Skip to main content

Roots, Wings, and Representation

 


In April of this year I wrote two back-to-back posts about CARY and their survey of Board of Education candidates centering around LGBTQIA+ issues in the Howard County Schools. 

Roots http://villagegreentownsquared.blogspot.com/2020/04/roots.html

Wings http://villagegreentownsquared.blogspot.com/2020/04/wings.html

The overarching theme of both pieces is that these issues are life-or-death issues for our students. We have ample, varied, and consistently accurate research that shows that appropriate boundaries, supports, and interventions can be the difference in outright survival for our LGBTQIA+ students. And that should be the bare minimum, I should think, of what we require of ourselves. 

That’s why I treat this issue as a core topic and not as some would prefer, as a so called “identity” issue or something relevant only to a fringe subset of a larger whole. That’s why it’s important that the school system continues to work on this and make progress even when schools are not holding classes in school buildings: because those students are still out there and are our responsibility. In some cases now they may be spending more time with families who are less accepting of who they are. Like all our students, they are having less contact with peers who may be their lifeline in a difficult world.

In November HCPSS debuted a page on their website devoted to LGBTQIA+ Youth. 

https://www.hcpss.org/supports/lgbtqia-youth/

It’s a start. It’s really, really good that it is there but, were I a current parent or student, it would not nearly be enough for me. Let’s all continue to apply positive pressure to develop this into a vital resource and not merely a placeholder of goodwill.

Do you have opinions you’d like to share on the state of LGBTQIA+ representation in HCPSS?  The folks at OMO are holding a Community Forum on Thursday, December 17th from 7 - 8:30 pm and you are invited to be a part of it. If you’d like to chime in before the event itself, take this quick, anonymous survey: 

https://forms.gle/46B8dBaQkMBJrsy49



OMO https://www.oaklandmillsonline.com/ (Originally “Oakland Mills Online”, but, in no way limited to the geographical area of Oakland Mills) decribes itself as: 

OMO is a community organization founded to support the mental and emotional health of our neighbors, near and far, by providing a digital social environment where children, teens, and adults can meet and learn together in volunteer-led sessions on a variety of subjects.

I’ve attended one of their Community Forums via Zoom in the past and can vouch for how professional and respectful they are within this format. This is bound to be a good use of your time. You will learn something, you will feel listened to, and you will get some good new ideas as you go along.

What you can do:

Register to attend via Eventbrite for updates, reminders, and the Zoom link to join:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-forum-lgbtq-representation-in-hcpss-tickets-130991108933?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

What else you can do: share the information within your own social media circles. You could even share this post. 

 A shoutout to OMO and CARY for working together on this and giving the larger community an opportunity to be a part of this important conversation. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more