Dive Brief:
- Jared Fox is the first LGBT community liaison hired by the New York City Public School System, a new position designed to make schools safer for both LGBT students and teachers.
- Fox's first task will be listening to students and community members in order to better understand the district's needs and develop a plan for setting tangible goals.
- Goals already in place, however, include launching a program that brings LGBT authors into classrooms to discuss books and analyzing the feasibility of gender-neutral bathrooms for schools.
Dive Insight:
Other major urban districts may want to consider following suit. In Ohio, steps have been taken for districts to be more inclusive of LGBT students and teachers. In April 2014, a proposal to add sexual orientation to the list of classes protected under Ohio's operating standards for nondiscrimination in schools was debated by the state's board of education. The motive was to promote the hiring and retention of teachers while setting a good example for LGBT students.