Administrators

Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students

• The Safe Schools Program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students is a joint initiative between the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.

• Founded in 1993 in response to concerns about LGBTQ youth suicides and other risk factors, the program now offers a range of services designed to help schools implement state laws impacting LGBTQ students, including the state's anti-bullying law, gender identity law, and student anti-discrimination law.

• The Safe Schools Program also manages the Massachusetts Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Student Leadership Council.

Creating Gender Inclusive Schools: A Film

• Created by award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Skurnik of The Youth and Gender Media Project, this film is perfect for any educator, administrator, or parent who is interested in learning how gender unknowingly influences our learning school environments. It's thoughtful teacher/student interactions also shows how children can be teachers, too.

Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in grades K-12

• A guide for parents, students, educators and administrators who are looking for the best ways to support transgender and gender expansive students in their schools. From general information and guidelines to more specific issues, this guidebook will help anyone who is looking for best practices to support their school youth.

Working with Transgender Children and Their Classmates: Just Be Supportive

• This research study documents a school district's well coordinated response to an elementary student's social transition to female. Data analysis included, this article serves as a model for other schools and districts in forming policies to support transgender students.

A Sample Model Policy for Transgender Students on High School Teams

• "All 50": The Transgender Inclusive High School Sports and Activities Policy and Education Project has created a universal standard model in policy and education for transgender inclusion in K-12 sport and activity associations for all 50 states.

Assigning State Assigned Student Identifiers (SASIDs) to MA Public School Students

• DESE procedure to update name changes and gender markers in school records.

Examples of Policies and Emerging Practices for Supporting Transgender Students

• US Department of Education has developed these documents to clarify how schools can best provide a safe, supportive and nondiscriminatory learning environment for all students.

Gender Support Plan

• Produced by Gender Spectrum, this document is a collaborative, written plan for school staff, student and family which documents shared expectations how a student’s gender identity will be supported and managed at school.

Gender Transition Plan

• Produced by Gender Spectrum, this document is a collaborative, written plan for school staff, student and family which supports the formal transition of a student from their assigned birth sex to their chosen gender identity.

How to Develop Policies for Transgender Athletes

• In National Federation of State High School Associations, written by Pat Griffin, this article outlines 6 important steps in why/how school athletic policies can provide equal access for transgender student-athletes.

• All credit for creation of these sample letters goes to Kelly NcNeill, Natick:

  • 1st Grade Trans Letter: Principal to Parent Community

  • 5th Grade Trans Letter: Principal to Parent Community

  • Trans Letter: Family to Classroom Parents

  • Trans Letter: Principal to School Community