Kevin Jennings
FameRank: 4

"Kevin Brett Jennings" is an American educator, author, and administrator. He was the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at the U.S. Department of Education from 2009-11. He is currently Executive Director of the Arcus Foundation.

Jennings holds degrees from Harvard University, Teachers College, Columbia University/Columbia University's Teachers College, and the Stern School of Business at New York University. He became a teacher and was named one of fifty "Terrific Teachers Making a Difference" by the Edward Calesa Foundation, he also coming out/came out as gay to his students. In 1990 he founded the Gay and Lesbian Independent School Teachers Education Network (later changed to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), which became a leading group seeking to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In 1992 he was named co-chair of the Education Committee of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth in Massachusetts. Jennings has authored six books on gay rights and education, including one which won the Lambda Literary Award.

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A gay and lesbian student attempts suicide every 35 minutes. Students are going to school and the best that they can hope for is that maybe I won't get beaten up today.

If you teach a young person that their life has no value, they'll treat their life like their life has no value. They will do things that show that they don't really respect themselves, such as use drugs or attempt suicide or engage in unprotected sex.

This study clearly illustrates the prevalence of bullying and harassment in America's schools and that students who experience harassment are more likely to miss classes, which can impact a student's ability to learn.

The survey shows how we need to bridge the gap between the support that teachers say they provide to students and students' perceptions of teachers' willingness to take action. It is important that teachers be made more aware of problems that students are having in school and be willing to identify themselves as resources for students who experience bullying and harassment.

While I am interested in seeing hate crimes laws passed, my primary interest is not in punishing future killers such as the men who take the lives of people like Matthew Shepard, ... My goal is to prevent those killers from being created in the first place.

We know what works. Why aren't more of them doing it? What's their excuse? That's what I want to know.