Subject: Strictly FYI: Safe Schools Coalition Presents 2012 Professional Development Training Program; and Action Alerts: A closet is a horrible place to work; Tell Erie, IL school board to reverse malicious ban on inclusive anti-bullying resources |
From: Gabi Clayton ~ Safe Schools Coalition <gabi@safeschoolscoalition.org> |
Date: 6/13/2012 1:00 PM |
To: IMPORTANTNEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org |
Dear
Safe Schools Coalition Members
and Friends:
1) Safe Schools Coalition Presents 2012 Professional Development Training Program
and
2) Action Alert: A
closet is a
horrible place to work
3) Action Alert:
Petition - Tell Erie, IL school board to
reverse malicious ban on inclusive anti-bullying resources
Note: We are
sharing these items because we believe that they are
issues Safe Schools Coalition members and friends
may be interested in.
If you have
opinion about them, please let your voice be heard.
**************************************
1) Safe Schools Coalition Presents
2012 Professional Development Training Program
Please forward to all your
contacts.
Greetings!
Safe Schools Coalition
warmly extends an invitation to participate in our 2012
Professional
Development Training Program.
Safe Schools Coalition
is an international public-private partnership of over 50
school-based
organizations, community-based organizations, government
agencies, individuals,
and businesses who are committed to our mission of supporting
Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender youth by providing trainings and
resources to help
schools become safe from biased-based bullying and violence.
Our 2012 Professional
Development Training Program will provide skill-based
trainings for
educators, educators-in-training and youth development
professionals on how to
respond to biased-based bullying and violence in schools.
There are two parts to
this program:
1.
Safe Schools Summer 2012
Series. The trainings will take place at Planned Parenthood
(2001 East Madison,
Seattle, WA 98122). These trainings are free and open to all
educators, youth
development professionals and volunteers who work directly
with youth. However, space is limited, and
you must register to confirm your attendance. Clock
hours may be available. Please indicate if you are
interested. The schedule, flyer and registration form
are posted on our
website here
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/speakersbureau/SafeSchoolsSummerSeries2012.htm
2.
The second option is to
arrange for a professional trainer from Safe Schools Speakers
Bureau to come to
your school or organization to train your staff biased-based
bullying and other
related concerns. Our Needs Assessment form can be found
here: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/speakersbureau/AssessStaffTrainingNeeds.htm
Safe Schools Coalition
is providing these trainings for free with support from the
Turnstone Fund at
Seattle Foundation. If you have any questions, or would like
to schedule a
training, please contact katrina@safeschoolscoalition.org.
Best,
Katrina Pestano
Speakers Bureau Manager
**************************************
2) Action Alert: A
closet is a
horrible place to work
Whether you're a retail clerk, a
mechanic, or a surgeon – if you're gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender, you
shouldn't be forced to stay in the closet for fear of losing
your job. Today,
in 29 states LGBT people can be fired only because they're
lesbian, gay, or
bisexual. And in 34 states, people can be fired just because
they're
transgender — reasons completely unrelated to their work!
For two years, Congress has stalled
all action on ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act,
which would ban
discrimination just like this — discrimination based on an
employee's sexual
orientation or gender identity.
Thankfully, on June 12 a Senate
committee will finally hold a hearing on ENDA. This is our
chance to shine a
spotlight on the real harm caused by these forms of workplace
discrimination.
But we need the Senate to go further — ENDA needs to be
voted out of
committee and sent to the Senate floor!
Sign our
petition to tell the
committee chairman, Sen. Harkin, to bring ENDA to a
vote!
It's simply outrageous that the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community STILL does
not have clear
federal protections from workplace discrimination.
Discrimination at work is
well-documented, both for LGB people as well as transgender
people.
ENDA would ensure that employees are
treated based on the quality of their work and nothing else.
We need your help right now to
outlaw this form of discrimination, once and for all! Please take a
moment to tell
Senator Harkin to bring ENDA to a vote!
Sincerely,
Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
1325 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
202.393.5177
www.thetaskforce.org
www.thetaskforceblog.org
3) Action Alert:
Petition - Tell Erie, IL school board to
reverse malicious ban on inclusive anti-bullying resources
Over the weekend, a change.org petition was
posted by a former
graduate of the district. The story also got picked up on a
few blogs such as Queerty and the Huffington Post. There will
be another
Huffington Post story coming out tonight or tomorrow. At this
point, we are
seeking your help continuing the momentum by drawing national
attention to the
school district's decision by posting the petition to your
blogs and social
media accounts.
Here is some sample text:
Tell Erie, IL school board to
reverse malicious ban on inclusive anti-bullying resources.
The Erie Community Unit School
District school board has banned widely-used elementary
school resources that teach respect for all families and
address the
anti-gay name-calling that has been documented in Erie
schools.
The ban includes The
Family Book by Todd Parr and anything associated with
the
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN),
including the
proven bullying prevention program No Name-Calling
Week (endorsed by
over 50 national education and youth organizations such as Big
Brothers
Big Sisters of America) and Ready, Set, Respect, lesson plans
created in partnership with the National Association of
Elementary School
Principals and the National Association for the Education of
Young Children. The superintendent has since clarified that
the ban
applies to any material that addresses “alternative
lifestyles.”
These well-respected,
age-appropriate, and effective resources are used in thousands
of schools
across the country and were even wholeheartedly recommended by
a
district-appointed committee of parents, educators and
community members. There has been an outcry of support for
all of the
banned materials, with over 100 Erie parents signing a
petition to call
for the reversal of the ban. Unfortunately, the
school board
president, who has publicly called teaching the bible in
schools a "good
idea" will not reconsider.
No child is too young to learn
how anti-gay language is hurtful to people in their community!
Tell
the Erie, IL school district that they should value the health
and safety of
their students over the extreme personal views of a handful of
people by
signing this petition and sharing it with your friends: http://www.change.org/petitions/erie-school-board-reverse-prejudicial-ban-on-glsen-and-other-anti-bullying-resources.
Some sample social media posts (the
petition is also available at chn.ge/LtJwHs)
**************************************
qqqqqqqqqq
DONATE TO THE SAFE SCHOOLS
COALITION:
Click here to make a
donation online
Or mail this form with your check made to "Safe Schools
Coalition":
Safe Schools Coalition
c/o Rosehedge
1401 East Jefferson Street, Suite 401
Seattle, WA 98122
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**************************************
The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 60+
organizations (government agencies, schools, community agencies,
churches, youth/student groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights
groups) and 100+ individuals working to help schools become safe
places where every family can belong, where every educator can
teach, and where every child can learn, regardless of gender
identity or sexual orientation.
Safe Schools' website: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org
Safe Schools' blog: http://safeschoolscoalition.blogspot.com/
Join SSC's group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43732067796
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Got a problem at school with
anti-gay harassment?
In Washington State:
1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) 24 hours a day
- the phone line is answered at the Sexual Assault Hotline and
they will have a Safe Schools Coalition Intervention Specialist
volunteer get back to you within 24 hours. Or contact us by
email (click here: Intervention) http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=10 and we will respond within 24
hours.
For non-emergencies: 206-451-SAFE (7233).
Or email us:
Questions
Speakers Bureau
Membership
Publications
Listserv
Website
Co-Chairs:
Beth Reis, Public Health - Seattle & King County,
206-296-4970
Michelle Munro, not representing a member org
Mo Lewis, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
Matthew Wilson, Oasis/Pierce County AIDS Foundation
Co-Secretaries:
Heather Carter, Youth Suicide Prevention Program
Frank Couch, Science & Management of Addictions
Foundation
Penny Palmer, not representing a member org
Listserv Managers:
Beth Reis for Action Items, Resource
messages (books, films, curricula, etc.), Professional
Journal messages and Help Needed by
Reporters/Authors, Researchers, and Member Organizations
Corey Bernstein and
Robyn Walters for News messages
Nik Donia for Event messages
Open position
for Jobs, Internships, and Volunteer
Opportunity messages
Ryan Schwartz for Right Wing Watch messages
Julie Parmenter for Opinion (blogs,
editorials, letters to the editor) messages
Colleen Mullins for Lesson Planning Guide
messages
Gabi Clayton for Legislative/Elective messages and
Fundraising* messages
* Note: Fundraising
messages are only sent for member organizations.