MHSAA vows to spare kids while paying bills
Posted Wednesday, April 2, 2008 by Tom Wilson

Detroit News

Friday, February 22, 2008

MHSAA vows to spare kids while paying bills
Association has barely more money than $5.1M lawsuit's lawyers have submitted for their expenses.
Fred Girard / The Detroit News
The bill has arrived for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's decade-long fight against changing girls sports seasons, and, if upheld by a federal judge, it could be economically devastating.

Attorneys for a group of Grand Rapids moms who believed their daughters and all other girls in the state were being discriminated against say they worked 12,000 hours on the case and are owed $5.1 million.

The MHSAA already has plowed through a $2 million legal insurance policy fighting the case. Any further payments will come out of its coffers -- which are barely larger than the legal bill.

The MHSAA has a net worth of nearly $6 million, roughly half in investments and half in real estate, according to its most recent tax return, for the year ending July 2006.

MHSAA officials would not say where they'd get the money.

"If the need comes to pay a large settlement, we'll do the best we can," spokesman John Johnson said. "It will not come at the expense of the membership and it will not come at the expense of services to schools and to kids. We feel that we will be able to function."

Kristen Galles, lead attorney for the moms' group, Communities for Equity, said the association should have recognized a decade ago the injustice of a schedule unique in the nation that forced six sports to be played in disadvantageous seasons -- all girls sports.

"Why was MHSAA being so pigheaded?" asked Galles. "This money (the proposed fees) should have gone into new programs."

Galles, who runs a one-attorney, public-interest law firm in Alexandria, Va., and who has worked on the case 12 years for free, stands to receive $3.5 million in the fee request filed in federal district court in Kalamazoo before Judge Richard Alan Enslen on Jan. 29.

"My house has been mortgaged to pay for this lawsuit," Galles said. "How many people would have taken that kind of risk? If we had lost -- boom! It was huge. I had to invest a ton of money, and people don't do this unless they really believe in the cause."

Enslen ruled against the state association on every point in December 2001, finding girls were being discriminated against in violation of the Constitution, the federal anti-discrimination law Title IX, and Michigan's Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

The MHSAA's fight ended in April 2007, when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final appeal. The changes Enslen had ordered for the 2002-03 school year finally went into effect in September 2007.




Extras
Legal fees
A breakdown of the legal fees requested by law firms that represented a group of Grand Rapids parents in their successful federal anti-discrimination lawsuit:

Firm
Attorney's fees
Expenses
Total

Equity Legal (Kristen Galles)
$3,405,519
$89,511
$3,495,030

Nat'l. Women's Law Center
$998,870
$22,823
$1,021,693

Pinsky, Smith, Fayette, & Kennedy
$178,483

DLA Piper
$225,912
$11,075
$236,987


You can reach Fred Girard at (313) 222-2165 or fred.girard@detnews.com.

MHSAA vows to spare kids while paying bills
DetNews.com - Detroit,MI,USA

FEMALE ALUMNI ATHLETIC BOOSTERS RAFFLE
Posted Monday, July 24, 2006 by Tom Wilson

FEMALE ALUMNI ATHLETIC BOOSTERS RAFFLE

Raising scholarship money for graduating female athletes at Wyandotte Roosevelt High School, so they won’t be forgotten. We are selling raffle tickets from late August to early November 2006 and will make our draw and announce winners at the final Roosevelt girl’s basketball game, 540 Eureka, between 5:30 and 9:30pm, November 2.


We will sell 5,000 tickets, $2 each or 3 for $5. We will pull 4 winning tickets, designating them as 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and 4th place winners. The first place winner would choose which of the 4 prizes they want, the second winner choosing from the remaining 3 and so on. Winners do not need to be present to win.


Raffle Gifts


Rod Baker, 734-282-5412 and Tom Wilson, 313-235-2168 (work) are coordinating the raffle.


Czopek’s Funeral Home (Chris Poirier, 734-285-9000) is donating the tickets that Hebda Service Printing (Marty, 734-285-9444, fax 8397) is printing.


