

CENTERVILLE — The St. Mary Parish School Board on Thursday joined the opposition to the Biden administration’s new campus anti-discrimination rules, which social conservatives say go beyond the limits of state and federal law.
The new rules extend anti-bias protection for the first time to students who identify as gay or transgender, and make it easier to pursue campus harassment and sex discrimination complaints.
Also at its Thursday meeting, the board agreed to use state funding for incentives designed to help recruit and retain teachers and technology specialists.
And the board recognized an employee who is a semifinalist in the Louisiana Department of Education’s School Health Services Provider program, along with a pair of word millionaires — multimillionaires, actually — and the Students and Employees of the Month.
Title IX
Board member Lindsey Anslem put the resolution opposing the new Title IX rules on Thursday’s agenda. It passed without objection on a voice vote.
The resolution notes that the Louisiana state government, the state Department of Education, and the state governments in Mississippi, Idaho and Montana have sued to block the new rules.
The resolution says the rules violate state and federal law and will “disadvantage the Board by increasing its obligations, compliance and liability risks.”
The rules will be “detrimental to students, parents and employees,” the resolution said.
Even aside from the LGBTQ protections, the issue has been swept up in culture war politics and the electoral contest between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The new Title IX rules replace standards put in place by the Trump administration. The old rules had been criticized for creating a stricter definition of harassment and discrimination and for strengthening the due process rights of the accused, which some felt discouraged victims from coming forward.
The new interpretation creates broader definitions for sex discrimination and eases the require-ment that complainants undergo in-person cross-examination.
The Biden administration rules do not address one of the most contentious aspects of LGBTQ rights: the question of transgender participation in girls’ sports.
After the vote, Superintendent Dr. Buffy Fegenbush said that “we will continue as a system to safeguard the rights of all students. ...”
Incentives
The board agreed to use state Differentiated Allocation Funds for stipends for staff members in targeted specialties.
About $290,000 in state funding has been allocated for St. Mary.
The categories include:
—Teacher leaders. State-certified mentors for teachers or university residents and state-certified content leaders will be eligible for up to $1,500 per semester, $500 of which will come from parish funds.
School building level committee chairs and core and elective teacher leaders in grades 6-12 will be eligible for $1,000 per semester.
Curriculum facilitators can receive up to 10 extra calendar work days per year, and technology leader teachers are eligible for up to four days.
—Undergraduate resident teachers. Aspiring teachers in training at St. Mary schools, who agree to a two-year contract to teach in St. Mary, can receive a stipend of $1,000 per month.
—Recruitment and Retention. This funding targets identified teacher shortage areas — special education in grades K-12 and math and science in 6-12.
Teachers who add special education to their certification can be reimbursed up to $3,800.
MathTrack/alternate teacher certification in 6-12 math or science earns reimbursement of up to $4,500.
In all cases, the teachers must work in St. Mary Parish public schools for at least two years.
—Value Added Model. Teachers who meet the requirements for Value Added Model status will receive a $3,000 stipend.
Honors
School nurse Lydia Duval, who couldn’t attend Thursday’s meeting because she was undergoing additional training, was recognized as a semifinalist in the School Health Service Provider program.
Duval was praised by Human Resources Director Kristina Estay for her work during the COVID pandemic, when she made the district aware of Centers for Disease Control guidelines and organized vaccinations for school employees.
The word millionaires — students who read at least a million words this year — are Patterson Junior High fifth-grader Torin Bearb and Berwick Junior High eighth-grader Stanley Aucoin. Presenter Sarah Broussard said both students have actually read more than 5 million words.
The Students of the Month are Berwick Elementary fifth-grader Graham Richard and M.E. Norman fifth-grader Noelle Cheramie.
The Employees of the Month are Berwick Elementary Curriculum Facilitator Laine Mayon; M.E. Norman pre-K teacher Laura Cortez; and St. Mary Alternative Program teacher Tamika West.
