Subject: IMPORTANT: March meeting minutes and letter
From: "Reis, Beth"
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:38:03 -0700
To: "SAFE SCHOOLS: post to main list" , "SAFE SCHOOLS: post to \"IMPORTANT NEWS\" list"

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:  

 

HELP NEEDED is in RED 
NOTE: The Coalition rarely sends attachments. This letter is an exception.

 

Meeting Minutes

3/18/08, 3-5 p.m. PST

Safe Schools Coalition Meeting

Chairing: Marsha Botzer; Recording: Ethan Blustein

 

In attendance: Arnold Martin, Settle Counseling Service; Beth Reis, Safe Schools Coalition (SSC) and Public Health Seattle & King County; Ethan Blustein, SSC and Solid Ground; Frieda Takamura, Washington Education Association (WEA); Heather Carter, Youth Suicide Prevention Program; Heather Murphy, SSC and Individual; Helen Stillman, SSC and Lambert House; Kyle Rapinan, SSC, American Friends Service Committee and Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN); Marsha Botzer, Ingersoll Gender Center and theTask Force; Gabi Clayton, SSC, Families United Against Hate, PFLAG Olympia; Penny Palmer, SSC

 

(1)     ANNOUNCING A CHANGE IN STAFFING – Beth

Dream Woody, one of our two Justserve Americorps Members this year, has stepped down. Solid Ground will be reassigning her. Thank you, Dream, for all you contributed this year. Especially for the tabling and outreach you have done and for organizing an intervention retreat. The coalition had decided to have an initial training on Undoing Institutionalized Racism, hold quarterly updates to ensure an ongoing conversation. Arnold Martin has agreed to find trainers for the Coalition.

Anyone who has appointments scheduled with Dream, please contact us so we can reschedule with someone else ASAP: mailto:beth@safeschoolscoalition.org

(2)     DONATIONS – Beth

Thank you to Ted and Joyce Liljeholm for your recent donation.

(3)     REPORT FROM OLYMPIA PFLAG – Gabi

PFLAG Olympia's February meeting - The Not-So-Straight Truth About Our Schools. 50 people were there (instead of our average about 15) and included administrators, teachers, students, parents, Evergreen College students and faculty, a Washington State Human Rights Commissioner & other interested folks. We had an excellent discussion that re-energized the board's passion to do more work on safe schools issues here. Thanks to Rosalinda for helping with the discussion, and thanks to Frieda for sending WEA posters so quickly after!  

(4)     REPORT FROM SSC-IDAHO – Shane

Update on School Visits: Shane visited staff members at Boise High School and shared information about the Safe Schools Coalition. Update on Idaho Counseling Association Conference: Nadine, Shane and Ellen staffed a booth at the conference and were able to share several resources. Beth Reis will call SSC-Idaho and invite them to join our next general meeting.

(5)     SPECIAL EVENTS – Beth

a)      March 9th Northwest premiere of “It’s STILL Elementary”

Huge success: 175 people attended. Thanks and photos here: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/ItsStillElementary-SeattleEvent.html

·         Thank you so much to the Planning Committee: Kyle Rapinan, SSC and AFSC; Arnold Martin SCS; Rachel Brister 3 Dollar Cinema; Stefanie Fox; Helen Stillman, SSC; Kathy Kaminski; Jason Plourde, 3 Dollar Bill Cinema; Ryan Schwartz, Groundspark; Ethan Blustein SSC; Beth Reis, King County Public Health; Frieda Takamura, WEA;  

·         If anyone needs larger photos contact Gabi: gabi@safeschoolscoalition.org

·         Every Organization involved in coordinating this event should take credit for it!

·         The Coalition raised about $1000.00.

·         Is anyone interested in coordinating a Volunteer Appreciation event? Contact Helen: Helen@safeschoolscoalition.org

 

b)       April 1: Laugh OUT Loud comedy event to benefit the Safe Schools Coalition at the Comedy Underground. Please come join us. Bring your colleagues, your partner, you whole GSA! More info, flyers and advance tickets here:

http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/LaughOUTLoud-SSC_Benefit.html

·         E-mail Tracy Flynn tracy.flynn@ppww.org for Tickets!!

·         Kathy Kaminski bought 10 tickets and will bring 9 friends. We encourage everyone who can to do the same.

·         The Coalition will receive the full cost of tickets purchased through Tracy and half of the ticket cost at the door.

 

c)       “It’s STILL Elementary” showing at ESD 123 in the Tri-Cities? In Spokane? Still in conversation with some eastern Washingtonians. We are going to share our information with them about how we planned our event.  

 

(6)     INTERVENTION TEAM REPORT Penny, Frieda, Jim, Ethan, Frank, Seth, Kyle  

a)       Exciting news: Penny Palmer has agreed to take over as Intervention Chair!! Thank you, Penny. If anyone has feedback for Penny contact her at holdyrhorses@verizon.net.

b)       Recent interventions … updates on Mt. Si and other districts

·         Frieda Takamura and a colleague went to mediate a conversation with the staff at Mt. Si High School.