Our State of Michigan raffle license number is R87992.


Prize 1- Zetterberg & Datsyuk autographed jerseys,

Official jerseys of and autographed by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, $500 plus value.



Prize 2- 2 tickets Lions, Wings, Pistons & Tigers,

A pair of tickets for each of 4 different sporting events. The Lions December 24, 2006 (last home regular season game), contact the Ticket Office at (313) 262-2003 after 8-23, the (Detroit Red Wings Community Relations 600 Civic Center Drive Detroit, MI 48226, 313 396-7524 – hotline, 313 567-0296 - fax) Red Wings (10-5 to 4-17) in the 3rd week of January 2007, the Pistons (11-2 to 4-19) in the 3rd week of February 2007 and the Tigers 4-3 to October) in the first home stand (likely 1st or 2nd week of April 2007) of the regular season.


Prize 3- 2 Theatre or Concert tickets,

At this time, this gift package is a pair of tickets to the Fisher theatre ( Fisher http://nederlanderdetroit.com/ ). (main-floor tickets approximately $85 each) to Spamalot, the 2005 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, December 2006, $170 value.


Prize 4- 5 hour Spa treatment package for one

The traditional package includes salt glow, shampoo finish, spa manicure, spa pedicure, one hour therapeutic massage and a lite lunch. Winner can substitute comparably priced services within package. J August Hair and Nail Salon (Barb 734-281-1400, estimated $185 value).

"CFE vs. MHSAA"
Posted Tuesday, June 13, 2006 by Tom Wilson

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals hearing was March 14, 2006.


Oral argumments were heard in the case "CFE vs. MHSAA" on Tuesday March 14. The case was reviewed by a three judge panel,in light of a 2005 Supreme Court ruling that affects how remedies are decided under federal law. An opinion from the Court is expected within 30-60 days.

Help Outing Please
Posted Sunday, June 5, 2005 by Tom Wilson

Dear Friends,


FAAB of Wyandotte is now working on our next golf outing. Our 5 th Annual event is scheduled for Riverview Highlands Golf Course, Riverview, MI. It is on Friday, June 23, 2006. Last year our golfers from throughout Downriver had a fun outing and we expect the same this year. We would like your support this year? I have failed to attract enough support, to give equal scholarship dollars to female athletes. This year, girls will get $300 less per student, than male athletes get. It is only because of this FAAB outing, since 2000, that female athletes will get even the $700 per student, they will get. We could especially use your help by the donation of one or more door prizes in your name, volunteer to help us in a non golfing capacity, on the day, as a tee sponsor ($150 share tee, $300 at tee alone) or to encourage (foursomes) to golf at our event ($75 per golfer)?


We still have not met our initial goal of providing a similar total of scholarship dollars to girls, as our boys receive, but after a successful 2005 outing, we hope we will reach this goal. If you can support our event, please contact me. Checks in support of Female Athletes should be made payable to “Female Alumni Athletic Boosters” (or FAAB of Wyandotte) and mailed to me.



Please accept our deep gratitude for any help you can now offer.


Tom Wilson, President
Female Alumni Athletic Boosters (FAAB of Wyandotte)
4045-23rd Street
Wyandotte, MI 48192-6902
313-235-2168 (work)
http://mi-gender-equity.com/

CFE vs MHSAA
Posted Saturday, November 20, 2004 by Tom Wilson

Dear Friends,

On November 9, the Communities For Equity (CFE) group received the ruling from the Sixth Circuit that the Court would not allow MHSAA an en banc hearing before all 13 Judges. This follows the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 27 ruling in favor of CFE. It was 3 judges for - and 0 against. There was no ambiguity. MHSAA discriminates. The likely next step is for MHSAA to seek a hearing before the US Supreme Court. Our deep thanks to CFE for their great commitment. If you know of a females athlete who would speak to Michigan newpapers about the harm the seasons situation cost them, please call me at 313-235-2168 (work) or 734-283-5482 (home)!

