New COVID-19 Grants  

• The NEA Foundation has three new grant opportunities to address effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning:   
  1. $1,500-$5,000 six-month grants help educators address contributors to educational inequity and educational opportunity gaps.  
  2. One-year grants of either $2,000 or $5,000 to assist educators in preparing themselves, their colleagues, their students, or school community to respond to increased equity and opportunity challenges in the 2020-21 school year. 
  3. One-year grants of either $2,000 or $5,000 support educator-led projects in 2020-21 that advance equity and opportunity, responding to student needs that emerged or intensified during the pandemic.  

New CTA Trainings: MATHome and Understanding Anger 

• CTA continues to offer live and recorded webinars to build and refresh your skills during COVID-19. A sampling: MATHome (Weds., May 6, 1-2 p.m.) offers daily mathematics activities that children and parents can do together to build mathematics stamina and power, from arts and crafts to dance moves. Understanding Anger (Thurs., May 7, 3-4 p.m.) is the first of a three-part series dealing with student anger, trauma and bias; educators will learn how to de-escalate the anger and foster a more constructive relationship with the student. Sign up  here; view recorded webinars here. 

Financial relief from Provident Credit Union  

• From temporary payment relief and temporarily suspended credit reporting to skip-a-pay loan programs, late fee waivers, and more, Provident Credit Union has a comprehensive list of financial relief options for CTA members suffering a loss or disruption in income due to the coronavirus. While branches are located primarily in the Bay area, any CTA member across the state can access these benefits. Get details and learn more at Provident Member Resources. 

On May 1, 1886, the U.S. Federation of Organized Trade and Labor Unions (including immigrant workers) ruled that an 8-hour work day would be a full and legal work day. May 1 continues to be a national day of action; this year the focus is on raising awareness about immigration rights and the need to keep families together as they fight for a better life. Resources to share are here and  here.

On April 28, CTA President E. Toby Boyd let state lawmakers know that safety of both students and educators, along with deliberate and collaborative planning, would be paramount in deciding when and how to reopen schools. “When students physically return to schools, it needs to be planned and deliberate, with public health at the forefront of all decision-making,” Boyd said. “Educators must be part of conversations that directly impact students.”

Read CTA’s “Where We Stand on Reopening Schools” for more information.  

During the COVID-19 quarantine, educators across the country are learning how to continue to provide a safe and affirming experience for LGBTQ students via distance learning. Recent data supports the need for educator action and focus:

According to HRC’s 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report:

• 67% of LGBTQ students hear their families make negative comments about LGBTQ people.
• While some students are open about their LGBTQ identity at school, only 21% are out at home.
• Privacy and confidentiality are critically important for LGBTQ youth, especially for those who do not have supportive families. Extreme rejecting behaviors can have dire consequences: Approximately 40% of the homeless youth population in the United States identify as LGBTQ, most as a result of rejection by immediate family members.
• Additionally, LGBTQ youth of color often face additional stress and adverse impacts on their health and well-being as a result of bias around their intersecting identities.

Educators are uniquely positioned to provide support and resources to LGBTQ students who are now more at risk due to the pandemic.

Educators are uniquely positioned to provide support and resources to LGBTQ students who are now more at risk due to the pandemic. NEA EdJustice and HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools have joined together to offer a checklist and resources to help educators and allies navigate how to best support LGBTQ students as schools make this unprecedented pivot to distance learning.

Maintaining inclusivity and safe spaces for LGBTQ students is more important than ever during this period of emergency online learning.

Ask yourself how you are supporting LGBTQ students today:

• Does your virtual classroom include visible signs, like Zoom backgrounds or posters, showing that you are LGBTQ affirming?
• Are you normalizing pronoun sharing by sharing your pronouns, verbally, or by adding your pronouns to your name on your virtual platform if you have the option? Are you creating spaces for students to share their pronouns?
• Are you establishing trust with LGBTQ students by using gender-inclusive and non-heteronormative language such as “students” instead of “boys and girls” and “family” or “caring adult” instead of “mom and dad”?
• Can you confirm a private, virtual connection with an LGBTQ student that is not supported at home, so you can check-in with them about their family dynamic and brainstorm self-care strategies?
• Have you addressed the greater risk for LGBTQ cyberbullying — as students overall spend more time online during this period of social isolation — by utilizing teachable moments to not only stop negative anti-LGBTQ language and behavior, but also to educate about LGBTQ terminology, history, and current events?
• With LGBTQ drop-in centers closed and LGBTQ student clubs (i.e. GSA’s) no longer in session, are you sharing direct, online LGBTQ resources with your students that provide affirming support and connection for LGBTQ youth in virtual settings day or night — including the Trevor Project which offers 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year confidential and online support for LGBTQ youth?

Ready to learn more?

Visit Human Rights Campaign, for more resources on how COVID-19 impacts LGBTQ Communities.

Join us at NEAEdJustice.org to get active in the movement for racial and social justice in education and to find more ways to support LGBTQ youth and address hate and bias.