SCHOOL BOARD COMPROMISES ON STUDENT CLUBS

By Rosemary Shinohara

The Anchorage School Board unanimously endorsed a compromise on student clubs, voting to tighten controls but not ban any clubs, after a bruising debate that carried over into Tuesday from the night before.

Board member Kathi Gillespie tried to get the board to restrict clubs to academic subjects only. She said she feared an incursion of outside influences. "We have extreme groups locally," She told the board. "Imagine a club based on witchcraft or satanism. If we don't vote for a closed forum, I believe people with an extreme political agenda will see our schools as open turf."

No such groups have formed in the three years since the district changed it's clubs policy to conform to federal law. However, formation of a club called the Gay/Straight Alliance at Dimond High last fall prompted a storm of calls to board members and public testimony at School Board meetings from people who don't think topics relating to homosexuality should be on a school club agenda.

Shirley Rademacher said she didn't understand how the district could consider allowing the Gay/Straight Alliance to exist because of AIDS. Gay Students "need far more help than these teachers and counselors can possibly provide," She said. "You might as well encourage these children to play Russian roulette."

Susan Derrera, however, a faculty sponsor of the Dimond club, said she and fellow teachers agreed to sponsor it "because we know that in our collective experience, the atmosphere of intolerance for gay and lesbian students has always been present." Derrera said, "We don't want to teach our students to stand by when they witness discrimination of any kind. We want them to stand up and speak out."

The club itself is meeting weekly to discuss tolerance for all students, and tension concerning it within Dimond High has eased, she said.

David Lowenfels, a student who helped found the club and has now graduated, said the district shouldn't cater to hate mongers. He urged against requiring permission slips.

The federal Equal Access Act requires districts to follow one of two courses: either allow all clubs, regardless of their religious, political or philosophical views, or restrict clubs to academic-related subjects only.

Gillespie's move to close down nonacademic clubs failed 4-3 last night, with Lorraine Ferrell and Dave Werdal supporting her position. The board was still debating other possible changes at midnight, when city law requires the board to adjourn.

In a continuation meeting Tuesday, Gillespie proposed amendment after amendment to impose more controls. She read aloud state (Alaska) law on sexual abuse of a minor that says a person can be guilty of sexual abuse if he "aids, induces, causes or encourages" a minor younger than 16 to engage in sexual penetration with another person. "I'm concerned our staff sponsors may be liable," she said.

She urged that clubs be required to follow the district's guidelines for teaching about sex in classrooms, which specify that abstinence is a goal; asked that the purpose of each club be stated in the parent permission slip; and wanted to require that teachers who are sponsors or monitors follow up on permission slips by calling and talking to parents.

She also wanted the requirement for permission slips to become district policy, which must go to the board for changes, rather than an administrative rule the superintendent could change.

Board member Peggy Robinson-Wilson said she felt Gillespie was trying to impose tighter and tighter controls because the board wouldn't ban nonacademic clubs altogether. "I'm expecting the next (amendment) to require parent signatures to be notarized," Robinson-Wilson said at one point. Board president Debbie Ossiander said she felt Gillespie's proposal to encode the new rules as policy made it seem she didn't trust the superintendent to carry out the board's will. But Gillespie said superintendents and board members come and go, and these changes deserve to be longer lasting.

The final rules approved by the board contain the provision that parents sign off on a students participation, but the teachers's don't have to check back. The permission slips will include the purpose of the club. The board also agreed to reiterate that any presentation during class times on sexual matters must follow the school district guidelines for sex education. Secondary schools director Bill Mell said the Dimond club's stated purpose does not include discussing sexual practices. And, said Mell, federal law specifically says schools can't regulate what students are allowed to talk about within such clubs. "These clubs exist as an expression of student rights."

ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS

Letter to the editor:

DENIAL OF GAYS IS FORM OF ABUSE

I have been watching the Anchorage School Board deliberations over school club policy with some sadness. I wonder why it is so difficult in our culture to acknowledge that some children grow up gay in spite of society's greatest effort to prevent this. This denial of our gay children is a form of child abuse.