·         Frieda has also requested that other GSAs send letters of support to the GSA at Mt. Si:  8651 Meadowbrook Way S.E., Snoqualmie, WA 98065

·         The school has hired Pudget Sound ESD to do some systemic training on cultural competency.

·         The staff at Mt. Si is still divided on this issue.

·         Equality Washington wants to create a meeting for better communication for those working with Mt. Si.

c)       Publicizing intervention services via the web: Ethan

·         Ethan has created a Myspace page for Intervention Services. He is in the process of adding music, the story cards to the page, and photos from It’s STILL Elementary. Kyle Rapinan has been conducting interviews for the new Youth page and will help Ethan to add them to the Myspace page as well.

d)       We need more Intervention Specialists

Washington State residence is required. Your role: providing crisis intervention and problem-solving help to a student, a family, or a school employee who is experiencing anti-LGBTQ harassment or violence at school. You may be in contact just with the person making the request or, occasionally, with their principal or others. The time commitment is one on-call day per week (agreeing to check email and phone messages a few times that day) and, on average, responding to one actual intervention request per month. That one actual intervention might require as little as half-hour or, perhaps once or twice a year, 8-10 hours of your time. You need to bring experience in schools or youth-serving health, mental health or social services. Interested? Contact us: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=10

 

(7)     MEMBERSHIP REPORT -- Beth

a)      The Safe Schools Coalition is in need of a membership chair. It could be your organization's in-kind alternative to dues! Or your personal way of ensuring that others have what you didn’t when you were in school! You do NOT need to be located in Washington State to do this job. It will be a time commitment 20-30 hours getting up to speed at first and then just a couple of hours a month maximum, logging emailed and mailed organizational memberships, forwarding checks to our accountant at Lifelong, and reporting in at monthly SSC meetings ... and then 20-30 hours or so in January or February each year organizing an effort to get organizations to renew. PLEASE think about stepping up. Let Beth know:  http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=4

b)       New org member applications: none this month

c)       Renewals: Diversity Productions, University of Washington Q Center, YouthAware Educational Theatre. THANK YOU!!

d)       Join or renew for 2008 now!!! It’s easy and painless!!! Go to:

http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/members_join-renew.html

·         For “In Kind” membership to the Coalition fill out the renewal form and state In Kind Donation and what your organization has done or will do in the future. 

 

(8)     LISTSERVE REPORT – Beth

a)      Welcome to recent subscribers around US [CA, ID, IL, MI, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OR, TX & WA (Bellingham, Everett, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mount Vernon, Seattle, Shoreline, Tacoma, Woodinville)] and in Ontario, Canada.

b)       In January and February we sent an average of 8 messages per week (including an average of 1 per week to both the IMPORTANT NEWS and regular NEWS lists) about events, jobs, current news, research, resources, action, and lesson planning.

c)       At last count, we had 847 subscribers in at least (not everyone tells us where they are from) 11 countries: Australia, Belize, Canada, China, Finland, Pakistan, Serbia and Montenegro, South Africa, United Kingdom, the U.S. and New Zealand.  In Canada, the 5 Provinces we serve include at least Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. In the U.S., we serve people in at least 43 states (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY) plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Within Washington State, we serve at least 26 counties: Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Ferry, Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman and Yakima.

d)       Frieda has begun receiving 3 inquiries/ day, apparently sparked by the Listserv.  

 

(9)     SPEAKERS BUREAU/TRAINING TEAM/OUTREACH REPORT – Helen, Ethan, Beth

a)       Recent speaking, training and outreach events

·         Kristina Armenakis and Nathan Shara did 3 trainings in Gig Harbor. The school has requested follow up trainings.

·         Casey Family Panel. Since the training the program has added Transgender inclusive paperwork.

·         Lisa Love did training at Meeny Middle School.

b)       Upcoming events that other speakers & trainers could observe

·         MLK Vista and Reading Corps.

·         Ethan will be training 9th and 10th at Bush School on March 27th. Beth Reis  has/will train Faculty/Staff of Bush in  Feb-April and show It’s Elementary. There will also be a Queer panel of former teachers, alumni, and staff of the Bush school.

c)       Upcoming events still in need of speakers, trainers and outreach volunteers

d)       State PTA Conference? (Bellevue PFLAG is stepping down)

·         Ethan, Kyle, and Heather might be able to table for some of this event. If anyone else is interested contact Helen: Helen@safeschoolscoalition.org

·         For more info: http://www.wastatepta.org/meetings/meetings.htm 

 

(10) WEB SITE REPORT

a)       We had a total of more than 200,000 hits in February from more than 26,000 individuals (up considerably over January) in 113 countries including, for example, Ethiopia, Cyprus, Georgia, Micronesia, the Bahamas, Bolivia and Costa Rica.

b)       Youth pages update – Kyle is finishing up interviews of youth and community members to be added to the Youth page. Ethan and Kyle are conducting surveys about the design of the site. Please see below.

c)       YOUR OPINION WANTED: Youth, please take a short survey about the youth pages on the Safe Schools Coalition's web site!! If you are a youth (under age 22), especially if you are an elementary, middle or high school student, please help us serve you better!! Go to this page http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/blackboard-youth.html and click on the survey at the bottom of your screen! If you work with or love someone this age, no matter what their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, please ask them to help us out, too. 

