POST #8 RI LAWS AND POLICIES

Rhode Island Laws and Policies

Reflection

    This week's reading was from the Rhode Island laws outlining specific policies and resources pertaining to anti discrimination within the Rhode Island public educational system and all educational facilities that are funded by the state. In addition to the written legislature, there is a variety of included vocabulary, that is important to have an understanding of when reading these laws, and especially working within the educational system. The specific topics that these laws handle relate mostly to gender and sexual identity and the privacies included with this for all students. 

    All students should be entitled to a safe education, free from discrimination and bullying. This seems like it would be a straightforward an easily accomplished task, however there are numerous facilities throughout the country in which the environment does not take steps to ensure this safety among their students. Students experiencing an identity challenge in schools may be targeted by other students, and even sometimes faculty members, being called names, harassed, physically abused, and treated unfairly compared to other students around them. These laws outlined in the reading have been put in place to ensure that these acts of discrimination are investigated and responded to in a fair manner. Institutions that do not take proper precautions and do not enforce policies to promote a safe environment within the educational system may face penalties because of their ignorance to certain situations.

    It is a difficult task to handle situations involving identity discrimination when talking about the school system, due to the range of reactions that both students and parents may have as a result of introducing identity within education. On one hand, if everyone is entitled to a safe education, the how can the law protect these struggling individuals before they experience these issues within school? After being bullied, an investigation and punishment can only do so much to make things right. The organization has still failed to protect the students being discriminated.

    On the other hand, introducing topics of gender identity and discrimination into schooling too early on has led to other negative reactions from parents and students. I personally feel that students shouldn't be introduced to these topics in their schooling until they are at the age where they begin to discuss puberty. Still, I feel that as these issues are important to be brought to classrooms, they also give the opportunity for troublesome students to target discriminated groups more. Teens tend to have trouble taking about serious issues in a serious manner. The analogy I would use is that when teaching teens about the Holocaust, you will likely see several of them making anti-sematic remarks and jokes. This could be adding more danger to discriminated groups within schools. 

    I feel that it is important to normalize these issues in our popular culture and find methods to handle people's range of responses. This should be vital when taking these laws and actions into account.