Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker For Commerce Secretary Heats Up | FDL News Desk

Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker For Commerce Secretary Heats Up | FDL News Desk:

Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker for Commerce Secretary Heats Up

by DSWright

Billionaire Penny Pritzker, of the plutocratic Pritzker family, has been floated by the Obama Administration as acandidate for Commerce Secretary.

Penny Pritzker, an heiress to the Hyatt hotel fortune, is a leading candidate to become President Obama’s next commerce secretary as the president slowly moves to complete his second-term economic team.
Ms. Pritzker, who led the groundbreaking fund-raising effort for Mr. Obama’s first presidential campaign, withdrew from consideration for the same position in 2008, with some people suggesting that her family’s immense wealth might complicate her nomination at a time of deep 

Daily Kos: Turned Around

Daily Kos: Turned Around:

Turned Around

byShakespeares SisterFollow

 
 
• 5 Comments / 5 New

After four years, district and school administration finally made the teaching staff aware that our school is on year four of a five-year state turnaround plan.

Yes, as a staff we were aware our students had needs.
Yes, as a staff we knew we needed to improve student achievement.
Did we, before this month, know the full extent of the severity of the situation? No.
Did we know we might be forced into charter status by the state at the end of the 2013-2014 school year? No.

So now what?

Let me start by saying that I missed essentially the whole first semester of this school year because I was on maternity leave. My husband, older daughter and I welcomed a son (wanna guess his name?) into the world in late September. The point? I came back to a general 

Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write | OregonLive.com

Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write | OregonLive.com:

Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write

by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

View full sizeKatherine Brafford, who grew up in Southern Oregon, is having to learn Braille and other blindness-navigation skills as an adult because Oregon Connections Academy and the Scio School District graduated her without equipping her to use basic assistive technology or other skills that are standard in educating students with severe vision impairments.Robert Durrell / Special to The Oregonian 

Katherine Brafford is a young woman of sparkling intellect whose interests span from genetics to Gregorian chant. She also has a rare vision impairment that has worsened to the point that she needs the same services as someone who is blind.

Last year, Oregon Connections Academy, an online charter school with more students than any other Oregon public school, graduated her -- despite failing to teach her to read or write independently.

The way the school and its sponsoring school district treated Brafford, knowing she could not see to read or write, offers a nightmarish example of what advocates for disabled students have long feared: Charter schools can be reluctant or unable to serve special education students as required by law.

When given early, effective help, young people with disabilities can grow up to become contributing members of society. Since 1975, federal law has required all public schools to offer that support. In Oregon, that applies to more than 70,000 students.

But charter schools don't appear to be doing their share. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported last year that charter schools enroll a 

Pilot Testing of Computer-Based Assessments - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Pilot Testing of Computer-Based Assessments - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces
More Than 1,100 California Schools Taking Part
in Pilot Testing of Computer-Based Assessments

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced that more than 1,100 schools across California will be participating in computer-based pilot testing launched today by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The pilot test is a key milestone in the effort to overhaul the state's testing system over the next two years.

"It's gratifying to see so many schools accept the challenge of taking part in this pilot test, which is an important step toward our goal of creating a testing system that measures how ready our students are for the challenges of a changing world," Torlakson said. "The immense interest we are seeing reflects the desire among teachers and administrators for California to move toward assessments focused on improving teaching and learning."

The pilot tests are a computer-based administration in the content areas of English-language arts/literacy and mathematics. Items are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and include selected response, constructed response, and performance tasks. Taking part in the pilot tests will not produce scores for students, schools, or districts, but allows students and educators to experience the basic operation of the Smarter Balanced test administration system.

The pilot test window, which opened today, runs through May. Two samples of schools will participate in the pilot test: a scientifically selected sample and a volunteer sample. Schools in the scientific sample have been selected on the basis of a predetermined set of characteristics (e.g., percent free/reduced-price lunch, percent white/non-white students) designed to match the demographics of each member state in the consortium. Data from schools in the scientific sample will be used to inform item development. More than 1,100 California schools are participating in the scientific sample.

