Two Long Beach Poly High School teachers, Danielle Sawyer and Julie McMann, represented Poly at a conference to learn how to make the school safer for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students on March 10. The five hour meeting held at the TRC (a teacher training center) included information as well as training on how to handle real-life situations in their classrooms.
According to transgenderlawcenter.org, “California’s safe school laws prohibit discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and expression.” This conference worked toward educating teachers on laws like this one, and making sure that everyone is safe in California public schools.
“I would hope that, regardless of a teacher’s beliefs, they would never allow mental or emotional harm to a student” said Ms. Sawyer, Poly’s health and AVID teacher.
The conference also covered the higher prevalence of bullying of LGBT students and how to properly address this and the issues that may come with it. Teachers had to work together to come up with solutions to classroom problems that may arise based on a student’s sexuality. They also recieved training on how to help students going through a process like gender transitioning.
“We want our students to feel safer at school, and this is an important step in creating a more accepting and compassionate environment at Poly,” said Ms. McMann.
The two men that ran the meeting were Joel Gemino and Dan Ditre, both from the LGBTQ Center in Long Beach. The LGBTQ Center not only helps to provide services like this one to the community, but also provides resources like career counseling, HIV testing, and a legal clinic. “The Center and GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) are so incredibly proud of the partnerships we have created with LBUSD and we know that LBUSD educators are an example of progressive education for other schools across the nation,” said Gemino.
“I think it’s important because it can be harmful when teachers assume that everyone is straight.” said senior Annie Howitt. She felt that being sensitive, even to the pronouns used when addressing an LGBT student, can really make a difference. “It can really validate their identity by using the right pronouns.”
This training was only the first of many: another follow up training day will be available in April and it will focus more on the inclusion of LGBT history and other issues in the curriculum.
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