 

(11)  WASHINGTONIAN LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

Work can now begin on the 2009 legislative session. Interested in heading up a safe schools work group? It's a short term commitment of just 12 months! It means convening a group to explore other states' strategies and to consider what Washington needs to do next (some teeth or funds to enhance the effectiveness of the anti-bullying bill? some steps related to teacher credentialing? some instruction to OSPI and DOH related to identifying medically accurate, age-appropriate curriculum to address LGBT issues? got other thoughts?) Contact the Coalition to inquire or volunteer: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=4

·         Ethan will coordinate an ad-hoc committee to work on future legislation.

·         A research opportunity for a Grad Student! Connect issues in legislation with diversity issues. For example How do multiple oppressions affect academic achievement? Contact Beth Reis at beth.reis@kingcounty.gov

·         Marsha, Heather, and Kyle would like to be on this committee.

 

(12)  Suicide Prevention Conference (Sept 22, Seattle, WA ... SAVE THE DATE!! 

 

(13)  Safe Schools Coalition will offer to exchange memberships with the GSBA (the Greater Seattle Business Association, the GLBTQ chamber of commerce)  

 

(14)  Letter to the HRC regarding the status of their membership.

 

(15)  Workplace Giving Campaigns

·         Penny has agreed to do help Beth with this.

 

 

UPCOMING MEETINGS … contact the chair if you have agenda items to suggest or if you need instructions about attending (in person) or calling in (by conference call). All are welcome- you do NOT need to be a Coalition member to attend.

 

Apr 15th, 3-5 pm, Pacific Time. Frieda chairs and Beth records
Frieda: 253-765-7062; ftakamura@washingtonea.org

 

May 20th, 3-5 pm, Pacific Time. Beth chairs and Ethan records
Beth: 206-296-4970; elizabeth.reis@metrokc.gov 

 

Jun 17th, 3-5 pm, Pacific Time. Marsha chairs and Beth records

Marsha: 206-601-8942; mbotzer@botzerconsulting.com

 

 

Ethan Blustein

JustServe Americorps Volunteer

Safe Schools Coalition

1605 12th Avenue

Suite 35

Seattle, WA 98122

w 206-330-2099

c 206-369-9588

qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq

DONATE TO THE SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION:

Click here to make a donation online or mail this pdf formatted form

with your check made to "Safe Schools Coalition":
Safe Schools Coalition

c/o Lifelong AIDS Alliance ~ Attn: Dan Phillips
1002 E. Seneca
Seattle, WA 98122-4203

--------------------------------------------

About this Listserve

To SUBSCRIBE to the Safe Schools Coalition's IMPORTANTNEWS List, which averages 2 messages/week including only: urgent messages, action items, SSC meeting minutes

To SUBSCRIBE to the Safe Schools Coalition's
NEWS List, which averages 2 messages/day including THOSE SAME THINGS plus: events (conferences, courses, rallies, TV specials, activism opportunities) , resources (books, DVDs, scholarships, curricula, and more), jobs and volunteer and internship opportunities, news digests

To
UNSUBSCRIBE or 
To
SWITCH LISTS (from NEWS to IMPORTANT NEWS or vice versa) or
To
CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS, if you are already a subscriber,
GO TO
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/listsub.asp

----------------------

About Safe Schools Coalition

The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 80+ organizations (government agencies, schools, community agencies, churches, youth/student groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights groups) and 400+ 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

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: Intervention

For non-emergencies:
Questions
Speakers’ Bureau (student/community workshops, professional training)
Membership
Publications and Listserve
Website
For donations: "Safe Schools Coalition" c/o Lifelong AIDS Alliance, 1002 E Seneca, Seattle, WA 98122-4203 (or call 206-957-1621)

Co-Chairs:
Frieda Takamura, Washington Education Association, 253-765-7062
Elizabeth “
Beth” Reis, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-296-4970
Marsha Botzer, Ingersoll Gender Center and The Task Force, 206-601-8942

Listserv Managers:
Beth Reis, for news and action items, resource messages (books, films, curricula, etc.) and help needed by reporters/authors, researchers, and member orgs

Ethan Blustein, jobs and events messages
Chris Beahler, for professional journal messages
Gabi Clayton, for legislative/elective and fundraising messages

Buy cool Safe Schools T-Shirts & Gear

This message has been distributed as a free, non-profit informational service, to members of the Coalition and others who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. Please do not publish or post in a public place on the Internet, copyrighted material without attribution. Forwarding of this material should not necessarily be construed as an endorsement of the content.

Send Events to be Posted on the Safe Schools Coalition Calendar!