Good, Bad, Or Indifference?

That is the question. Will the schools be desperate but equal?

CT’s first school for LGBTQ+ students could open this fall
PROUD Academy will be the first LGBTQ-affirming private school in New England and one of few across the country, according to its founder
CT Mirror
By Jessika Harkay
July 21, 2023

When Patty Nicolari came out in the spring of 1997, she was a teacher at Ansonia High School. She remembers students yelling slurs at her, vandalizing her car, leaving nasty notes on her desk and teachers whispering among themselves.

Nearly 30 years later, many members of the LGBTQ+ community, like Charlie Wills, a 12-year-old transgender boy from New York City, still experience similar harassment and bullying in schools. He’s often excluded by other students from activities at school, misgendered, laughed and stared at or called names, his mother Tanya said.

[…]

The school will be located at the Ansonia Boys & Girls Club and will start by serving seventh and eighth graders in its first year and expand each year up to 12th grade. Nicolari said over 50 people have expressed interest across the country and about 15 students have applied already.

My thoughts…

Connecticut law mandates safe space for learning for every student, requires schools to prevent bullying and report all incidents of bullying to the state.
Schools are suppose to have anti-bullying policies in place.

Now for reality. Some school systems report zero (that is no bullying) in their school systems, do you believe that? Some policies are simply “We will not tolerate and bullying.” To school systems that will haul the bully before a student court! To some systems practicing Restorative Justice.
“By creating a safe space for students where they will be valued and respected for who they are, that age group seemed to make the most sense,” Nicolari added.
But that is also the goal of all school systems in the state.

I worry about separate but equal, in the past they were not equal.

• Will the new school offer all the same classes as the public school? Or will they just cover the basics.
• Will the new school offer sports programs?
• Will the new school offer (My favorite) science classes?
• Will the new school have quality educators?
• Will the schools buildings be equal in quality?
• Will the school system shuck-off their legal responsibility to have a safe school system for us?
• Will every student be able to afford the new school or will it be only for those who can afford the tuition?

These are some of my concerens.

I realize that for many LGBTQ+ students they will want a separate school, but are we ghettoizing them. Will the LGBTQ students who go to the public school feel welcome? Or will they be subtlety steered toward the private school?

So my question…

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