Does anyone know a high school teacher who transitioned in the classroom?

[suzifrommd]

I'm a high school teacher and I'm planning a transition starting next school year. It's going to be dicey since I teach multiple levels of a specialized subject, so I'll have a lot of returning students who knew me as Mr. G___ (though lately I've been acting pretty femmy).

Does anyone out there know a transgender high school teacher who transitioned in the classroom like that?

My therapist thought I should try to connect with someone like me. It's illegal in my district to discriminate against trans employees, but he's warning me that between parents, administrators, students and the school board, it will be a volatile mix.

I've found some college teachers, and I know there are a couple of closeted high school teachers who post at Susan's, but I haven't found anyone who actually transitioned while teaching high school.

I would be grateful to anyone who could point me to someone like that.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Shauna Marie is a teacher.  Not sure if she is high school or not.

[Shang]

I do, sort of.  My friend's husband transitioned while teaching high school up north.  He lives in a conservative state and yet had no problems transitioning on the job and his employer had hired him knowing he was going to transition. 

I'll have to see if I can get my friend to have her husband to get on here.

[~RoadToTrista~]

No.

I did have a substitute teacher who was a transwoman. You may jump on me for assuming, but she was 6' something", muscular, and failed to pass in all areas except for her voice. (Which wasn't perfect but still passible) Your voice is the most important aspect to passing, if you have just that and boobs then people can try and guess but if someone calls you out, it won't mean anything. My school is mostly conservative and I have no doubt that most people would have a problem with it. I think she was sent over from the big city next to us? When I saw her coaching a girl's gym class or whatever it was, she moved in basketball exactly as a man would have.

[aleon515]

Well I know of an ftm, though he changed schools.

--Jay

[suzifrommd]

Thanks for the responses.

I did get in touch with Shauna Marie. She was really, really helpful and told me a lot about her transition that might make mine easier.

But she's not teaching anymore and I get the strong impression that things did not end the way she wanted at least in part due to her transition.

I'm getting the feeling that what I'm about to do, transition from male to female presentation in a high school classroom, is really hard. I mean, Susan's community is probably the largest group of transgender people ever assembled and even we are having trouble coming up with a case of successful high school classroom transition. If it works out I might end up one of a very few who succeeded at it.

I do not want to give up my career. I've been in the same classroom for 12 years and I'm not ready to leave it. If they send me away because of my transition, they'll have to drag me out with my long enameled nails digging into the carpet.

Please wish me luck. I'm going to need it.

[RedFox]

Please wish me luck. I'm going to need it.

Good luck agfrommd!  I do hope things go smoothly for you.