When a controversy consumes a community, teachers feel the heat. Just ask any of the 2,700 educators in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.
Then ask if they think that seniority protections, which are dismissed as obsolete by many lawmakers, didn't help screen teachers and their students from the scalding debate outside their schoolhouse doors in the past few years.
For two years, I've had the privilege of representing educators in Anoka-Hennepin. You've seen the headlines and know our struggles over finding ways to ensure that our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students feel safe and welcome in our schools.
Throughout the saga, I saw teacher after teacher stand up for their LGBT students in a community that didn't always appreciate their advocacy. These brave educators resisted the extremists, and did so under the white-hot glare of media attention.
Teachers were among the first to question ineffective policies in our district. They denounced watered-down staff development when it came to LGBT topics. They improved responses to bullying even before the district offered training.
Many gay teachers opened up about themselves, so that all our students could learn to work in a diverse society and our gay students could have role models.
It's working. The school board has passed a new, and better, policy for discussing controversial topics in the classroom. Students say the atmosphere in our schools has improved. Teachers feel empowered to decisively stamp out bullying in all its forms.
I am terribly proud of my colleagues. I would do anything to help them continue this important work for our students.
