Advocate, Part 1: Assess Your School

A key role of an ally is to use the power and influence they have as an educator to advocate for the rights of LGBT students and ensure safe schools for all.  In this section, we discuss three measures that you can advocate for in your school:

• Assessment of your school's climate, policies and practices.
• Implementation of comprehensive anti-bullying/harassment policies.
• Promotion of non-discriminatory policies and practices.

This section will also provide some tips for how to talk to your principal, district administration or school board to advocate for these measures.

ASSESS YOUR SCHOOL

The first step in advocating for changes in your school is assessing the current state of your school.  This will help you focus your efforts and identify areas for improvement.  You can examine your school in-depth by learning about people's experiences in your school and examining your school's existing policies, practices and resources.

ASSESS YOUR SCHOOL'S CLIMATE

One of the first steps to changing your school is learning about the experiences of members of your school community.  You can do this by surveying members of your school community - students, staff and parents.  Your survey should include questions that ask about the frequency of biased language, harassment and assault, as well as the level of intervention by educators.  GLSEN has a tool, the Local School Climate Survey (LSCS), which was designed to help educators and community members conduct a survey to assess the climate of their school or community.  Conducting the LSCS can give you detailed data to use when advocating for changes.  There are two versions of the LSCS, one to be conducted in a single school and one to be conducted with several schools or a community.  The LSCS provides you with a sample participant letter, tips for conducting a LSCS and survey form.  All materials can be downloaded at http://www.glsen.org/lscs.


ASSESS YOUR SCHOOL'S POLICIES AND PRACTICES

Understanding to what degree your school is inclusive of LGBT students, families and issues is key to creating a plan of action to ensure that your school is safe and welcoming for all students.