Queer and trans parents urge SFUSD to expand training, all-gender changing rooms and PE alternatives; board seeks follow-up

Maggie McAdam, chair of the Queer and Trans Parents Advisory Council (QTPAC), told the San Francisco Board of Education that the council formed in 2022 to advise the district on issues affecting queer and trans students and families and brought three concrete recommendations for action: more transparent training and reporting, accessible all-gender changing rooms at PE sites, and expanded independent-study alternatives for physical education.

"We implore you not to look away from our kids," McAdam said, arguing the district must pair legal compliance with lived access and resources so students feel safe and supported. McAdam and other QTPAC members described surveys and local outreach showing that about 30% of students self-identify as queer and that trans and gender-questioning students face disproportionately high rates of harassment and school avoidance.

QTPAC asked the district to provide midyear and end-of-year reports on progress toward 100% compliance with the state-mandated PRISM training for certificated staff and to develop an optional, district-level training module for pre-K–6 staff. "We are asking the district to honor its commitment to serving the whole child by allowing queer and trans students to focus on their learning," McAdam said.

Kenna Hazelid, district coordinator for LGBTQ student services, described staff professional development that is available but largely opt-in and confirmed the state PRISM completions are recorded by the PRISM operator. "Who has completed it is held by the San Joaquin education [entity]," a staff speaker said during the discussion. Board members pressed staff for a clearer way to capture completion data locally and asked for a progress report sooner than the annual cycle.

QTPAC's vice chair (they/them) pushed staff to provide an all-gender safe changing room or space at every school site that offers physical education where binary changing rooms currently exist, and asked for a timeline for completion. QTPAC noted that while some new construction projects include all-gender changing rooms, the majority of sites do not and that keys, permissions, and cleanliness can make single all-gender restrooms effectively inaccessible in practice.

Parents and QTPAC members also urged the district to expand independent-study PE and other community-based alternatives for students who are bullied or unsafe in conventional PE settings. Celestina Pearl, a parent of a trans teen, said community programs—dance, arts and other supervised options—can be viable alternatives if the district establishes reasonable monitoring and crediting procedures.

Staff and central-office leaders responded with next steps rather than immediate policy changes. Superintendent Dr. Hsu and assistant superintendents acknowledged the recommendations, described existing advisory and wellness programming at school sites, and said the district will continue to work on training systems, facilities planning and how independent-study PE might be expanded while meeting state compliance rules. Assistant Superintendent Devin Krugman said an updated history and social-studies curriculum that includes LGBTQ histories will be presented soon, and Jennifer Steiner and other staff described advisory lessons and wellness centers already in many schools.

Board members generally praised the QTPAC presentation and asked staff to return with concrete reporting measures and timelines. Several commissioners requested a report sooner than one year on training completion tracking and on feasibility studies for all-gender changing rooms at older sites. Staff said they would model projections and possible interim targets and expected to bring additional materials and proposed timelines back to the board for follow-up.