As students return to the classroom for the fall semester, the Vermont Department of Health is encouraging educators to ditch nouns like “daughter” and “son” in favor of words that don’t presume children’s sexes.
“The language we use matters,” the state agency announced in a Facebook post about its “inclusive language” initiative.
“When talking about family,” the post read, “it’s important to use terms that cover the many versions of what family can look like.”
In a graphic that accompanied the department’s post, the Vermont agency urged school employees to use terms like “child” and “kid” instead of “daughter” and “son,” explaining, “This is gender-neutral and can describe a child who may not be someone’s legal son or daughter.”
It further suggests educators and administrators say “family members” as opposed to “household members,” because “not all families live in the same home,” referring to divorced or incarcerated parents.
For context, it’s important to note this is not the first time the Green Mountain State has sought to police the language used in the public school system.
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The Essex Westford School District in Essex Junction, Vermont, made headlines in April 2023, when, according to the
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