What challenges does the No Child Left Behind act pose to today's diverse classrooms? How can union members address issues of gender, race and sexual orientation in the classroom and at work?

These and other questions were addressed at the American Federation of Teachers' Civil, Human and Women's Rights northeast regional training held at NYSUT headquarters in March. The AFT is the national affiliate of New York State United Teachers. More than 75 union members from as far away as Florida participated in the "Civil rights and community relations: Moving one agenda," training led by Foster Stringer of the AFT.

One recurring topic was coalition construction. "The time to make a friend is before you need help," said NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin. Lubin and state Senate Democratic Leader David Paterson of Manhattan led a session on networking. "Short-term coalitions are OK," Paterson said, "but you need to build long-term relationships."

Ed Drummond, president of the United University Professions chapter at SUNY Stony Brook's Health Science Center, appreciated the give-and-take. "This training was very informative, especially the questions people don't ask about No Child Left Behind like,'Who funds the vouchers?'" said Drummond. "Or'Are charter schools under the same scrutiny as the public school system on safety issues and teacher accountability?' A lot of my members have kids in K-12 and it's my responsibility to let them know."

A session on gender, race and sexual orientation, led by Courtney Snowden of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network in Washington, D.C., hit home for BOCES teacher Helen Neet. "We have young people not going to school because they are gay or lesbian," said Neet, a teacher of the deaf. A 2001 GLSEN survey found that 83 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students reported being verbally harassed. Eighty-one percent reported that staff rarely intervened when hearing such remarks.

"If one of my students were to use a racial or gender slur, I would confront it right then and there in a peaceful way," Neet said. "All students have the right to feel safe at school." Neet, a member of the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES Teachers Association, serves on the NYSUT Human and Civil Rights Committee.

Visit http://www.glsen.org/ for details on free educator resources from GLSEN.

- Clarisse Butler