Anti-Gay Pledges and Teacher Education: A Dialogue about the Tensions Between Private Beliefs and the Public Good
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Illinois is home to several colleges with anti-gay pledges. In 2006 Erica Meiners and Therese Quinn, both professors of education, attended a public conference for colleges with teacher education programs on the campus of Wheaton College, a private institution. The school asks all applicants for admission to sign a Community Covenant that describes "homosexual behavior" as a form of "sexual immorality" which is condemned.
Wheaton also prepares students for certification to teach in public schools. How do education students balance these contradictions? What is the law? How can public education ensure that vulnerable LGBTQ youth and families in public schools are protected? What roles can the Illinois State Board of Education, NCATE, and other professional organizations play in leading teacher education toward true inclusiveness?
Kevin Kumashiro, of the Center for Anti-Oppressive Education and UIC, facilitating.
