Lansing Sun

Gretchen McClellan-VanArsdale, the director of special education and student support for Charlotte Public Schools, attended a recent webinar the Daily Mail said shared tips on “subversively and quietly” encouraging students to cross dress.

“Dozens of Midwestern teachers met online this week and traded tips on helping trans students change gender at school without their parents' knowledge, while criticizing a raft of new Republican laws on sex and identity,” reported the Daily Mail. “In the four-hour workshop, they discussed helping trans students in the face of new laws in Republican-run states on gender, pronouns, names, parents' rights, bathroom access, and sports teams.”  

“Some teachers said they followed the rules, but others discussed being 'subversive,' how their personal 'code of ethics' trumped laws, and how to 'hide' a trans student's new name and gender from their parents,” said the report. 

The webinar was hosted by the Great Lakes Equity Center, which says it is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. 

McClellan-VanArsdale has been the director of education and student support since at least August 3, 2020, when Fox 47 News quoted her in a report about remote versus in-person schooling and students' individualized education plans (IEPs).

Less than three years later, in February 2023, the school district was the subject of a Fox 47 News report about IEPs, which said, "Some parents of students with special needs at Charlotte High School say their children's needs are not being addressed, and they are missing out on their educational experience because of it."

McClellan-VanArsdale was born January 1, 1966 and resides in East Lansing. Michigan Bureau of Elections records show that she voted in the General Elections of 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. 

GovSalaries.com reported that McClellan-VanArsdale "had an annual salary of $87,677" in 2020, which is "168 percent higher than average and 188 percent higher than median salary in Charlotte Public Schools."

The Charlotte Public Schools district is located in Charlotte, Mich., which is the county seat of Eaton County. The school district has a total enrollment of more than 3,360 children and is accredited by the North Central Association. Dr. Mandy Stewart, a member of the Governor's Educator Advisory Council, has worked as the district's superintendent since 2019, according to her LinkedIn profile. 

Charlotte is located 21 miles from downtown Lansing and has a population of just more than 9,000, according to the 2010 census.