I was caught off guard by this comment from School Board Trustee Trish Spencer, as reported by The Island Blog:
“This idea that all these children should be reflected in the classroom – I kind of agree with that,” Spencer said. “I have a problem going specific with just one of the five protected subgroups. I think there’s a lot more work to be done.”
It’s not that I disagree that Alameda’s schools should be encouraging the teaching of tolerance respect and diversity for “the five protected subgroups.” But I’m pretty sure the schools already cover this pretty thoroughly.
The State requires that schools provide a safe learning environment and highlights certain attributes that need particular attention:
- Sex
- Ethnic group identification
- Race
- National Origin
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- Religion
- Color
- Mental or physical disability.
Having two kids going through elementary school, I’m familiar with the celebrations of Black History month, the exploration of different religious and cultural traditions, interwoven discussions of race and color throughout the entire curriculum. These are not limited to 45-minutes of teaching a day, they are a part of the everyday scholastic experience.
So I propose taking the anti-curriculum speakers at the last two Board of Ed at their word (I’ll assume they really mean what they say), and taking my cue from Spencer’s and these speakers ideas of equity, that we get rid of the Safe Schools curriculum and instead have Gay Pride assemblies, make sure that the kids write reports about famous gay people, etc. Perhaps have after school events like the multicultural dinner, but with a big gay twist!
Because really 45-minutes of instruction a year, talking about tolerance and respect for gays, lesbians and transgender youth and families is hardly fair. When people (and I’m not including Ms. Spencer here) talk of forcing this issue on the children, perhaps they should step back and get some perspective before making seriously disingenuous arguments about wanting to include everyone equally in this curriculum, because as it stands the proposal doesn’t even come close to cover the LGBT issues in a way that our schools address the others.
I had exactly the same thought when I read Ms. Spencer’s comment. In California, sexual orientation and gender identity are protected classes under the Fair Housing and Employment Act, just as race and religion are. It’s time to make people aware of that fact.
The California Penal Code (sec. 422.6 ff) also applies to this discussion. Bullying and harassment fall under the following codes as well as under the Education Codes cited above.
California Codes
California Penal Code
PENAL CODE SECTION 422.6-422.95
422.6. (a) No person, whether or not acting under color of law,
shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate,
interfere with, oppress, or threaten any other person in the free
exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him or her
by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or
laws of the United States
because of the other person’s race, color,
religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual
orientation, or because he or she perceives that the other person has
one or more of those characteristics.
(b) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall
knowingly deface, damage, or destroy the real or personal property of
any other person for the purpose of intimidating or interfering with
the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to
the other person by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the
Constitution or laws of the United States, because of the other
person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin,
disability, gender, or sexual orientation, or because he or she
perceives that the other person has one or more of those
characteristics.
The BOE voted 3-2 to adopt the supplemental curriculum at just after 9:30 PM tonight. (Mooney, Tam, and Jensen voted for it; Spencer and McMahon opposed it.)
If we can talk to each other honestly and openly about safer schools and reduce the harassment and bullying of all at-risk kids, then there is hope for our community.
(One opposition spokesperson did just that, spending some 20 minutes with LGBT group members in front of City Hall after the vote.)
Karen England and her group from the Capitol Resource Institute, however, walked right on by, ignoring the conciliatory dialogue.
The new curriculum is just a start, and only a small one at that, but it IS a start…