In addition, more than 1,700 California schools have registered to participate in a volunteer component of the pilot test, which will start in April. The volunteer component is open to all schools in Smarter Balanced member states and will ensure that all schools have the opportunity to try out the test administration system.

Torlakson has recommended that California replace its current Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) assessment program with Smarter Balanced assessments beginning in the 2014–15 school year.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is a multistate consortium working collaboratively to develop a student assessment system aligned with a common core of academic content standards for English-language arts/literacy and mathematics. As a Smarter Balanced governing state, California is a decision-making member. Smarter Balanced assessments are designed to measure student progress toward college and career readiness.

Related Content

• Common Core State Standards Resources - Information and resources about the new academic content standards for English language arts and mathematics adopted by the State Board of Education on August 2, 2010.
• Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium - Latest information about new generation of assessments.

# # # #

Schooling in the Ownership Society: From the D.O.E. to Murdoch

Schooling in the Ownership Society: From the D.O.E. to Murdoch:

From the D.O.E. to Murdoch

by Mike Klonsky

Another high-ranking education official has figured out where his bread is buttered. Arne Duncan's press secretary, Justin Hamilton has followed former N.Y. Chancellor Joel Klein over to the evil media empire of Rupert Murdoch.

Hamilton becomes senior vice president for corporate communications. Klein, the former chancellor of New York City public schools, is executive vice president at Murdoch’s News Corp. and director of Amplify.

One of the hallmarks of the Military-Industrial complex was the revolving door between the Defense Dept. and corporate contractors. So maybe we should call this the Corporate-Education Complex.

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others - LA Daily News

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others - LA Daily News:

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others

Posted:   02/20/2013 02:14:47 PM PST

Updated:   02/20/2013 03:03:26 PM PST

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy is seeking to leverage the district's move toward teacher-accountability standards into more freedom on how to spend tens of millions in federal dollars. (File photo by John McCoy/Staff Photographer)

LOS ANGELES -- With California unable to get a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law, LAUSD and nine other districts have launched an effort to create their own data-based accountability systems -- and have more freedom in how to spend tens of millions in federal dollars.No Child requires that students pass English and math tests by 2014-15 -- a standard that many of the state's education leaders believe is unrealistic.
LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy met Wednesday with Education Secretary Arne Duncan to discuss granting waivers to a consortium of 10 districts that together serve more than 1 million students. Long Beach Unified is also part of the consortium, which calls itself the California Office to Reform Education.
"We had a fantastic meeting," Deasy said in a phone interview from Washington, D.C. "Secretary Duncan said he welcomes the opportunity to work with us, which I 

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee donates significantly to L.A. school board races - latimes.com

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee  donates significantly to L.A. school board races - latimes.com:

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee  donates significantly to L.A. school board races

This post has been updated.
Former District of Columbia Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, a controversial figure in education reform, said Wednesday that her organization has made a substantial donation to the contests for seats on the Los Angeles Board of Education.
The support of StudentsFirst is going toward a campaign on behalf of school board President Monica Garcia as well as Kate Anderson and Antonio Sanchez, who are seeking to join the seven-member body.
Rhee disclosed the contribution to The Times after taking part in a panel on education reform at USC. [Updated Feb. 20 at 2:27 p.m.: StudentsFirst said Wednesday the amount was $250,000.]
Rhee's donation follows a $1-million donation to the same candidates made by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg last week. The independent campaign for the three contestants in the March 5 election is being managed by the Coalition for School Reform, which is closely allied with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Our Children Are Counting on Us — Whole Child Education

Our Children Are Counting on Us — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Our Children Are Counting on Us

February 20, 2013 by Marc Cohen

As the education world around us continues to spiral through the misguided insanity of testing as both the academic means and the end, I remain steadfast in my determination to provide whatever I can to ensure that each and every student who walks through the door of my school has equitable access to high-quality instruction and is provided the kinds of learning opportunities that nurture academic risk-taking, critical inquiry, and principled reflection. In short, I expect for my students the same as I expect for my own children. I want them equipped to make a consciously positive impact on the world around them. We need to spend at least as much time developing the self-efficacy, collaboration, and problem-solving skills they will need to make this happen as we do preparing (enabling) them for success on our current professional obsession—the high-stakes standardized assessment.

