When the Drama Club Is Not Enough: Lessons from the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students - Hardcover

Jeff Perrotti and Kim Westheimer are, respectively, founding and current director of the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students, a nationally recognized initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Education.

The authors--founding and current director, respectively, of Massachusetts' pioneering Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students--offer an invaluable guide to creating a climate of safety in America's schools for all students who may be regarded as "other." While their context is the singular Massachusetts experience, the lessons shared are universal in their potential applications. Throughout, the authors' voices remain calm and reasoned, and their strategies thoughtful and pragmatic. A chapter aptly titled "Nuts and Bolts," for example, offers stepbystep techniques for forming gay-straight alliances, for using antidiscrimination and antiharassment policies (models are appended), and for working with the media. Other chapters discuss related kinds of discrimination, outline tested strategies for change, and detail techniques for coping with controversy. Numerous anecdotes of students' personal experiences--both negative and positive--enliven and enrich the otherwise straightforward presentation. Although the principal audience for this book will be school administrators and teachers, all caring adults will find it an essential tool for making local schools safe and life-affirming. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved