As educators, our role is not to promote one belief over another. Instead, we should teach students the rules of standard English while also helping them understand how language evolves and how it is used in different social contexts.

It is also important to remember that the singular they is not a new invention. English speakers have used it for centuries when referring to someone whose gender is unknown, as in the sentence: "Someone left their bag." Today, some individuals also use they/them as their personal pronouns.

Ultimately, language serves the purpose of communication. By understanding both traditional grammar and contemporary language use, students become better communicators who can write accurately, think critically, and interact respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds.