Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/812811
feedback Y O U R O P I N I O N S A R E W E L C O M E ! We accept signed email and letters (250-word limit); we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have identifications and permissions. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA Embracing the Gender Spectrum Our March cover story "Embracing the Gender Spectrum," which focused on how educators can become knowledgeable and sensitive about the gender spectrum in their teaching and student interactions, drew quite a bit of feedback from various perspectives. Highlights: I enjoyed the article. It was thoughtful, reasonably complete, and informative. The one omission I noticed was dis- cussion of transgender educators. We exist and can be instrumental as posi- tive role models for all the students we touch. We also face unique challenges both within and outside our schools. I hope that these issues can be explored in a future article. GEORGIA LYLE Hart District Teachers Association To tell a normal, healthy biological girl that she is a boy is exactly like telling an anorexic girl that she is fat. It is both untrue and destructive. There are those who deny the historical fact of the Holocaust of the Jews and Armenians. There are those who deny the atmospheric fact of climate change. There are those who deny the biological fact that there are only two genders: male and female. Cases of genital malformation due to hormonal or genetic disorders are referred to as intersex , but this is not a third gender. Ninety percent of children with gender dysphoria grow up to be homo- sexual. Their confusion is not with gender, but with sexuality. A boy who likes to wear dresses is not a girl. Girls who enjoy masculine activities are not boys. Being homosexual or dressing in nonstandard ways is perfectly fine, but it has nothing to do with a child's gender. All children should be safe, and this means that no one has the right to invade the privacy of other people in sit- uations where gender segregation exists for real and good reasons. Biological males should not be allowed on all-girl sport teams. Biological girls should not be allowed in the boys' locker room. R AY SHELTON Glendale Teachers Association A s a retired teacher, I appreciated the ar ticle relating to gender inclu- sive schools. At the beginning of each school year, my students decided upon how to line up properly before the star t of class, at recess, lunch and P.E . Although I suggested numer- ous ways to form lines, they always wanted to be in lines with boys and girls. We tried bir th days, shoe col- ors, etc., but they always lined up with a boy line and girl line. I do take is sue with page 42 : There are "Dump DeVo s " signs , while on the oppo site page there is a "Hate Free Zone " ar ticle. I f ind this to be hy pocritical. I suggest CTA give DeVos an oppor- tunity to show her worth. I also find it hard to believe CTA stood silent while the Obama Department of Education did very little to improve the education our children so importantly deserve but didn't receive. R ALPH E . SPENCE Teachers Association of Norwalk-La Mirada (retired) C O N T E S T : Educators Are Everywhere Traveling this summer? Shoot a photo of you with your Educator wherever you land for vacation, research or professional development and send it to us for our annual contest. Three winners will receive a gift card for school supplies, and we'll showcase many more online and in our August Back to School issue. Send to editor@cta.org with Educators Are Everywhere in the subject line. Picture This Henry Ralston, Hanford Elementary Teachers Association, with CTA President Eric Heins at the Good Teaching Conference South in March. Henry was a lucky winner and got invited to sit at the president's table during the luncheon. M A R C H 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 2 1 I S S U E 6 DEALING WITH IMPLICIT BIAS PAGE 13 EMBRACING THE GENDER SPECTRUM PAGE 20 GRAMMY WINNER CTA MEMBER KEITH HANCOCK PAGE 45 PAGE 16 TO THE RESCUE STUDENTS ARE SAVING LIVES PAGE 34 FAKE NEWS ATTACK STUDENTS LEARN TO SORT FACT FROM FICTION 3 April 2017