A criticism of the Obama administration's stand on school bathroom policies to accommodate transgender students is that there are so few of them. Critics contend it doesn't make sense to change long-standing school policies on restrooms based on a minuscule number of students who may be impacted.
But should the number of students determine policy?
University of Georgia education professor Peter Smagorinsky points out schools have made accommodations for other small groups of students because it was the right thing to do, citing students who use wheelchairs.
"Making schools wheelchair accessible, however, is required by law. Few would deny those requiring wheelchairs access to schools or toilets adjusted for their needs. But if the issue is solely the low percentage of people who require the accommodation, then we already have a clear example of a much more expensive accommodation in the issue of wheelchair accessibility for about the same number of people," says Smagorinsky.
An easy solution for schools, says Smagorinsky, is designating one bathroom as unisex.
To read more about why Smagorinsky thinks schools should embrace the White House's inclusion efforts toward transgender kids, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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