To do this well, we also have a responsibility to create an environment in which students feel not just physically safe (that is a given, especially in light of the recent spate of school violence), but also emotionally safe. According to the Collaboration for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), "schools that create socially and emotionally sound learning and working environments, and that help students and staff 

Safer Schools for Living, Growing, and Learning

by Sean Slade

Often when people talk about the basics of education, they refer to the three Rs: reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic. However, an even more foundational aspect to educating students is ensuring that schools are safe.
If a school isn't a safe place, then it can't be a school as we know it—a place to learn and grow. If a school isn't a safe place, it becomes reactive to incidents, and teaching and learning become a secondary or forgotten imperative.

And it's not just actual safety that's crucial, but perceived safety. An unsafe school climate increases truancy, reduces classroom engagement, demands inattention, and negatively affects both teaching and learning. The school's climate—safe or unsafe, supportive or unsupportive, welcoming or confrontational—dictates how, where, and if learning occurs.
A positive school climate isn't just a safety or well-being issue, it's also a teaching and learning issue. A schoo

WANTED: Schools Wired for Safety

by John M. Eger

Many years ago, John Gage, then chief science officer for Sun Microsystems, had an idea. The idea was "NetDay," a grassroots campaign to wire U.S. schools.
Gage, like so many others today, was frustrated that our schools were not getting connected to the Internet fast enough and that a whole generation of young people would suffer. The NetDay concept has grown, and the campaign to wire our schools led to the concept of "smart schools," schools fully equipped with a computer on every desktop and broadband access to the Internet.
So much for the history of the smart school. Less clear is how safe even our smartest schools are in light of recurring school violence, a national epidemic, really. The entire nation is now searching for solutions.

Leon Botstein, president of Bard College and author of Jefferson's Children: Education and the Promise of 

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting Agenda March 6 and 7, 2013 - (CA Dept of Ed)

Agenda March 6 and 7, 2013 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education):

Agenda March 6 and 7, 2013

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda.

---

Advisory Commission on Special Education Members

Kristin Wright, Chair
Diane Fazzi, Vice Chair

Feda Almaliti
Maureen Burness
Morena de Grimaldi
Kristi Hagans
Sara Jocham
Betty Karnette
Gina Plate
Nancy Portillo
Naomi Rainey
Mariano Sanz
Barbara Schulman
Jaclyn Vincent 

Student Members

Matthew Stacy
Timothy Higgins

Legislative Members

Carol Liu, Senate
Joan Buchanan, Assembly

State Board of Education

Carl Cohn, Liaison

State Special Schools

Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools & Services Division
California Department of Education

Executive Secretary

Fred Balcom, Director, Special Education Division
California Department of Education

Agenda Times Are Approximate and Are Provided for Convenience Only

All items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting. The order of business may be changed without notice.

Advisory Commission on Special Education

Schedule of Meeting	Location
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time ±	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, California 916-445-4602
Thursday, March 7, 2013 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time ±	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, California 916-445-4602

Please see the detailed agenda for more information about the items to be considered and acted upon. The public is welcome.

Guidelines for Public Input Sessions

The Commission welcomes public involvement. Opportunities for public comment are provided at every Commission meeting.

Reasonable Accommodation for Any Individual With a Disability

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE), may request assistance by contacting the Special Education Division, 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA, 95814; telephone, 916-445-4602; fax, 916-327-3706.

