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California Teachers May Need To Attend Yearly LGBTQ Training

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Teachers in grades 7-12 may need to attend yearly classes to support LGBTQ students.

Assembly Bill 493 would require all public school and charter school districts to provide the in-service training. The courses would cover how to support LGBTQ students, including: offering peer support groups, creating Safe Spaces, enforcing anti-bullying and harassment policies, providing counseling services, and teaching health and other curriculum that are inclusive of, and related to, LGTBQ youth.

SEE ALSO: School District Approves LGBT Curriculum Amid Parental Protests

In the 2015 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network found:

  • More than 70% of LGBTQ students  reported being called names or threatened based on their sexual orientation.
  • Nearly 30% of LGBTQ students reported physical harassment or assault based on their gender expression.
  • More than 48% of LGBTQ students reported cyberbullying.
  • More than 30% of LGBTQ students reported missing school because they felt unsafe.

The survey found students who reported being heavily harassed had lower GPA, on average, than LGBTQ students who reported being slightly harassed.

AB 493 was introduced Tuesday at the Capitol.

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