From: Reis, Beth
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 9:19 AM
To: NEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org
Subject: important: help needed & July meeting minutes
Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:
Attached find minutes from the July 17th Coalition meeting. “See” you at the August 21 meeting.
Also copied as text here, with
HELP NEEDED IN BOLDED RED TEXT.
ATTENDEES: Beth Reis, SSC co-chair (in person) – chairing
Airen Lydick, SSC co-secretary (in person) – notetaking
Mo Lewis, SSC co-chair (in person)
Jennifer Gess, Navos Mental Health Solutions (in person)
Gabi Clayton, webspinner (via phone)
Richard Fisher, Washington Education Association (via phone)
(1) SHARING TIME
(a) NOTE: This item was actually verbally shared about midway through the meeting (when Jennifer from Navos joined us); however, it’s included here as part of the “Sharing Time” section from the meeting agenda.
POW! (Proud Out Wonderful) provides a safe space for LGBTQ and allied youth and young adults ages 13-21 to build community and promote social justice through empowerment, leadership and advocacy in South King County. POW! meets every Wednesday from 4-6 in
Burien and is a free, confidential group. POW! hosts quarterly advocacy and community social events with the next event being the Summer Bonfire in late August (details to be announced). POW! represents a community that accepts, supports, and advocates for
all youth regardless of sexual orientation and gender expression. POW! integrates social support from peers, mentors, community members and professionals, the development of leadership skills, and social change advocacy. Starting in April 2011 based on the
lack of LGBTQ resources in South King County, POW! has grown to a group of over 20 youth and young adults with several active volunteers and a supportive community. The group is co-founded and facilitated by Jennifer Gess (jenniferg@navos.org),
mental health therapist, and supported by Navos, donors, and volunteers. Spread the word of this free resource in South King County and “Like" POW! at
www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful.
(2) REPORT: INTERVENTION TEAM (submitted by Penny)
The intervention report is the shortest that I have seen since starting the job. That is typical during summer months.
There were 7 calls that came in from the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. Only one call was referred to SSC. An 8 year old special needs student has been bullied and kicked at his elementary school with
little response by administration to the parents concerns. The parent thinks the bullying is a reaction to the child’s special needs. He is now in counseling for behavior issues which may or may not be related. An intervention specialist called and assessed
if we could help.
(3) REPORT: SPEAKERS BUREAU
No formal report was submitted.
At the meeting, Beth reminded us that Katrina is currently leading (what will hopefully be) the “first annual” summer training series. 23 people (teachers, representatives from community organizations) have registered.
Training sessions are being lead by SSC folks.
(4) REPORT: WEB SITE(S) (submitted by Gabi)
Total # of Visitors in June 2012: 33,757
Including: United States 22,441 / Russian Federation 1,808 / China 1,170 / Ukraine 766 / France 735 / United Kingdom 430 / Germany 386 / Canada 341 / Australia 160 / India 142 / Switzerland 125 / Indonesia 107
/ Japan 85 / Netherlands 81 / Thailand 78 / Italy 62 / Tuvalu - a Polynesian island nation 61 / Malaysia 52 / South Africa 52 / Brazil 47… and 47 other countries.
Marriage-related resources on the website have been/are being updated after a conversation with Pride Foundation’s Laurie who is currently coordinating trainings for “parent ambassadors” (i.e. parents who want to
build skills in talking about marriage equality to others in their communities).
(5) REPORT: LISTSERV
Beth suggested that Gabi use a message to the listserv to help recruit “parent ambassadors” (see above).
HELP NEEDED:
Beth also noted that the person volunteering to run the jobs digest recently needed to stop doing that.
A VOLUNTEER IS NEEDED TO STAFF THE JOBS DIGEST (1 to 2 hours weekly). Beginning in September, this will also be the case for the news digest.
BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER, A VOLUNTEER WILL BE NEEDED TO sTAFF THE NEWS DIGEST (2 to 3 hours weekly).
