| Subject: IMPORTANT: September Safe Schools Coalition minutes and HELP NEEDED requests |
| From: "Ethan Blustein" |
| Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:06:49 -0700 |
| To: |
Meeting
Minutes
Agenda
Safe
Schools Coalition Meeting
In
attendance: Marsha Botzer, SSC and The Task Force; Frieda
Takamura, SSC and the Washington Education Association; Penny Palmer,
Intervention Specialist; Helen Stillman, SSC and American Friends Service
Committee;
(1)
New SSC in
a)
Welcome to the Coalition. They are working with the Teachers Union
to do trainings for the local school districts. Frieda will contact the NEA for
a
(2)
LISTSERVE REPORT – Marsha
a)
Welcome to recent subscribers from around US [AZ, CA, FL, ID, MO,
NY, & WA (
b)
We now serve subscribers in at least 11 countries:
c)
In the first 8 months of 2007 (Jan–Aug) we sent 72 messages
to the “IMPORTANT NEWS” list and 185 others or a total of 257 to
the regular NEWS list. That’s an average of 2 per week to IMPORTANT NEWS
and about one message per day to the NEWS list, down from 2 per day last year
(soon to increase again, so keep your delete buttons handy).
d)
Who does what now? We’d encourage you to save several days
by sending your list requests directly to the person responsible for sending
them, whenever possible:
·
Gabi will
continue to send political action items
and to fill in when Beth is away.
·
Chris will do research and professional journal digests
occasionally.
·
Ethan will send event and job digests.
·
Dream will send news digests.
·
Beth
will continue to do monthly minutes,
lesson planning guides, other resource
messages & miscellany.
(3)
NEW DOCUMENTARY Its Still Elementary
a)
It's STILL Elementary follows up with some of the students and teachers from the
groundbreaking film It's
Elementary -- Talking About Gay Issues In School. It looks at
what happened when the film was screened across the country, the response it
provoked from the conservative right, and is a call to action for parents and
educators to continue working for safe, inclusive schools.
b)
The film will be shown at the San Francisco Jewish Community
Center on Oct. 25th.
c)
Frieda mentioned the ban of the film That’s a Family!: WEM
dismayed
Read more at http://www.womedia.org/latestnews.htm#Evesham_update2
(4)
WEB SITE REPORT – Gabi
a)
If anyone wants a copy of the web activity for August e-mail Gabi
at gabi@safeschoolscoalition.org
b)
Gabi bought new software that will allow Music and Video to be
added to the SSC website.
(5)
SPEAKERS BUREAU, TRAINING & OUTREACH TEAMS’ REPORT
– Helen
a)
Helen is still becoming acclimated. If people need trainings or
panels she can be reached Helen@safeschoolscoalition.org
(6)
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REPORT – Frieda
a)
The bullying/harassment/intimidation “because someone
thought you were gay, lesbian or bisexual” question will be on the 2008
b)
Beth chatted for some time with Melody Brazo, LGBT
Family Liaison, Welcoming Schools Cambridge, Cambridge Public Schools, one of
just a half dozen or so employees of public school districts nationally whose
jobs explicitly include services to LGBTQ students/families/staff. She would
love it if SSC pulled together the people in positions like hers (and Lisa
Love’s in Seattle Public Schools) so they could be one another’s
resources.
c)
A group in
Los Angeles is working to form a parents’ group and we put them in touch
with a half dozen founding or very active members of the now defunct GLPTSA (the only ever charter chapter of
the PTA specifically for GLBT and allied parents and parents with GLBT
children) so they could pick their brains about lessons learned.
d)
We’ve been asked to review the summary of King County LGBTQI
community resources for next year's Where to Turn directory (King County Crisis
Clinic publishes it) by 9/21. Anyone available to take a look, please email
Beth ( mailto:Beth@safeschoolscoalition.org )
(7)
INTERVENTION TEAM REPORT –
a)
Gabi reported that the e-mail activity to Intervention Specialists
picked up for last month.
(8)
WE ARE INVITED … Q Center Welcome Luncheon –
Marsha for Beth
We have
been told we can send one or two people to this free luncheon featuring 1964 Rose
Bowl captain, All-American, Husky Legend, the first professional team athlete
to come out, and Q Center donor, David Kopay. Location: HUB 310,
a)
It was
agreed that priority will go to the above listed volunteers.
b)
Ethan will
be attending the event by invitation of the Q Center and Robert will be
attending through
(9)
LAUGH OUT LOUD, Sept 25!! – Dream
and Ethan
a)
We’ll be making awards and thank you’s to Paul Allen and Kristina Armenakis … so tell anyone you know who might like to help honor them to COME
b)
A decision was made to wait until after the event to decide whether
or not to do another LOL.
c)
Need to Thank Tracy for all her help!!
(10)
FINANCE REPORT -- Frieda
a)
Kwanchai Fundraising for SSC Office supplies! THANK YOU!!
b)
Bill Dubay is also donating to the office.
c)
3 student volunteers from
(11)
The minutes from last month’s meeting were approved.
(12)
a)
Saturday Oct. 27th at
(13) GLSEN’s Booklet on How to work with GSA’s is coming
out in about 6 months.
a)
The website Transgenderyouth.org
is done! Go check it out for resources etc.
b)
Everyone agreed that the SSC needs to put more focus on Trans
issues and pull together a comprehensive list of resources.
c)
GLSEN is working on their next school climate survey.
(14) Safe Schools Coalition is not one of the winners for the Raffle
with a Twist. L But congratulations to Lambert House and the other great
organizations that did win donations. And thank you to all of you who voted for
the Coalition.
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.
Oct 16th,
Frieda: 253-765-7062; ftakamura@washingtonea.org
COME SEE an exciting new
video made by UW students about bullying/harassment, which features stories
from the Safe Schools Coalition and the video Let’s
Get Real
Nov 20th,
Beth: 206-296-4970; elizabeth.reis@metrokc.gov
Dec 18th,
Marsha:
206-601-8942; mbotzer@botzerconsulting.com
----------------------
* HELP
NEEDED: Intervention
volunteers should be Washington
residents [Intervention is the one
service of the Coalition that is limited geographically – all other
services are available anywhere] with a
background in education or social services (retired or currently working); people of color,
transgender individuals and gender queer individuals are
encouraged to apply.
The Intervention Team responds to
crisis requests from students, family members and educators experiencing
anti-LGBT harassment or violence at school. An Intervention Specialist will
listen and problem solve and then might, for instance, meet with someone's
principal or superintendent with the caller or for them. They might help them
come out to their family so they can talk with them about the bullying. They
might sit with a student while they made a police report if they were afraid to
do that alone. They might refer them to local resources for ongoing monitoring
of the harassment situation and support.
It's a chance to make the world a
better place one person at a time, to help one child finish school who might
otherwise have dropped out. To help people feel powerful enough to avoid
escalating the violence or attempting suicide. It's a way to make a real
difference. To
volunteer contact Heidi: mailto:hrettkebischoff@hotmail.com or (206) 849-5513.
Ethan Blustein
JustServe Americorps Volunteer
Safe Schools Coalition
206-330-2099