Kevin Jennings' Fistgate Conference Gave Teachers DOE Professional Credits

Kevin Jennings and his organization GLSEN worked hand in hand with the Massachusetts Department of Education. The DOE has tried to distance itself from the infamous GLSEN-Boston Fistgate conference in 2000. But that won't wash. They were in this together.

The DOE Commissioner wrote a welcome letter in the conference booklet, but further, teachers were also able to collect professional development credits for attendance. We can't imagine that the DOE would extend professional credits for an event unless they knew the content of the workshops. Two of the instructors of the fisting workshop were DOE employees (in the "Safe Schools" program). If the DOE people knew the content, wouldn't the man in charge of the conference know too?

That would be Kevin Jennings. And the Mass. DOE "Safe Schools" program was his brainchild.

Here's the diploma, good for 6.0 hours of professional development credits: