Going in the right direction. Congratulations, Michigan!

• 

  STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

  JOHN C. AUSTIN – PRESIDENT

  •

  CASANDRA E. ULBRICH – VICE PRESIDENT

  MICHELLE FECTEAU – SECRETARY

  •

  PAMELA PUGH – TREASURER

  LUPE RAMOS-MONTIGNY – NASBE DELEGATE

  •

  KATHLEEN N. STRAUS

  EILEEN LAPPIN WEISER

  •

  RICHARD ZEILE

  608 WEST ALLEGAN STREET

  •

  P.O. BOX 30008

  •

  LANSING, MICHIGAN 48909

  www.michigan.gov/mde

  •

  517-373-3324

  News Release

  Contact: John C. Austin, President, State Board of Education

  Phone: 734-474-3110

  STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES NEW

  S

  CHOOL GUIDANCE PROTECTING LGBT STUDENTS

  September 14, 2016

  LANSING – The State Board of Education today approved new voluntary guidance to assist

  schools in creating school environments where LGBT students can live, learn and thrive.

  The 6-2 vote in favor of the revised guidelines follows a thorough public comment period in

  which nearly 13,000 comments were received and analyzed by the Michigan Department of

  Education, and two public meetings were held by the State Board to gather feedback.

  “Today’s vote sends a clear message about the kind of state Michigan is going to be,” said

  State Board of Education President John Austin. “The board members supporting this

  guidance showed that we’re serious about improving learning and life outcomes for all our

  school children, including LGBT children. We’re providing a roadmap for schools across

  Michigan to ensure that all our kids are safe in school and put in a position to succeed.”

  The State Board created draft guidelines in response to requests from educators across the

  state. A work group of educators, health and mental health professionals, social workers,

  parents and education stakeholders worked together to develop the school guidance. The

  draft guidelines were presented by the State Board for public comment in March and

  subsequently revised to reflect public feedback.

  The new guidelines provide schools many common-sense policies and practices that respect

  the rights, safety and privacy concerns of all students, including gay and transgender

  students. The revised guidelines also strengthen parental involvement in decision-making

  about their children while providing for schools to protect the health and safety of at-risk

  children.
• The guidance shares best practices already in place at many schools across Michigan as they

  work to address concerns of academic achievement and safety for the nearly nine percent of

  Michigan students who identify as LGBT. Twelve percent of these students did not go to

  school in the past year, because they felt unsafe – twice the rate of straight students. Forty-six

  percent had grades that consisted mostly of C’s, D’s and F’s, again nearly double the number

  of heterosexual students with similarly poor academic performance. And most disturbingly,

  29 percent of LGB students have attempted suicide in the last year, 4.5 times the rate for non-

  LGB students.

  Organizations including the Michigan PTA, Michigan Associations of School Social

  Workers, Counselors, Psychologists, Academy of Pediatricians; teachers’ unions, local

  school boards and chambers of commerce weighed in to support the guidance and the

  importance of Michigan sending a message of support, inclusion and tolerance for LGBT

  children.