Title IX Coordinator's Forum
Posted Wednesday, May 5, 2004 by Tom Wilson

Dear Friends,

Those of us who worked with the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Office of Civil Rights, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Office of Career and Technical Preparation and the Michigan Women's Commission, to help plan the recent April 16, Title IX Coordinator's Forum had mixed feelings about its results.
· It was wonderful to see the room filled by the 103 registered participants.
· It was wonderful to have the Training Forum started with an introduction by Kathleen Straus, President, Michigan State Board of Education.
· Many thanks to the hard work by Roberta E. Stanley, Director of Administrative Law and Federal Relations and Title IX Coordinator, Michigan Department of Education, her staff, Larry Betz, Attorney, Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Elizabeth Thompson, Program Specialist with the Michigan Women's Commission and Norma Tims, Title IX Coordinator, Office of Career and Technical Preparation, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, in planning and making this event possible.

We were pleased to have Michael Gallagher, Team Leader, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Cleveland, Ohio, with us at the Forum. We did not know in advance, but Mr. Gallagher only spoke about Title IX by speaking about sexual harassment. We have since learned that Mr. Gallagher was told by Washington to only talk about sexual harassment. I have informed Donna Lopiano, Executive Director of the Women's Sports Foundation about this interesting Washington control development.

We did not get to hear from our friend Marlana Krolicki, Ed. D., Oakland Schools, Career Focused Education and we did not hear much from Mark Thomas, Principal, Northview High School, Northview Public Schools; and Salome Gerbre - Egziabher, Field Services Specialist, Programs for Educational Opportunity, University of Michigan. We very much enjoyed hearing from Dr. E. Sharon Banks, Superintendent, Lansing Public Schools.

Friends, our April 16 Forum happened and it was a great first step. Many people felt future forums should be more nuts and bolts of being a local Title IX Coordinator. I have every confidence that the Forum planned for the fall will be even better.

Friends, I close this note by telling you that the MGET site reached a new high of 9,200 hits last month (April). Our average for monthly hits is now at 6,600. Thanks to each of you to tell others to use the MGET site.

Complain to Get Equal Cheers
Posted Monday, March 15, 2004 by Tom Wilson

It has been suggested that individuals volunteer to file a Title IX complaint with the Cleveland Office Of Civil Rights, against their area Michigan local school district(s).

The complaintant would allege that the local district;

1) "Does not equally provide sideline cheering to boys and girls athletic teams". A complaint would be that all boys basketball and football games have sideline cheering, but no girls sports do.

2) "Does not equally allow and encourage both boys and girls to try out for and to be members of sideline cheering teams". By doing the above, local districts would be creating the opportunity for boy and girl cheerleaders to support both boy and girl athletes, and

3) "Does not equally provide prime-time play days to boy and girl athletes". The complaint would be that boys are scheduled for prime time league play days for their major sports, while girls are not.

Title IX does not recognize cheerleading as a sport, MHSAA does not consider sideline cheering a sport.

Dreadful EMU Soccer Field
Posted Saturday, February 21, 2004 by Tom Wilson

Mr. Gary Carl (carlga@dteenergy.com), on behalf of the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) women's soccer team has contacted me regarding his options to help the team. Gary describes the EMU soccer field as being "extremely deficient as compared to all the men's facilities at EMU".

I indicated to Gary that someone needs to review the EMU capital athletic budget and see what they have spent their money on in the last 3 years and what their long term capital spending plan says they want to spend their money on in the future. That they need to work to make the case that facility spending is not fair between male and female facilities. That they need to find out from the "EMU Athletic Club" and find out what they have spent their money on in the last 3 years and what their long term spending plan says they want to spend their money on in the future.

Finally, I suggested he communicate with other staff at EMU, who are also interested in making sure that women at EMU receive comparable support. I told him I would discuss the need of the EMU womens soccer team with the equity advocates I communicate with. The immediate need being to identify other staff at EMU who could help him get the info he needs. Please let Carl or I know of any staff at EMU who you feel might help. As always, thanks.

