Burlington, Vermont’s school district has a new task force focused on improving the academic and social experiences for LGBTQ+ students and faculty, according to a Dec. 7 NBC-TV 5 report.
“Equity is a core value of education, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community is a critically important piece of that work,” says Superintendent Tom Flanagan in a press release announcing the initiative.
According to the report:
The task force will be made up of community members, who will look at what measures the schools are already taking and they will evaluate what is working and what isn’t.
The goal of the task force is to create a set of recommendations that includes changes and improvements the district can make. Recommendations should be presented to the superintendent by April 30, 2022.
“What kind of courses are being offered that address these issues? What kind of books are being read in classes what kind of discussions and dialogue are students already having?” Autumn Bangoura, Burlington School District’s Equity Instructional Coach, said. “We really want to focus on everyone being empowered for who they are, being themselves, and the school doing the best practices to make sure those students feel loved and supported and a sense of belonging.”
The Prism Center at the University of Vermont serves the school’s queer and trans communities. Director Kate Jerman said it’s not uncommon for students to come to their center and that space is their first time having their identity validated in an academic environment.
“When you hear that you know our work is not done. Efforts like these are amazing and there is so much more we can do,” Kate Jerman, director of the Prism Center, said. “I just encourage them to get started and to go at this with all the enthusiasm and care that they can.”
Read the complete WNBC-5 report here.
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