---

Advisory Commission on Special Education
Agenda, Wednesday, March 6, 2013, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California

NOTE: Items not heard or completed on March 6, 2013, may be carried over to March 7, 2013.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Call to Order - Roll Call
Salute to the Flag
Communications and Announcements
Review of Agenda
Commissioner Introductions

11:00 a.m. - Noon

Item 1-Subject:Committees will meet separately to discuss and make recommendations to the Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE), to wit:

Policy Review and Development Standing Committee:

1. Review Committee report of public comments regarding proposed revisions to California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Division 1, Chapter 3.1.
2. Develop recommendations for the ACSE public comment regarding Title 5 proposed regulations.
3. Develop process to forward policy recommendations to the State Board of Education.
4. Discuss May 2013 ACSE agenda related to the Mental Health and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

Legislation Standing Committee:

1. Review of legislative timeline and two year legislative cycle.
2. Review of legislative platform and recommendations of changes and adoption by the ACSE.
3. Legislative purview and protocol of the ACSE to weigh in.
4. Establish protocol with legislation, letters, tracking of bills, and public testimony, etc. at hearings.
5. Assignment of roles and responsibilities.
6. Review of state budget language related to the BIP.

Type of Action: Action, Information

12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 - 1:45 p.m.

Item 2-Subject: Standing committees to convene to discuss outcomes, committee recommendations, and next steps.

Type of Action: Action, Information

1:45 - 2:00 p.m.

Item 3-Subject: Public comment is invited on any matter not included on the printed agenda. The Commission is precluded from discussing matters not included on the meeting agenda; however, questions may be asked for clarification. Issues raised by the public may be referred to a future meeting agenda for Commission discussion. A five minute time limit is allocated for each individual.

Type of Action: Information

2:00 - 2:10 p.m. Break

2:10 - 3:45 p.m.

Item 4-Subject: Information and discussion on proposed 2013 state budget relative to special education programs and funding:

• Carol Bingham, Government Affairs Division, California Department of Education (CDE)
• Chris Essman, Education Programs Consultant, Special Education Division, CDE
• Rachel Ehlers, Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO)
• Vicki L. Barber, Ed.D. Superintendent, El Dorado County Office of Education

Type of Action: Action, Information

3:45 - 4:00 p.m.

Item 5-Subject: Reports from liaisons to appointing bodies including Joan Buchanan, California State Assembly, Carol Liu, California Senate, and Carl Cohn, California State Board of Education (SBE) and SBE liaison to the ACSE.

Type of Action: Action, Information

4:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Item 6-Subject:Information and discussion pertaining to 2012 report on Special Education Expenditures, Revenues and Provision in California developed by the American Institutes for Research as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd presented by Jannelle Kubinec, Director of National, State, and Special Projects for the Comprehensive School Assistance Program at WestEd.

Type of Action: Action, Information

4:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Item 7-Subject: Commissioner reports on activities, liaison work, and representation of the ACSE outside of ACSE meetings.

Type of Action: Action, Information

Adjournment of day's session.

---

Advisory Commission on Special Education
Agenda, Thursday, March 7, 2013, 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California

8:30 - 8:40 a.m.

Call to Order - Roll Call
Salute to the Flag
Communications and Announcements
Review of Agenda (i.e. unfinished business from prior day’s meeting)

8:40 - 9:30 a.m.

Item 8-Subject: Information and discussion on report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) titled Overview of Special Education in California presented by Rachel Ehlers, principal author. The LAO is a nonpartisan office which provides fiscal and policy information and advice to the Legislature.

Type of Action: Action, Information

9:30 - 9:50 a.m.

Item 9-Subject: Information regarding current issues pertaining to students and families in the deaf community presented by Jaclyn Vincent, ACSE Commissioner.

Type of Action: Action, Information

9:50 - 10:20 a.m.

Item 10-Subject: Next steps in selecting the recipient(s) of the Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning (GOAL) Award by Gina Plate, GOAL Chair.

Type of Action: Action, Information

10:20 - 10:50 a.m.

