Head of Safe, Drug-Free Schools Departing
From guest blogger Nirvi Shah:
Boston nonprofit Be The Change said Thursday that Kevin Jennings, the U.S. Department of Education's assistant deputy secretary for safe and drug-free schools, will take over its organization in late July.
Mr. Jennings' departure, which the Education Department said will be next week, comes a little less than two years after his somewhat controversial appointment.
Mr. Jennings began his career in education as a teacher in Rhode Island. He founded the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a group that connects lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight teachers, parents, students, and community members to work on ending bias and discrimination in schools.
A few years later, he was appointed co-chairman of a commission in Massachusetts focusing on gay and lesbian youth. The group led the fight that made Massachusetts the first state to outlaw discrimination against public school students on the basis of sexual orientation.
A few months after Mr. Jennings was named to the federal Education Department post, some conservative
