A resolution to refrain from language such as “toxic masculinity” in San Rafael City Schools has been withdrawn in the face of public opposition.
Mark Koerner, a district trustee who proposed the resolution, said the proposal aimed to counter negative stereotypes of young men, who he feels are suffering.
Related Articles
East Bay school board votes to reduce budget without cutting key jobs
Homestead High students launch project to address dementia’s impact
Q&A: Why are Bay Area schools so broke?
‘Will I be safe’? Transgender California youth feel threatened by Trump’s executive orders
California sues Trump administration over cuts to teacher training grants
Koerner said he based that view on national data and articles showing declining mental health, lower rates of college graduation and higher incidence of suicide among young men compared to young women.
“The core reason I believe it’s important to even have this conversation is that we cannot develop effective solutions if we ignore the underlying trends,” Koerner said at the board meeting Monday.
The meeting drew a packed audience and about 100 more observers online. Nearly all of about two dozen public commenters were opposed to the resolution, with some expressing outrage.
“This appears to be Mark Koerner’s personal opinion and personal ideology that he is injecting into board policy,” Venetia Valley School parent Olivia Vos said. “He’s purposely stirring the pot and wasting everybody’s time.”
Parent Greg Waters agreed.
“The language of the resolution is very divisive,” Waters said. “It frames gender discussions in an adversarial way. It suggests that young men are in need of protection from attacks by young women.”
Terra Linda High School parent Teri Bleiweiss said the “divisive tone” of the resolution was offensive.
“It’s a bad idea,” she said.
The resolution, which was not up for a vote but remained on the agenda for discussion only, called for avoiding or rejecting the phrase, which it said “often does not reflect the vast majority of men and can detract from constructive dialogues aimed at supporting and understanding the challenges and positive attributes of young men.”
The resolution also condemns “language that implies young men need to be ‘fixed’ by women.”
Tania Morales, president of the district’s chapter of the California State Employees Association, said she was “disappointed that this has been brought forward.”
“The proposal is divisive and exclusionary, at a time when we need to be united,” Morales said.
Morgan Agnew, president of the San Rafael Federation of Teachers, said there was no apparent consultation on the resolution with “teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists, wellness coordinators or any of the other district employees who work with our young men.”
If there had been such consultation, Agnew said, staffers would have mentioned that there is a boys’ group at Madrone High School, Dudes and Doughnuts at Terra Linda High School and the Champion Men’s Zone at San Rafael High School.
The resolution also did not appear to be grounded on district data for such topics as suspension rates, graduation rates, attendance or use of mental health support, Agnew said.
“We have that data, and its absence in the resolution is, frankly, telling,” he said.
Koerner, the vice president of the board, was appointed to a seat on Jan. 29, 2024, and then elected in November to a full four-year term. He is a former executive at Dictionary.com and an investor, according to the district website. He has two sons who attend San Rafael schools.
Koerner said he tried to put forth a similar resolution a year ago, but withdrew it before it was published on the agenda, citing a need for more editing.
“To reignite the conversation and move towards potential solutions, I drafted the language you see today, understanding it was a starting point for discussion,” he said. “My aim is to create a resolution that is inclusive and beneficial.”
He apologized for the timing in the middle of Women’s History Month and less than a week after International Women’s Day. He said it was unintentional.
“Ultimately, this resolution is not intended to detract from the progress of women,” Koerner said. “It is about recognizing the challenges facing young men and exploring how we can improve outcomes in our community, together.”
He said the origin of the resolution was a public comment at a board meeting last April about the needs of young men. He said there was no tie-in to a political agenda.
Brianna Padilla, president of the San Rafael Teachers Association, said the issue was distracting from the mission of the district.
“SRTA values productive conversations, transparency, and actively dismantling oppressive systems without disparaging subgroups of our community,” Padilla said in an email. “Exclusion, and divisive discourse is counterproductive, and has no place in education.”
