Hello everyone - Ron Schlittler here, West Field Manager for PFLAG. Beth
has offered to distribute this message to the list of the Safe Schools
Coalition. It was one I sent out in a slightly different version to folks on
my lists. It was primarily intended for chapter leaders or members who are
working on (or plan to work on) safe schools issues and projects, but Beth
thought others might want to contact their local PFLAG chapters to help
out with this project, or undertake it in their own communities even if there
is no PFLAG near by. Of course, I said, Yes!!
A while back we sent out a lavender folder with materials about this year's
Our House to the School House campaign. Rather than overwhelm with too
many ideas as we did last year (and all of that material is available if you
wish!), we narrowed down the packet to two key components: a school
Assessment and an overview of ways to hold a Town Meeting. Our hope is to
get as many assessments back as possible with answers to the first seven
questions so we can produce a national report on the status of GLBT
student safety and inclusion in our schools. We'd also like to keep track of how
many chapters are thinking about doing some form of a Town Meeting.
Several approaches are outlined in the material to suit different community
situations. These materials are all available on PFLAG's newly redesigned
website at: PFLAG Web Site

We've begun getting assessments back in and we are delighted with the
creative ways chapters are finding to get them completed. Some are having
local GLBT youth groups take them on as a project and the young people are
filling them out for their own schools, some are working with other
community partners to fill them out, and other chapters are having members
just sit down and fill them out because they already know the answers.
What follows are the first seven questions. If you can already take a few
minutes and answer them, please do, and pop them back to me via e-mail. If
you aren't sure of the answers, please consider how you can go about
getting them. The more of them we get, the more umph our final report will have!
But more importantly, the answers will help you evaluate where to focus your
work. And if you are considering holding - or have already held - a Town
Meeting, please let me know that too! I'd be more than happy to talk with anyone
who has questions or ideas they want to discuss.

School Assessment
Use separate copies of this checklist to help you determine and prioritize
the needs of each school in your district that you choose to focus on. For
some of these items, you may want to expand your responses beyond simply
"yes" or "no" and compile relevant supporting data.
Name of School
City & State
Chapter Name
Date Assessment Completed
1. Do your school's student and staff non-discrimination and
anti-harassment policies and student bill of rights explicitly
include sexual orientation?
Student yes no
Staff yes no

2. Do your school's student and staff non-discrimination and
anti-harassment policies and student bill of rights explicitly
include gender identity or gender expression?
Student yes no
Staff yes no

3. Does your school provide annual or periodic in-service training for
teachers, counselors and school personnel about sexual orientation
and gender identity? yes
no

If your school does provide this training for school personnel, is it
optional or mandatory?
Optional
Mandatory

4. Does your school have a support group for gay and straight
students (Gay/Straight Alliances)?
yes
no

5. Is there GLBT information in the school library?
yes
no

6. Are GLBT issues addressed throughout the curriculum?
yes
no

7. Are there resources available from the school for parents
and family members of GLBT people?
yes
no

That's it!
I'd be happy to send you the additional 13 questions if you wish either
via e-mail or regular mail. If you need additional sets of the packet
materials, please let me know - and if you need copies of the materials
from last year's campaign, most of that is available on our newly designed
website.
Many thanks to all!
Ron Schlittler
West Field Manager
Field, Program and Policy Department
1726 M Street, NW Suite 400
Washington DC 20036
rschlittler@pflag.org
voice: 202/467-8180 ext. 226
fax: 202/67-8194
www.pflag.org
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PRIMER WEBSITES
Scouting For All
GLSEN --- Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Safe Schools Coalition of Washington
The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project Home Page
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Empire State (NY) Pride Agenda
GLAAD Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
LIGALY Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth
Unity Through Diversity
"The Real or Perceived Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgendered Student
Protection Project"
("Being safe at school should not be a radical concept".. Jamie Nabozny)

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