When parents, teachers and other authorities fail to protect gay children and even perpetrate or perpetuate the abuse, student club policy is not the policy that needs changing. The very existence of gay people of any age seems to be such a threat to some belief systems, as though the existence of gay people means the belief is wrong. "Destroy the people to defend the belief" is a paradigm that is not worthy of Alaska and has no place in our schools. --Jaime Rodriguez, Wasilla

ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS February 12, 1997

ROLE FOR PARENTS

Anchorage School Board member Harriet Drummond apparently believes parents should stand aside when it comes to raising their own children. That's how we interpret her lame excuse for criticizing a sensible compromise to address the community brouhaha over a student homosexual club at Dimond High.

The compromise was recommended by School Superintendent Bob Christal. He suggests amending board policy regarding school clubs by adding a requirement that signed permission slips be submitted as a condition of membership in any student club.

Although a number of people in the community would prefer that the Gay/Straight Alliance club not be in schools at all, the district doesn't have that option unless it also does away with all other student-initiated clubs. Federal law, supported by the courts, requires schools to accord religious, philosphical or political groups the same recognition and privileges that are extended to other non-curricular clubs.

If school policy is to allow chess, debate, drama, foreign language, newspaper, yearbook and any of a host of other popular student activities, then it also must provide the gay club the same access.

Christal's solution is to put the responsibility where it belongs - with the parents. Some may not have a concern about their child signing up as a member of a club that is associated with a national gay advocacy organization and which maintains a national membership list. Other parents may want the opportunity to discuss the matter with their child and determine together whether it's a wise thing to do.

Drummond said she sees this latter prospect as "terribly intimidating to these kids," According to a quote in Monday's paper (The Anchorage Daily News). She is concerned that requiring permission from parents could discourage membership in controversial clubs. In other words, Butt out, Mom and Dad.

She used the excuse that permission slips would result in too much paperwork for schools. Whats the big deal? Students routinely are required to obtain parent signed notes to go on a class outing, participate in organized sports, to 'fess up to poor grades or missed homework assignments. Why should another permission slip to join a club be any different?

For a district that needs $360 million a year to operate - 85 percent of which goes for salaries and benefits of employees - surely there must be staff available to collect permission slips.

Ms. Drummond. who is running for re-election this year, is showing poor judgment to obstruct parental responsibilities by using the flimsy excuse of concern about added paperwork. School Board members should focus on providing a better education, not implementing their personal social agenda.

THE ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS February 13, 1997

ARTFUL BALANCE - FLAP OVER STUDENT CLUB ENDS WELL

For a controversy driven by such fear, ignorance and outright bigotry, the flap over the Dimond High Gay/Straight Alliance had a remarkably constructive outcome.

The Anchorage School Board refused to ban the club outright, as many vocal critics wanted. That would have been illegal under federal law. Such legal details have not always stopped craven politicians from creating more mischief, so give the board credit for standing firm.

The board also blunted another even wilder assault on the gay-straight alliance. By a 4-3 vote, it rejected the Draconian step of banning all after-school clubs, which is the only legal way opponents of the alliance could purge it from school property. Casualities of that hysterical idea would have included such all-American groups as the National Honor Society. Cheers to the four who refused to be stampeded into overreacting: Harriet Drummond, Kelly Haney, Peggy Robinson-Wilson and Debbie Ossiander.

Instead, the board settled on a solution that would be sound under any circumstances. The board will require proof of parental permission for any student who wants to join any after-school club. The new policy gives parents more control over their own children's behavior without blocking the choices other students and parents may wish to make.

It's true, the parental permission rule will scare off some teens who could use help working through confusion over their sexuality. Counselors and teachers will have to be alert to signs that a student is in distress and be prepared to help locate appropriate assistance.

In the ideal scheme of things, schools would be a safe harbor from intolerance. But as public institutions, schools cannot ignore public pressure, however misguided or hostile it may be. With the School Board's compromise on after-school clubs, it has artfully balanced community sentiment with it's responsibility to protect freedom, respect personal dignity and accomadate political differences.