News & Events
April 2008
School Board Presentation
After nearly a year of building our coalition, Support Student Safety presented our proposal to the School Board!
The presentation took place at Metro Public Schools on April 8th.
A large group of parents and community members supported our coalition by attenting, wearing blue shirts, and Support Student Safety buttons.
Media Coverage of Our Presentation
- "Student Group To Pitch Anti-Bias Policy to Metro Board" article from The Tennessean, April 8th, 2008.
Go to the article! - "Parents Support Non-Discrimination Policy For Metro Schools" article from The Tennessean.
Go to the article! - "Students Appeal For Revised Non-Discrimination Policy" article AND video from NewsChannel 5.
Go to the article! - "Will Metro Schools Change Code of Conduct?" article from WKRN.
Go to the article! - "Students Urge For More Gay, Transgender Tolerence In Schools" video from WSMV Channel 4.
Go to the video!
We want to thank everyone who came out to show their support for safety and equality! Please take a moment to thank your school board member for considering our proposal!
March 2008
Lawrence King Vigil
Lawrence King Vigil at OutLoud! - Wednesday, March 12 from 6 to 8 pm.
The vigil will honor the memory of Lawrence "Larry" King, a junior high school student from Oxnard, CA who was shot at school last month. Authorities are prosecuting his murder as a hate crime, as Larry was perceived to be gay and gender non-conforming. Larry, the 15-year-old 8th grader, was shot at E.O. Green Junior High School on Tuesday, February 12th, and was taken off life support three days later. Friends have reported that Larry had been bullied and harassed by classmates, including the fellow student charged with his murder.
Download a flyer about this event.
February 2008
Operation Graduation and Beyond
Students and members of the Support Student Safety Coalition will be at "Operation Graduation and Beyond", a summit on drop-out prevention in Nashville sponsored by Mayor Karl Dean and the Mayor's Project for Success Task Force "Operation Graduation and Beyond".
Click here for information on this event.
Read our brochure on the link between harassment of GLBT youth and school drop-out rates in Nashville.
January 2008
Mayor's Youth Council Joins Our Coalition
The Support Student Safety Coalition is pleased to welcome the Mayor's Youth Council as a member of our coalition. The Mayor's Youth Council program began in 1999 with a mission to play an active role in ensuring that the needs and interests of the young people of Nashville are addressed by the city leaders' policies and practices.
We look forward to working with the Mayor's Youth Council to increase student safety and ensure that every student has the chance to succeed.
Mayor's Open house
Students from the Support Student Safety Coalition will attend Mayor Karl Dean's Education Open House at Hillsboro High School on January 14th to discuss how a comprehensive non-discrimination policy is relevant to Mayor Dean's effort to address Nashville's high school drop-out rate.
See our letter to Mayor Dean about our coalition.
December 2007
MNPS: Support Student Safety members have recently presented their goals and involvement opportunities to a number of organizations including:
- The Middle School Committee of Alignment Nashville
- The Metro Public Health Youth Council
- The Community Nashville Youth Council
- The HRC Steering Committee of Nashville
- The Nashville InHarmony City Chorus
If you would like the students involved with MNPS: Support Student Safety to give a presentation to your organization, contact us.
November 2007
Article in Vanderbilt Orbis
Support Student Safety was featured in an article that appeared in one of Vanderbilt's campus publications, Orbis.
Read it here!
TV Coverage on Out and About
Representatives of Support Student Safety were interviewed in feature segment on Out & About TV, which airs on Channel 5+ (channel 50 on Comcast).
October & November 2007
Youth and Health Coalition Members
This Fall, MNPS would like to spotlight our coalition members who are organizations involved with youth and mental health! Visit these coalition members' websites for more information about the youth and health services that they provide! All links open in new windows.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee
The Child and Family Policy Center at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies
September, 2007
The Speak Out! page now presents current and former MNPS students' descriptions in their own words of why their schools need a comprehensive non-discrimination policy.
The second batch of bumper stickers is available, now in a classy matte black color with the vivid message "I Support Student Safety"! Order one and show everyone what you stand for!
August, 2007
Our first batch of bumper stickers is in, and they look fantastic! Keep watching the website for more updates, including student bios, news, and more ways to support us or get involved!