Interested? Contact Michelle:
michelle@safeschoolscoalition.org
Gabi will explore transitioning Safe Schools Coalition to Constant Contact for listserv services. Airen is available to consult with Gabi on this.
(6) REPORT: MEMBERSHIP
Counting all the organizations we list as members on our web site (some of which have not renewed for 2012 yet) the Coalition now consists of 59 member organizations. The majority of our Leadership Team hails from
Seattle and our origins are in Seattle, but we have no physical space except what is provided by various member organizations. And we are proud that of our 59 member organizations:
·
8 are national organizations,
·
11 serve states or parts of states outside WA (AK, CA, ID, OR, MT, NM, NY, OR, TX, WY),
·
5 serve all of Washington State
·
17 serve WA state counties other than King county (Benton, Clark, Kitsap, Klickitat, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whitman Counties) or big swaths of the state,
·
5 serve all of King County parts of King County other than Seattle,
·
13 serve only or primarily the Seattle community.
(7) REPORT: FISCAL
No formal report was submitted.
Beth shared that reports from Rosehedge have been spare (mostly a recording of checks cut and current balance) and that it would be great to be receiving categorical financial information at these meeting, including
details of who’s donated so that we can acknowledge those donors in our minutes. Beth will follow up with Michelle and Rosehedge to see if we can get more detailed reports.
(8) INVITATION: first national symposium “The Kids Are
Not All Right” (submitted by Beth)
We received the following invitation, and Beth recommends that we send two people. We will not be charged any registration fees (for up to two people) for the symposium.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, CONTACT BETH. THE FIRST TWO PEOPLE TO REPLY WILL GET TO GO. NOTE:
Beth cannot attend but has offered to coordinate the effort. If you want to attend, send her an e-mail with a subject line beginning with “SSC” to alert her to check the message, even if she received it when on vacation (when she won’t be checking
most e-mail messages).
BSEP
Broward Stonewall Education Project
--SAVE THE DATE--
Your district has been selected to participate in a first national symposium THE
KIDS ARE NOT ALL RIGHT, regarding the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students in the life and learning of schooling. The symposium will begin on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 and will conclude
on the afternoon of Friday, February 22, 2013. All sessions will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Please save the date.
The symposium is sponsored and supported by the Broward Stonewall Educational Project (BSEP) – a joint effort of the Broward County (Florida) Public School District and The Stonewall National Museum and Archives
located in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
This groundbreaking conference is especially designed for a select number of lead public school districts from around the nation that already have efforts underway that are focused on LGBT inclusion. District
participation at the symposium is by invitation only.
Those attending the symposium will have an opportunity to hear and learn from each other as well as speakers who specialize in inclusion. Additionally, participants will share their own experiences, successes,
and future plans. There will be a materials exchange and sessions on lessons learned. Each district will leave the symposium with its own working plan for implementation. We anticipate that an outcome will be the establishment of a network of lead districts
that will stay connected through electronic means and potentially through additional meetings at a time and place convenient to all participants.
Very simply, our goal is to project the leaders forward and to ramp up synergy among districts already immersed in the change process, as well as encourage those districts new to the process.
A district team should consist of from two to four people. It might include the superintendent or designee, the central office point person that heads the LGBT inclusion effort, a school board member, a principal,
a guidance supervisor or a teachers' union representative. In other words, each district should send individuals who play an important role in the development of an LGBTQ safe environment.
It is important that we hear from you by August 31, 2012 regarding your district’s participation. The Broward Stonewall Educational Project will support symposium costs, hotel and food expenses for the
first two people from each of the first ten districts that respond by August 31. Travel costs will be at the expense of the participating district/individuals.
You may call or email Dr. Kenneth Tewel, a member of the planning group, at 954 594 7766 or
ktewel@aol.com if you have questions or wish further information. In addition, if you believe that we have omitted a lead district from our list of invitees (see attachment), please let us know. We plan to mail a printed
copy of this email letter. Please watch for it in your mail delivery.