Item 11-Subject: Input is invited from the public and organizational representatives including, but not limited to, the following interested entities: California Association of Resource Specialists Plus, California Teachers Association, California School Employees Association, Parent-Teachers Associations, Special Education Administrators of County Offices, Special Education Local Plan Areas, Family Empowerment Centers, Parent Training and Information Centers*, California Charter Schools Association, and California Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

*Time will be allocated to distance participant Parent Training Institutes to present issues of importance to parents.

Type of Action: Information

10:50 - 11:20 a.m.

Item 12-Subject: Nomination process for 2013-14 Chair and Vice-chair of the Advisory Commission on Special Education presided by Kristin Wright, ACSE Chair.

Type of Action: Action, Information

11:20 - 11:30 p.m.

Item 13-Subject: Update and discussion on National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) and Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium (SBAC) specific to students with disabilities presented by Kristen Brown, Education Programs Consultant, Policy and Program Services Unit, Special Education Division, CDE.

Type of Action: Action, Information

11:30 a.m. - Noon

Item 14-Subject: Report on matters pertaining to State Special Schools by Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools & Services Division, CDE.

Type of Action: Action, Information

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.

Item 15-Subject: Special Education Division report by Fred Balcom, Director, Special Education Division, CDE.

Type of Action: Action, Information

12:30 - 12:45 p.m.

Item 16-Subject: Brief orientation overview for new ACSE members including the following information:

• ACSE By-laws
• Travel and reimbursement information
• Authorizing ACSE federal and state statute
• The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act  (PDF)
• The SpecialEDge  
• Robert’s Rules of Order 
• ACSE Web page
• Member Directory

Type of Action: Action, Information

12:45 - 1:00 p.m.

Item 17-Subject: May 2013 Agenda Building. ACSE Members are invited to participate in agenda for May meeting.

Type of Action: Action, Information

Adjournment of day's session.
Adjournment of meeting.

Pa. took $8.7 million from Philadelphia School District, gave it to charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Pa. took $8.7 million from Philadelphia School District, gave it to charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Pa. took $8.7 million from Philadelphia School District, gave it to charters

by thenotebook

by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner
Follow @twitterapi

The Philadelphia School District’s losing fight to limit enrollments at individual charter schools has a new price tag: $8.7 million and counting.
Over the past 18 months, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has withheld that amount from the District, redirecting the money to six area charter schools that enrolled more students than the District called for in their contracts.
The state’s policy is to send the money to the charters first, then allow traditional school districts to ask questions later.
This makes Philadelphia school officials furious.

Image: 

Image Caption: 

Walter D. Palmer Leadership and Learning Charter School has successfully challenged the School District on the imposition of enrollment caps.

Photo Credits: 

Harvey Finkle

read more

solidaridad: West Koreatown Precinct Walking — Robert D. Skeels for School Board

solidaridad: West Koreatown Precinct Walking — Robert D. Skeels for School Board:

West Koreatown Precinct Walking — Robert D. Skeels for School Board

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

West Koreatown Precinct Walking-Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board by Robert D. Skeels

Violence and charter schools: an update + Now what’s Rahm up to? Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Violence and charter schools: an update:

Violence and charter schools: an update

by admin

Last July I wrote a long post drawing a connection between the rising youth violence in Chicago and charter schools.

President Obama speaks with students at Hyde Park Career Academy

Things have gotten a lot worse since then — so much so that President Obama finally had to come back home to address it.
I tried to be clear then that there are many causes of violence, but I was responding specifically to an editorial by New Schools for Chicago’s Phyllis Lockett, who suggested that charter schools were actually an answer to

Now what’s Rahm up to?

by admin

These two sentences from President Obama’s speech at Hyde Park Career Academy have me scratching my head:
“(I)f you’re willing to play a role in a child’s education, then we’ll help you reform your schools. We want to seed more and more partnerships of the kind that Rahm is trying to set up.”
What was he talking about? Any ideas?

