Santorum was Pro College, before he was all Anti-Smart People

Over the weekend, Santorum said this mess

Hmm, interesting. Well, that's strange considering he was for college during his 2006 Senate run. See here:

“In addition to Rick’s support of ensuring that primary and secondary schools in Pennsylvania are equipped for success, he is equally committed to ensuring the every Pennsylvanian has access to higher education,” the site reads. “Rick Santorum has supported legislative solutions that provide loans, grants, and tax incentives to make higher education more accessible and affordable.”

Go here to see the post, but just in case it 'vanishes' I made a cropped copy.

Oh, Rick, try again. You know this is going to come back at you. Dummy.

VIDEO: Church Members Rally against SB48

There was a stupid rally against the LGBT Education Bill. These people foolishly believe that we want to teach GAY SEX to kids. SB48 just want to included LGBT people in history.

In this clip, KTLA 5 covers the silly rally and the 2 LGBT organizations protesting against them. One of the organizations is the Jordan Rustin Coalition (I'm the Co-chair of this one)
 

VIDEO: Some Silly Preacher thinks SB48 is Against Jesus

Jack Hibbs made a video explaining why the LGBT Education Bill is bad for families and the economy. Basically it's bull, but Jack feels he's doing God's work.

In California: State Assembly Passes the LGBT Education Bill

State Sen. Mark Leno sponsored the bill

Good news from the real Sunny state. The California Assembly approved the LGBT Education bill.


Here's the press release from the GSA Network and EQCA

Today, the California State Assembly in a 49-25 vote passed a bill that would require schools to fairly and accurately portray the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement and the historic contributions of the diverse LGBT community in social science instruction. The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act (SB 48), authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), would also add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s existing anti-discrimination protections that prohibit bias in school activities, instruction and instructional materials. 


Studies have shown that inclusion of LGBT people in instructional materials is linked to greater student safety and lower rates of bullying. The bill is co-sponsored by Equality California and Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
“The struggle of the multicultural and multiethnic LGBT community in California is one of the greatest stories yet to be told,” said Equality California Executive Director Roland Palencia. “The FAIR Education Act will ensure that public schools acknowledge the heroism of individuals and communities who in spite of countless barriers continuously overcome adversity.” 

Palencia added, “For decades, LGBT leaders have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for all Californians. LGBT leaders were heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the farm workers’ movement, the women’s movement, and have built health and human services institutions that now serve millions of Californians. It is time for history to accurately depict our community’s contributions.” 
The FAIR Education Act would bring classroom instruction into alignment with existing non-discrimination laws in California and would add the LGBT community to the existing list of underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups, which are covered by current law related to inclusion in textbooks and other instructional materials in schools. By including fair and accurate information about the rich and diverse history of LGBT people in instructional materials, SB 48 will enrich the learning experiences of all students and promote an atmosphere of safety and respect in California schools.

“This is a victory not only for the LGBT youth in California who have been fighting to be heard in Sacramento and represented in their history classes, but also for all California youth who deserve to learn a fair and accurate account of California and US history,” said Carolyn Laub, Executive Director of Gay-Straight Alliance Network. “By passing the FAIR Education Act, the Assembly has taken an unprecedented step to reduce bullying, increase safety for all students, and teach students to respect each other's differences.”

“We are selectively censoring history when we exclude LGBT Americans, or any other group of people, from our textbooks and instructional materials,” said Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). “We can’t tell our youth that it’s OK to be yourself and expect them to treat their peers with dignity and respect when we deliberately deny them accurate information about the historical contributions of Americans who happened to be LGBT.”

The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk. 

This is good news for our community.

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WATCH: State Senator Mark Leno speak on the California Gay Education Bill

In California: A New Bill may Teach students about LGBT Contributions in History

Sen. Mark D. Leno of San Francisco has introduced SB 48, a bill that will require CA schools to teach about LGBT contributions in history. So far, folks are torn about bill going forward.

Here more of the issue:

If implemented, the measure, which would revise social science textbooks, could have effects beyond California. The state is a major purchaser of educational texts, and publishers often produce books tailored to California that other states use as well.

The proposal would require that social science texts and other instruction include "a study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans … to the economic, political and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society."

Sen. Leno stated:

"In light of the ongoing and ever-threatening phenomenon of bullying and the tragic result of suicides, it seems to me that better informed students might be more welcoming in their approach to differences among their classmates," Leno said in an interview. "Students would better understand that we are talking about a civil rights movement."

Some gay high school students said they welcomed Leno's effort, which they said would make them feel less isolated. It would show that non-heterosexuals "have contributed to the U.S. in significant ways," said a 17-year-old at Bell High School.

And you can imagine that the Repubs are just up in arms about this. But, screw them! The test run of the bill passed 6-3 last week.

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Great Hera! A Tea Party supported School Board has stop the Integration policy in Wake County, NC.

In Wake County School District, a Tea Party supported school board has showed their true colors by abolishing their well-known integration policy. This policy brought unfortunate children into solid, well performing schools.

Here's more info:

The situation unfolding here in some ways represents a first foray of tea party conservatives into the business of shaping a public school system, and it has made Wake County the center of a fierce debate over the principle first enshrined in the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education: that diversity and quality education go hand in hand. 

The new school board has won applause from parents who blame the old policy - which sought to avoid high-poverty, racially isolated schools - for an array of problems in the district and who say that promoting diversity is no longer a proper or necessary goal for public schools. 

"This is Raleigh in 2010, not Selma, Alabama, in the 1960s - my life is integrated," said John Tedesco, a new board member. "We need new paradigms." 

But critics accuse the new board of pursuing an ideological agenda aimed at nothing less than sounding the official death knell of government-sponsored integration in one of the last places to promote it. Without a diversity policy in place, they say, the county will inevitably slip into the pattern that defines most districts across the country, where schools in well-off neighborhoods are decent and those in poor, usually minority neighborhoods struggle. 

I was just told that several civil rights groups are looking into this foolishness. Also the NAACP is thinking of filing a lawsuit as well. This is truly sad.

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Civil Rights Organizations are seeking a federal review of Texas Public School Education

Finally, folks are looking into the Texas Board of Education's foolishness. Earlier this year, Texas BoED decided to rewrite history in many textbooks. For example, forcing Christianity over other religions and leaving out important Hispanic leaders from Texas history.

Now, Two civil rights groups are seeking a federal review of public school education in Texas and accusing them of violating federal civil rights laws.

The request to the U.S. Department of Education made by the Texas NAACP and Texas League of United Latin American Citizens on Monday contended that the curriculum changes passed in May "were made with the intention to discriminate" and would have a "stigmatizing impact" on African-American and Latino students.

"The State of Texas is failing to provide many of its minority students with equal educational opportunities," documents sent to the federal department said.

The request, signed by Gary Bledsoe, president of the state NAACP, and Joey D. Cardenas Jr., state director of Texas LULAC, asked that implementation of the curriculum changes and new standardized tests be stopped for being racially or ethnically offensive or historically inaccurate.

Besides the curriculum complaint, they accused the state, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Board of Education of "miseducation" of minority students, disparate discipline for minority students, using accountability standards to impose sanctions on schools with high numbers of minority students and rules leading to underrepresentation of minorities in gifted and talented school programs.

At this time that Board has no true comment.

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Gay Teacher Wears "Out" T-Shirt at Work

Matt Tratner became a hero to gay teachers and students, by being who he really is in public... A Proud Gay Man.

Here's the story...

Defying recent efforts to demonize and penalize openly gay teachers, Matt Tratner, a beloved teacher and guidance counselor at New York’s prestigious John Bowne High School, went to work today wearing a shirt that boldly states “OUT And I’m not alone.” He then posted a photo of himself wearing the shirt on Facebook with the caption

“Yes- I am OUT at my job… Yes the students like my shirt .”

The posting immediately attracted massive support, including mine.   By the end of the day he changed his Facebook status to say

A little after 3pm today, after classes were over a few teacher came over to me to tell me what they thought of my OUT SHIRT I had worn to school today… They said that they had heard all about Tratner wearing it. They asked where they could get one so they too could wear them at school- gay and straight teachers asked to have one. I was never so proud to be OUT.

Hopefully, more teachers will follow in his footsteps. Because the more gay teachers come out and stand out, the more our LGBT teens will feel safe and not alone.

Way to go, Matt!!


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Department of Education addresses Bullying

The U.S. Department of Education launched an initiative to address harassment and bullying of children, including LGBT children.

Please read the letter released to many educators
Dear Colleague... A Letter addressing Bullying

I hope this helps.

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