The new Teachers Panel will put teachers’ “voices at the heart of TIE”
TIE HAVE announced a new independent Teachers Panel to supervise the development of their school resources and services, as the campaign group moves towards scaling up as a fully fledged charity.
TIE’s three year campaign for LGBT-inclusive education in all Scottish schools won the support of the Scottish Government earlier this month, when Education Minister John Swinney announced that he was accepting all of the recommendations of the implementation group.
CommonSpace reported last week on TIE’s board of trustees as it officially announced it was establishing itself as a charity, having been run by co-founders Jordan Daly and Liam Stevenson on a shoestring budget since 2015.
The new Teachers Panel, according to Daly and Stevenson, will put teachers’ “voices at the heart of TIE”.
Daly and Stevenson told CommonSpace: “From the beginning of our campaign, we have been acutely aware that in order to achieve LGBT-inclusive education in every classroom we had to ensure that our package was practical and deliverable.
“We immediately identified the need to engage with teachers in order to shape any resources that would be used in schools and to guarantee that anything proposed at the national level was strategic and logical.
“Today, we are delighted to announce the formation of the TIE Teachers Panel. This independent Teachers Panel of cross-sector, expert educators are tasked with overseeing our work and contributing to the development of our school resources and services.
“This represents a continuation of our approach until now: to respect teachers and to put their voices at the heart of TIE as we move forward as an organisation. We have to ensure that we get it right for teachers as well as pupils.
READ MORE: TIE announces Board as it prepares for role in delivery of LGBT-inclusive education
“We have worked collaboratively with all of these teachers, and they are incredible assets to Scottish education. We want teachers to shape not only our work, but the future of LGBT-inclusive education in Scotland.”
The eight person strong panel includes teachers with a cross-section of experiences and skills including Primary, Secondary, Additional Support Needs, the Independent sector, and Religious & Moral education.
Chloe Divers, a business studies secondary school teacher, said: I am delighted to be working with TIE in order to ensure the implementation of LGBT-inclusive education, that will improve the lives and experiences of LGBT young people in our schools.
“As a lesbian who was educated under Section 28, my school experience offered no positive role models, support or representation of the LGBT community.”
READ MORE – Analysis: The TIE campaign’s success is a template for grassroots activism
Lauren Butler-Robson, a teacher in religious & moral education, said: “Every young person should be able to come to school to learn. To do this they must feel safe, visible, included, valued & respected. Too often this has not been the case for LGBT pupils, to the detriment of all.
“I am delighted that The Scottish Government is committed to addressing this, and as a member of TIE’s Teachers Panel I look forward to helping shape how this looks nationally.”
Danielle Campbell, a teacher specialising in additional support needs, said: “I have worked closely with TIE for over two years, supporting the delivery of their teacher training. My role is to focus on how teachers can support pupils with Additional Support Needs to discuss issues that affect them and also the importance of making their lessons truly inclusive. I am proud to continue to support TIE as a member of this Teachers Panel.”
Picture courtesy of The Scottish Government
HELP US BUILD A COMMON FUTURE TOGETHER: Support our work at allofusfirst.org/donate
