I haven't took the GED test or prepared for it in a school and I'm prepared to do it now. But, my school records has my birth name on it. How does this work if I received a name change months ago? I'm scared of letting them know about my records with the birth name and have them disrespect me because I'm trans. Usually when people find out this information suddenly they have a hard time saying he, him and say she and her just because they know that I was born a different way. Even when they have never known me as female and just met me as a guy. I don't know how the process works about the name change with the GED. Please help.

Contact the high school where the records came from and see if they'll change it. Some schools will happily update your records while others won't do a thing (in the middle some will add the new name to the record but keep the old one visible). If you've changed the name on your birth certificate it may help to bring that and not just the court papers (some schools have a policy that the student's name must match what's on the BC, and under such a policy a new or amended BC gives you leverage to get the records updated).

Do they even have to check school records when someone goes to take the test for their GED? I was homeschooled - wouldn't have been a high school record for them to even look into, per se - so I don't know. But if changing the name on your school records doesn't pan out, maybe see if a GED testing facility even requires school records.

Quote from: tgchar21 on November 10, 2014, 02:54:14 PM
Contact the high school where the records came from and see if they'll change it. Some schools will happily update your records while others won't do a thing (in the middle some will add the new name to the record but keep the old one visible). If you've changed the name on your birth certificate it may help to bring that and not just the court papers (some schools have a policy that the student's name must match what's on the BC, and under such a policy a new or amended BC gives you leverage to get the records updated).

Court papers.. are court orders.. schools can't challenge court orders unless in court.  The school will have to comply with it no matter what birth cert says.

Quote from: Alexis2107 on November 10, 2014, 03:44:26 PM
Court papers.. are court orders.. schools can't challenge court orders unless in court.  The school will have to comply with it no matter what birth cert says.

Not necessarily at least when it comes to past (not current) records - a non-trans-related example is I heard a story about a child whose last name was changed to his stepfather's and the school wouldn't update the records without the amended birth certificate.

Quote from: tgchar21 on November 10, 2014, 02:54:14 PM
Contact the high school where the records came from and see if they'll change it. Some schools will happily update your records while others won't do a thing (in the middle some will add the new name to the record but keep the old one visible). If you've changed the name on your birth certificate it may help to bring that and not just the court papers (some schools have a policy that the student's name must match what's on the BC, and under such a policy a new or amended BC gives you leverage to get the records updated).

Thanks. I am going to contact the school I went to and see if they can help me.

Okay so I emailed the school guidance counsiler and they said they couldn't change my name on the records. They assumed because I was married but even when I told them it was because I was transitioning they told me they couldn't change it. I signed up and made an account for my GED online and it didn't say anything about what school did you used to go to or records, anything like that. They just had 'put your name as it appears on your identification' so I think I'm good.

You are the school's boss as an adult not the other way around, don't let the past intimidate you. Use the court papers if needed.

Legally change your name. They are required by law to display your legal name on the document. A certified copy of a name change order works wonders.

School administration are ->-bleeped-<-s. Fight them and make them cry.

Quote from: Natalie on November 11, 2014, 10:57:48 AM
Legally change your name. They are required by law to display your legal name on the document. A certified copy of a name change order works wonders.

I had my name legally changed in May of this year.

Quote from: andrews49 on November 11, 2014, 01:32:34 PM
I had my name legally changed in May of this year.

Then file a certified copy of your name change order with the school. It does not matter if they like it or not, they have to use your legal name and that requires them to update your records.

Oh I don't know about forcing old records to be changed reciprocally. But as stated the GED would be a new document. They absolutely have to use the current legal name going forward. As a point of interest I did get my GED changed reciprocally in Missouri, that's done through the central state department of education, nothing to do with the schools I once went to.

In response to what Missy~rmdlm said, the reason I suggest using the corrected birth certificate to get your records change is that changing your name/gender on your BC essentially means it was deemed that your birth name/gender was incorrect and that any corrections should be applied retroactively - in the same way as if say an incorrect date of birth was listed or you were adopted (in which your parents in the eyes of the law changed) and your BC was amended to reflect that. This is in contrast to for example a name change due to marriage in which the maiden/birth name remains unchanged and the new married name is used only going forwards (another case where this distinction comes into play is how you'd be listed on a future child's BC if you have one - the usual rule is that the mother is listed under her maiden name, but name changes for reasons that amended or could amend your BC are taken into account).

Thanks for all the help guys. I emailed the GED people in my state and asked for help and they told me if I am over 18 then they don't need my old school records. I am over that age so I won't need them. MY ID and SSN already has my new name so they won't ask any questions about my previous name when I go to take the test.

Quote from: tgchar21 on November 13, 2014, 07:29:34 PM
In response to what Missy~rmdlm said, the reason I suggest using the corrected birth certificate to get your records change is that changing your name/gender on your BC essentially means it was deemed that your birth name/gender was incorrect and that any corrections should be applied retroactively - in the same way as if say an incorrect date of birth was listed or you were adopted (in which your parents in the eyes of the law changed) and your BC was amended to reflect that. This is in contrast to for example a name change due to marriage in which the maiden/birth name remains unchanged and the new married name is used only going forwards (another case where this distinction comes into play is how you'd be listed on a future child's BC if you have one - the usual rule is that the mother is listed under her maiden name, but name changes for reasons that amended or could amend your BC are taken into account).

The OP hasn't said a thing about a birth certificate or gender markers on ID, that's a very different thing than a name change. (In my state of Missouri it is required to take a separate and consecutive court action, it cannot be combined with a name change.)