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Sexual Diversity and Public Schools in Canada and the United States
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systematic change, though it also presents innumerable local opportunities for making a difference.
The fragmentation of policy making for schools is particularly marked in the U.S., where much responsibility over public schooling is devolved to local districts. Constitutional authority lies principally in the states, and over time they have been moving towards greater leverage over school decisions. But by comparison to other countries, even Canada, local decision making matters. On the other hand, the U.S. federal government also has s some leverage over public schooling, principally through its ability to attach conditions to federal dollars that find their way to schools. This leverage has been amply used, sometimes to promote equity, and in the case of sexual diversity to impede it.
In Canada the federal government does not have spending levers over schooling, and would be prevented on jurisdictional grounds from acting as its American counterpart does. On the other hand, provincial ministries of education exercise firmer control over public schools than most American states. They have generally moved toward detailed curricular guidelines, and elaborate rules applying to other aspects of school administration. They have the power to create school boards, reduce their revenues, amalgamate them, and modify their governance – and they regularly exercise such power. That said, local boards do matter in Canada, and within single provinces will develop quite different policies on equity issues for example, or apply provincial policies with widely divergent levels of commitment and energy.
Courts have also been policy-making players in both countries. The historical preparedness of American disputants to litigate over schools issues has given their courts a prominent role. That has happened less frequently in Canada, although in recent years a few cases have been taken to court.
Evaluating change must take account of policy developments in many institutional settings, then.
But as much in schooling as in any policy area, implementation matters in schooling. The
substantial room for manouvre available to schools and teachers translates into wide differentials between formal policy enacted, the programs put into place, and the practices on the ground. School jurisdictions that provide lots of recognition of sexual diversity will still have many teachers and officials with no understanding of the issues or preparedness to address. Conversely, a policy environment providing no leads on equity will still include many on the front line who are willing to provide astonishing levels of support for all those who challenge traditional norms about gender and sexuality.
Public Opinion
In both Canada and the United States, public attitudes have shifted encouragingly, but with signs of continuing disquiet about full recognition of sexual diversity in schools. Survey questions on sexual diversity issues related to young people are as likely as any to elicit negative responses. Gallup surveying of Americans and Canadians reveals the gap in attitudes to, on the one hand,
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5
systematic change, though it also presents innumerable local opportunities for making a
difference.
The fragmentation of policy making for schools is particularly marked in the U.S., where much
responsibility over public schooling is devolved to local districts. Constitutional authority lies
principally in the states, and over time they have been moving towards greater leverage over
school decisions. But by comparison to other countries, even Canada, local decision making
matters. On the other hand, the U.S. federal government also has s some leverage over public
schooling, principally through its ability to attach conditions to federal dollars that find their way
to schools. This leverage has been amply used, sometimes to promote equity, and in the case of
sexual diversity to impede it.
In Canada the federal government does not have spending levers over schooling, and would be
prevented on jurisdictional grounds from acting as its American counterpart does. On the other
hand, provincial ministries of education exercise firmer control over public schools than most
American states. They have generally moved toward detailed curricular guidelines, and elaborate
rules applying to other aspects of school administration. They have the power to create school
boards, reduce their revenues, amalgamate them, and modify their governance – and they
regularly exercise such power. That said, local boards do matter in Canada, and within single
provinces will develop quite different policies on equity issues for example, or apply provincial
policies with widely divergent levels of commitment and energy.
Courts have also been policy-making players in both countries. The historical preparedness of
American disputants to litigate over schools issues has given their courts a prominent role. That
has happened less frequently in Canada, although in recent years a few cases have been taken to
court.
Evaluating change must take account of policy developments in many institutional settings, then.
But as much in schooling as in any policy area, implementation matters in schooling. The
substantial room for manouvre available to schools and teachers translates into wide differentials
between formal policy enacted, the programs put into place, and the practices on the ground.
School jurisdictions that provide lots of recognition of sexual diversity will still have many
teachers and officials with no understanding of the issues or preparedness to address.
Conversely, a policy environment providing no leads on equity will still include many on the
front line who are willing to provide astonishing levels of support for all those who challenge
traditional norms about gender and sexuality.
Public Opinion
In both Canada and the United States, public attitudes have shifted encouragingly, but with signs
of continuing disquiet about full recognition of sexual diversity in schools. Survey questions on
sexual diversity issues related to young people are as likely as any to elicit negative responses.
Gallup surveying of Americans and Canadians reveals the gap in attitudes to, on the one hand,
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