Ensuring Safe Schools for LGBT Youth | ED.gov Blog

Ensuring Safe Schools for LGBT Youth | ED.gov Blog:

Ensuring Safe Schools for LGBT Youth

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Michael Yudin

From Left to Right: Vinnie Pompei (Project Director & Conference Chair) Michael Yudin (Keynote Speaker) Actor George Takei (Honoree) Betty DeGeneres (Ellen's Mother) (Honoree) MSNBC Anchor Thomas Roberts (Honoree) City Councilmember, Fort Worth, Texas, Joel Burns (Honoree)

This past weekend in San Diego, I had the opportunity to participate in the 4^th Annual National Educator Conference focused on creating safe, supportive, and inclusive schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Youth. The goals of the conference, presented by the Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership (CESCaL), was to bring together education leaders and LGBT experts to empower and provide educators and school personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to create safe, welcoming and inclusive school environments for all youths, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Additionally, the conference focused on providing educators with the tools and resources to prevent and respond to bullying of LGBT youth, as well as empowering them to make the changes in their schools to make sure all kids are safe and thriving. I met with so many amazing educators; it truly was empowering.

Safe schools are not only free from overt forms of physical violence or substance abuse, but work proactively to support, engage, and include all students. Unfortunately, too many schools are not safe for LGBT youth. According to GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey, nearly 8 out of 10 LGBT youth were harassed at school. We know that students who are bullied are more likely to have depression, anxiety, and other health concerns, as well as decreased academic achievement and participation. When students don’t feel safe, they are less likely to learn and more likely to give up on school altogether. Unfortunately, we also know that LGBT youth are disproportionately subject to discipline practices that exclude them from the classroom, and make up close to 15% of youth in the juvenile justice system.

Given these statistics, it’s not surprising that LGBT youth are at an increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, suicide attempts, and suicide. We need to ensure that educators have the tools and resources to not only protect LGBT students from harassment and discrimination, but to ensure that they thrive in schools, not drop out!

One of the students who attended the event came with his high school teacher from Washington State. He had reached out to the conference organizers after bullying in school left him feeling defeated and isolated. They attended with the hope that it would transform the student’s life in a positive way and enable his teacher to help and learn more to help other LGBT students. In a follow-up to the conference organizer, the student thanked Vinnie Pompei, the Project Director & Conference Chair, for the “awesome” opportunity to attend, and acknowledged that this is a great beginning to share information learned from the conference with students, teachers and others at his school.

Another student who participated in the conference said, “I get bullied every day. This started in 1^st grade and I’m in 8^th grade now. Suicide was an option…many times. [But] I’m not going anywhere…because I’m stronger than that.”

We need to work together and empower both students and teachers and make sure they have the tools to create changes in schools. I spoke with many educators who perceive stopping anti-gay bullying as risky and fear retribution. Teachers also need support in speaking out,

As I addressed the conference, I asked the individual educators to do four things to help improve the school experience of our LGBT youth.

• Create positive school climates for all students – this happens only through a deliberate, school-wide effort, and with the participation of families and communities.
• Be proactive and visible to LGBT youth – they cannot know they are supported, valued, and appreciated, if the adults in the building aren’t there to tell them so.
  • Identify “safe spaces,” such as counselors’ offices, designated classrooms, or student organizations, where LGBT youth can receive support from administrators, teachers, or other school staff.
  • Encourage student-led and student-organized school clubs that promote a safe, welcoming, and accepting school environment (e.g., gay-straight alliances, which are school clubs open to youth of all sexual orientations).
• Understand student mental health issues. Everyone can play a role here; not only school counselors or nurses, but teachers and administrators that can identify warning signs, like sudden changes in behavior.
• And importantly – they are not alone. While educators play a critical role in providing support to LGBT youth, they can build partnerships with local health and mental health agencies, community based organizations, and child welfare. And, there are federal resources to provide guidance and information on how to make schools safe, supportive, and inclusive. For example, check out www.stopbullying.gov.

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the courageous teachers who are working every day to make this happen. Thankfully, educators have the power to create change in their schools, supporting students and saving lives.

Michael Yudin is acting assistant secretary for ED’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services