In July 2012, the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) took effect in all New York public schools. The purpose of this law is to afford all students a school environment free of discrimination or harassment. This includes specific protections for students who are targeted in relation to their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, weight, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression or sex. One of the major requirements of this law is to develop a professional development plan “to raise awareness and sensitivity of school employees to these issues [of discrimination and harassment] and to enable them to respond appropriately.”
We will be offering two professional development programs during the 2012-2013 academic year. The first is professional development addressing school personnel’s overall responsibilities under DASA with additional, specific attention to the needs of LGBT students and the children of LGBT parents. It will provide (1) information on the scope and intent of DASA and steps necessary for reaching DASA compliance; (2) research-based content on how and why LGBT students are persistently targeted in school environments; and (3) recommendations for a proactive approach to DASA implementation composed of professional practices that are effective in enhancing inclusion and equity in educational settings. This professional development session will be free of charge in the Syracuse area during the 2012-2013 academic year, and it can be tailored to meet the needs of elementary or secondary schools. Abbreviated one hour training sessions will be available, but the standard training session will be two hours and include time for discussion. A limited number of trainings are being offered during the semester (due to the limited time of graduate student and faculty trainers), so it is advisable to sign up for these sessions as soon as possible.
The second professional development program is a session on bullying and LGBT students. This 90-minute session will inform participants about the complicated social dynamics of bullying, including information on how and why youth target one another and why LGBT youth (or those who are perceived to be) are particularly vulnerable within this system of targeting. This program will provide information about the connection between school culture and peer-to-peer aggression and outline strategies for shifting school culture.
For more information about these opportunities or to schedule a session for your school, please contact Dr. Payne or Melissa Smith at rsis@syr.edu. For more information about the research based professional development offered through QuERI, and other available workshop descriptions, please see our website www.queeringeducation.org and select the “Reduction of Stigma in Schools” link.