By BILL DECKER
bedecker@daily-review.com
CENTERVILLE — The St. Mary Parish School Board on Thursday joined the opposition to the Biden administration’s new campus anti-discrimination rules, which social conservatives say go beyond the limits of state and federal law.
The new rules extend anti-bias protection for the first time to students who identify as gay or transgender, and make it easier to pursue campus harassment and sex discrimination complaints.
Also at its Thursday meeting, the board agreed to use state funding for incentives designed to help recruit and retain teachers and technology specialists.
And the board recognized an employee who is a semifinalist in the Louisiana Department of Education’s School Health Services Provider program, along with a pair of word millionaires — multimillionaires, actually — and the Students and Employees of the Month.
Title IX
Board member Lindsey Anslem put the resolution opposing the new Title IX rules on Thursday’s agenda. It passed without objection on a voice vote.
The resolution notes that the Louisiana state government, the state Department of Education, and the state governments in Mississippi, Idaho and Montana have sued to block the new rules.
The resolution says the rules violate state and federal law and will “disadvantage the Board by increasing its obligations, compliance and liability risks.”
The rules will be “detrimental to students, parents and employees,” the resolution said.
Even aside from the LGBTQ protections, the issue has been swept up in culture war politics and the electoral contest between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The new Title IX rules replace standards put in place by the Trump administration. The old rules had been criticized for creating a stricter definition of harassment and discrimination and for strengthening the due process rights of the accused, which some felt discouraged victims from coming forward.
The new interpretation creates broader definitions for sex discrimination and eases the require-ment that complainants undergo in-person cross-examination.
The Biden administration rules do not address one of the most contentious aspects of LGBTQ rights: the question of transgender participation in girls’ sports.
After the vote, Superintendent Dr. Buffy Fegenbush said that “we will continue as a system to safeguard the rights of all students. ...”
Incentives
The board agreed to use state Differentiated Allocation Funds for stipends for staff members in targeted specialties.
About $290,000 in state funding has been allocated for St. Mary.
The categories include:
—Teacher leaders. State-certified mentors for teachers or university residents and state-certified content leaders will be eligible for up to $1,500 per semester, $500 of which will come from parish funds.
School building level committee chairs and core and elective teacher leaders in grades 6-12 will be eligible for $1,000 per semester.
Curriculum facilitators can receive up to 10 extra calendar work days per year, and technology leader teachers are eligible for up to four days.
—Undergraduate resident teachers. Aspiring teachers in training at St. Mary schools, who agree to a two-year contract to teach in St. Mary, can receive a stipend of $1,000 per month.
—Recruitment and Retention. This funding targets identified teacher shortage areas — special education in grades K-12 and math and science in 6-12.
Teachers who add special education to their certification can be reimbursed up to $3,800.
MathTrack/alternate teacher certification in 6-12 math or science earns reimbursement of up to $4,500.
In all cases, the teachers must work in St. Mary Parish public schools for at least two years.
—Value Added Model. Teachers who meet the requirements for Value Added Model status will receive a $3,000 stipend.
Honors
School nurse Lydia Duval, who couldn’t attend Thursday’s meeting because she was undergoing additional training, was recognized as a semifinalist in the School Health Service Provider program.
Duval was praised by Human Resources Director Kristina Estay for her work during the COVID pandemic, when she made the district aware of Centers for Disease Control guidelines and organized vaccinations for school employees.
The word millionaires — students who read at least a million words this year — are Patterson Junior High fifth-grader Torin Bearb and Berwick Junior High eighth-grader Stanley Aucoin. Presenter Sarah Broussard said both students have actually read more than 5 million words.
The Students of the Month are Berwick Elementary fifth-grader Graham Richard and M.E. Norman fifth-grader Noelle Cheramie.
The Employees of the Month are Berwick Elementary Curriculum Facilitator Laine Mayon; M.E. Norman pre-K teacher Laura Cortez; and St. Mary Alternative Program teacher Tamika West.