LGBTQ Curriculum Outlined In Letter To Haddonfield Parents

HADDONFIELD, NJ — Officials in the Haddonfield Public School District outlined their reasons for including LGBTQ+ related content in this year’s curriculum in a recent letter to the community.

“In Haddonfield, we acknowledge, respect and support all configurations of families, the full spectrum of gender expression/identity, all racial/ethnic backgrounds, and all forms of ability,” Haddonfield Chief Academic Officer Colleen Murray said in the letter. “We want all of our learners to be able to see themselves in the books we read, the history and influential figures we learn about, the problems we solve, and the topics we explore. We do this for developmental and humane reasons.”

In referencing M.M. Weissman’s “What’s A Family,” Murray said that talking about families helps elementary school students understand the world and their relationship to it. Students in primary grades may be realizing for the first time that their families look different from others, while older elementary students may be sensitive about talking about their differences while developing a deeper understanding of themselves as individuals.

“We honor all families by including content that recognizes everyone’s experiences,” Murray said. “This includes materials that portray male-female couples, LGBTQ+ partners, singles, couples with pets, ESL, siblings, grandparents, or other family members as caregivers, adoption, mixed race, divorces, families of ‘choice,’ multi-generational families, etc.”

The school worked with the Community Partners for Equitable and Inclusive Education group that is made up of Haddonfield parents, teachers, and staff to develop their Elementary School Equity Statement.

“We cannot do any of these things if some of our kids, and some of their families, are rendered invisible,” Murray said. “As a public school system aiming for excellence, we seek to be inclusive, support social-emotional learning for all kids and engage meaningfully and respectfully with all identities and experiences.”

It is also less confusing for children from “traditional” family structures to learn about people who might not have a “traditional" family structure or gender expression/identity through carefully selected text books and lessons instead of during unsupported playground conversations, officials said.

“To determine what is developmentally appropriate as it pertains to LGBTQ+ integration, we review text-assigned age ranges, and several of our staff members review the content of each book we introduce to our learners, especially taking into account that some families are more or less comfortable with certain content at certain ages,” Murray said. “We engage in thoughtful reflection, introspection, and dialogue to bring us towards equity and inclusivity.”

The district provided the current list of LGBTQ+ related library books for Central Elementary School, and the current list for Elizabeth Haddon and J. Fithian Tatem elementary schools.

Any parents who have questions or who would like to discuss the issue further can contact Murray or their teachers or principals, Murray said.