AB 827, as amended, O'Donnell. Teachers: in-service training: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning pupil resources.
Existing law establishes the system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state and provides for the establishment of local educational agencies to operate these schools and provide instruction to pupils. Existing law states the policy of the State of California to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other specified characteristic, equal rights and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state.
This bill would require each school operated by a school district or county office of education and each charter school to provide in-service training every school year to teachers of pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive,begin insert and to all other certificated employees at that school,end insert on schoolsite and community resources for the support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning pupils, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a)
end delete
4begin insert(end insertbegin insert1)end insert All pupils deserve
and need safe and supportive school
5environments in which to learn.
6(b)
end delete
7begin insert(end insertbegin insert2)end insert Despite much progress, California lesbian, gay, bisexual,
8transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) pupils often face verbal,
9physical, and online harassment, which has significant effects on
10their academic achievement.
11(c)
end delete
12begin insert(end insertbegin insert3)end insert In the Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network’s
13(GLSEN) 2013 National School Climate Survey, 91 percent of
14California LGBTQ pupils reported hearing anti-LGBTQ remarks,
157 in 10 reported being called names or threatened based on their
16sexual orientation, nearly one-third reported physical harassment
17or assault, and 46 percent reported cyberbullying.
18(d)
end delete
19begin insert(end insertbegin insert4)end insert These problems have direct effects on pupils’ school
20performance. GLSEN survey data shows that the average grade
21point
average for LGBTQ pupils who have experienced harassment
22is significantly lower than for LGBTQ pupils who have not, and
23that 30 percent of LGBTQ pupils report frequently skipping class
24or missing whole days of school because they felt unsafe at school.
25(e)
end delete
P3 1begin insert(end insertbegin insert5)end insert In spite of these problems, research has shown that LGBTQ
2pupils who are harassed or assaulted in school do not report these
3incidents to school staff, primarily because they believe school
4staff will not do anything about the problem.
5(f)
end delete
6begin insert(end insertbegin insert6)end insert Creating supportive learning environments for LGBTQ
7pupils improves pupil performance. Pupils in schools with peer
8support clubs report less harassment and assault, are more likely
9to report incidents when they occur, and are less likely to miss
10school because of safety concerns.
11(g)
end delete
12begin insert(7end insertbegin insert)end insert The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
13(CDC) monitors and funds local efforts to provide professional
14development for educators on safe and supportive environments
15for LGBTQ pupils, foster schoolsite resources such as Gay Straight
16Alliance clubs and “safe spaces” for LGBTQ pupils, and promote
17referrals to school and community health professionals with
18experience providing support to LGBTQ pupils.
19(h)
end delete
20begin insert(end insertbegin insert8)end insert CDC data shows that only 50 percent of California schools
21facilitate
access to schoolsite and community health resources for
22LGBTQ pupils, and only 39 percent have peer support clubs.
23(b) The Legislature therefore encourages schools to conduct
24the in-service training required by Article 2.5 (commencing with
25Section 218) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the
26Education Code as part of a more comprehensive effort to educate
27school staff on the support of LGBTQ pupils.
Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 218) is added
29to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education
30Code, to read:
31
Within the first six weeks of every school year, as part of
36a regularly scheduled staff meeting, each school operated by a
37school district or county office of education and each charter school
38shall provide in-service training to teachers of pupils in grades 7
39to 12, inclusive,begin insert and to all other certificated employees at that
40school,end insert on schoolsite and community resources for the support of
P4 1lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ)
2pupils.
3(a) As used in this section, schoolsite resources for the support
4of LGBTQ pupils include, but are not limited to, all of the
5following:
6(1) Peer support or affinity clubs and organizations.
7(2) Safe spaces for LGBTQ pupils.
8(3) Antibullying and harassment policies and related complaint
9procedures.
10(4) Counseling services.
11(5) School staff who have received antibias or other training
12aimed at supporting LGBTQ youth.
13(6) Health and other curriculum materials that are inclusive of,
14and relevant to, LGBTQ youth.
15(b) As used in this section, community resources for the support
16of LGBTQ pupils include, but are not
limited to, all of the
17following:
18(1) Community-based organizations that provide support to
19LGBTQ youth.
20(2) Physical and mental health providers with experience in
21treating and supporting LGBTQ youth.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
23this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
24local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
25pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
264 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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