As plans for the symposium move forward, we will be back in touch with you regarding logistical and program information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Teri Williams
Prevention Specialist, Office of Diversity, Cultural Outreach and Prevention
Broward County Public Schools
Bryan W. Knicely
Executive Director
Stonewall National Museum and Archives
Symposium Rationale
In 2012-2013, America’s public schools are at a critical moment in their history. Schoolyard bullying, health and safety, family diversity, and equal rights are receiving unprecedented national attention
and support. Accordingly, forward-thinking school districts are seizing upon this opportunity to implement innovative LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, social programs, and staff trainings. But no school district can— or should— do this important work in isolation.
The BSEP Symposium seeks to create a network of leading like-minded school districts so that we may collectively share best practices, tackle systemic obstacles, and advance the national conversation on LGBTQ issues towards a safer and more inclusive tomorrow.
Broward County Public Schools
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest and the largest fully accredited K-12 and adult school system in the country. Under the leadership of the
School Board of Broward County, Florida and Superintendent of Schools Robert W. Runcie, BCPS is “Educating Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s World.” The district has over 258,000 students, 232 traditional schools and centers, 76 charter schools and a virtual
school serving elementary, middle and high school students. BCPS serves a diverse student population with students from 173 different countries speaking 53 different languages.
Stonewall National Museum and Archives
Stonewall National Museum and Archives mission is to collect, preserve, organize for use, and display materials related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender culture
and history, support related research and sponsor educational opportunities. Stonewall has an Educational Services Center dedicated to developing LGBT K-12 curriculum.
Invitees
|
Anoka-Hennepin, Minnesota Public Schools |
Boston Public Schools |
|
Broward County Public Schools |
Chicago Public Schools |
|
Denver Public Schools |
Elk Grove, California Public Schools |
|
Illinois Safe Schools Alliance |
Los Angeles Unified School District |
|
Madison, Wisconsin Public Schools |
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education |
|
Miami-Dade Public Schools |
Minneapolis Public Schools |
|
New York City Public Schools |
Palm Beach County, Florida Public Schools |
|
San Diego Unified School District |
San Francisco Unified School District |
|
Seattle Public Schools
|
St. Paul Public Schools |
|
Washington, D.C. Public Schools |
Washington State Safe Schools Coalition |
(9) REPORT: LEADERSHIP TEAM (verbally submitted by Beth)
This is a time of transition for the Safe Schools Coalition. Transitions have happened many times over the Coalition’s history, so this isn’t new, but it does need our attention.
The time (through work) that Beth is able to spend doing Safe Schools Coalition efforts was cut back (beginning in January 2012) from 20 hours weekly to just eight hours weekly. Additionally, other SSC leadership
folks (Michelle, Penny, Heather, etc.) either have had to scale back contributions or will need to do so soon.
The leadership team of the Safe Schools Coalition is currently having many small conversations with stakeholders to assess next steps.
Please join in the conversation. Come to a Safe Schools Coalition meeting or reach out to a leadership team member.
UPCOMING SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION MEETINGS
All are welcome.
There are, as always, two ways to attend:
August 21st,
2-4 pm Pacific Time.
Michelle facilitates and Frank
records.
September 18th, 3-5 pm
Pacific Time. Matthew
facilitates and Penny records.
October 16th, 3-5 pm Pacific Time.
Michelle facilitates,
Airen records.
November 20th,
3-5 pm Pacific Time. Mo
facilitates and Frank
records.
December 18th,
3-5 pm Pacific Time.
Matthew facilitates and
qqqqqqqqqq
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The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 60+ organizations (government agencies,
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Got a problem at school with anti-gay harassment?
In Washington State:
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Co-Chairs:
Beth Reis,
Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-263-8297
NEW
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
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