社区黑料

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for 社区黑料 Newsletter

Three progressive superintendents defended their policies for parental involvement and transgender inclusion during a congressional hearing Wednesday in which Republican lawmakers called them 鈥減athetic鈥� and said they should find other jobs.

House Education and Workforce Chairman Tim Walberg with the title 鈥淏reaking Trust.鈥� Much of the questioning centered on policies intended to protect the rights of transgender students or create more inclusive school environments. But lawmakers also brought up abortion, the role of teachers in promoting political protest, and eighth grade algebra access.

Called to testify were San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su, Loudoun County Superintendent Aaron Spence in Virginia, and , .

Each of these superintendents is a relatively new leader in a district that has been at the center of intense controversy over race, gender, and other topics that are often referred to as part of culture war fights. and , in particular, have been the targets of repeated investigations by the Trump administration, which has also threatened to withhold funding.

Two days before the hearing, the conservative advocacy group America First Legal, founded by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, accusing all three districts of violating parental rights and federal law with policies that give students a say in whether parents are notified that that child wants to change their gender presentation.

Walberg, a Michigan Republican, said in his opening remarks that Congress has a responsibility to ask questions of school districts, including when 鈥減arents are excluded from major decisions involving their children鈥� and 鈥渨hen classrooms become vehicles for political or ideological agendas.鈥�

鈥淎cross the country, school districts are losing sight of their core mission: educating students,鈥� Walberg said.

The superintendents, in turn, said they respect parents as partners, develop policies with input from local communities, and want to create school environments where students can show up as themselves.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in education because we care about students, and part of that means ensuring an environment where all students can reach their full potential,鈥� Spence said.

Lawmakers and superintendents spar over abortion, transgender students

Asked repeatedly if parents can opt out of lessons related to sexual health or LGBTQ topics, superintendents said yes or that they comply with state and 鈥渂inding鈥� federal law.

Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, asked King about Chicago Public Schools making information about abortion available to students. He also pressed her about 鈥渨hich form of abortion鈥� she preferred after offering graphic descriptions of the procedure.

鈥淚鈥檓 very disturbed by that question,鈥� King said after a pause. 鈥淚 want to say that Chicago Public Schools鈥� sexual education curriculum is in compliance with Illinois state law.鈥�

Rep. Rick Allen, a Georgia Republican, cited a recent malpractice lawsuit in which a by a mastectomy she had as a teenager when she identified as male. He compared that to school districts having policies that require addressing students by their preferred names and pronouns.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to be held responsible legally for what you鈥檙e perpetrating on young people,鈥� Allen said.

Democrats for their part used their time to highlight cuts to the Office for Civil Rights, the value of diversity, and Republican efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. They emphasized that the superintendents were accountable to local elected school boards and that policies reflected community preferences.

鈥淭his committee talks all the time about 鈥榙ecisions should be made at the local level,鈥� but I guess that鈥檚 only if they like the decisions that you make at the local level,鈥� said Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Connecticut Democrat and .

And Democratic Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania urged the superintendents not to 鈥渃hange your values or your positions, because you know who you work for, and it is the parents and the students in your community.鈥�

Spence came in for some of the most intense questioning. The Virginia district has been at the epicenter of political battles over COVID restrictions, parental rights and and . Most recently, the district from federally funded career education.

Virginia sits under the jurisdiction of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in the 2020 that students cannot be prevented from using restrooms that align with their gender identity. Loudoun County officials have said they are bound by that ruling until the 4th Circuit or the Supreme Court decides otherwise.

The Trump administration, in contrast, says Title IX, the federal law that bars sex discrimination in education, actually requires that transgender students be excluded from restrooms that align with their gender. It has threatened Loudoun County with the loss of federal funding.

鈥淵es or no, should biological men be allowed in locker rooms with biological women or girls?鈥� asked Rep. Robert Onder Jr., a Missouri Republican.

鈥淭ransgender women should be allowed in women鈥檚 spaces,鈥� Spence responded.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a yes,鈥� Onder said. 鈥淪o biological men should be able to go into locker rooms and shower rooms with biological girls?鈥�

鈥淔ederal law requires it,鈥� Spence said.

鈥淣o it doesn鈥檛,鈥� Onder said.

鈥淵es, it does,鈥� Spence said.

鈥淣o,鈥� Onder said. 鈥淭itle IX is, in fact, quite the opposite. Title IX requires you to protect women and girls.鈥�

Loudoun County has also been investigated over an incident in which a . The U.S. Department of Education said the school district violated Title IX in its handling of the incident.

Several representatives interrogated Spence over the incident and why the students who complained about being filmed allegedly received longer suspensions than the transgender student.

Spence said he could not discuss specifics due to student privacy laws but said that the incident had not been described accurately in public reports. He also said the district applies discipline 鈥渁ppropriately鈥� and in accordance with its policies, including policies against bullying.

The hearing did have moments of comity. California Rep. Kevin Kiley, who recently switched from Republican to independent, said he鈥檇 long been a critic of San Francisco Unified but praised Su, giving her a platform to talk about changes she鈥檚 made.

Su said the district has brought back eighth grade algebra, revised its ethnic studies curriculum, and implemented literacy approaches consistent with the science of reading, among other changes.

鈥淲hen I came on as superintendent 18 months ago, I listened to families, listened to parents and our educators, and we moved quickly,鈥� Su said.

Kiley said he probably disagrees with many things the district is doing.

鈥淏ut these are really good, important steps, so thank you for your leadership,鈥� he said.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at .

Did you use this article in your work?

We鈥檇 love to hear how 社区黑料鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.