Gender equity success in Washington State
Posted Tuesday, January 20, 2004 by Tom Wilson

Dear Friends,


I am so happy to forward an important message from our gender equality advocate colleagues from the State of Washington. Please note this message below. If the State of Washington can take the important steps of gender equality in classroom management, teacher training to acquire skills to know how to achieve equal results for both genders and equal athletic treatment, we hope Michigan will soon follow. We hope the steps the representatives of MGET associated groups, who are currently meeting with the State of Michigan Department Of Education, as well as in touch with education unions, and the professional organizations who have not shown a desire to find common ground to achieve gender equality, can together, achieve such success and more for Michigan. We hope you and your organizations help us communicate this need.

As you discuss what the State of Washington has done with your friends, please know, educational data disaggregated by gender, is already available in Michigan. Michigan local schools are only asked to use their data. Michigan local schools are asked to report their data by gender by school building, to the public.

However, few Michigan local schools use or report the disaggregated data by building, to the public. Michigan local schools are not required to implement improvement plans to remedy the underservice to an underserved gender. Michigan local schools are not asked for the equal treatment in athletics surveys Title IX requires. MHSAA is not required to provide equal treatment data or reports regarding MHSAA's management of the athletic rules and tournament plans for Michigans schools. Finally, there is no Michigan enforcement mechanism to make sure unfair treatment is corrected, when local schools or MHSAA fails to report or correct unfair treatment.


Tom Wilson
Initiator, Michigan Gender Equity Team (MGET)
4045-23rd Street
Wyandotte, MI 48192-6902
313-235-2168 (work)
http://mi-gender-equity.com
tomwilson@mi-gender-equity.com

Dear Colleague,

I am delighted to inform you that as of today, gender equity is now legally required for teacher and administrator certification in Washington State.

The goal of the National Science Foundation-sponsored Washington State Gender Equity Project (1999-2002, extended to 2003; the grantee was the Washington Research Institute in Seattle) was to incorporate gender equity into the teacher education establishment in Washington State.

Among other project activities, a small group of participants from across the state (listed at the end of this message) worked persistently and presented multiple times to various statewide groups to get three gender-in-education recommendations implemented at the state level.

Today's accomplishment was the State Board of Education’s 9-to-0 vote to amend the language of the Washington Administrative Code to reflect our suggestions. Essentially, the law now specifically adds gender to its previous inclusion of multicultural knowledge and skills at three places in the WAC.


Another change, to disaggregate all education data in the state by sex, was accomplished in 2003 with major assistance from Larry Davis, Executive Director of the State Board of Education.


The third change is to ensure that a classroom observation instrument, which is now being developed for use with student teachers across the state, incorporates gender as well as culture. Because the observation instrument is based on the law, which now specifies gender, we have high hopes for success here as well.

To my knowledge, Washington State may be the only state to specify gender in the law governing its teacher and administrator certification requirements. This accomplishment was six years in the making, and we are thrilled to have achieved it. We are happy to share our good news with you. Please feel free to share it with others.

Sincerely,

Jo Sanders, Director, Washington State Gender Equity Project

My deepest thanks and huge congratulations to —
Linda Beath, Central Washington University
Diane Jones, University of Washington
Judy Mitchell, Washington State University
Eileen Reilich, St. Martin’s College
Mark Roddy, Seattle University
Larry Davis, Washington State Board of Education

***********************
Jo Sanders
Gender equity specialist
Writer and trainer
Consultant to Nonprofit Organizations
1238 N.W. 120th Street
Seattle, WA 98177
(206) 367-8485
Cell (206) 227-5884
Fax (206) 367-1508
jo@josanders.com
http://www.josanders.com

Speak to People on Groups Fighting CFE Lawsuit
Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2003 by Tom Wilson

July 29, 2003

Michigan School Groups Working against the fair treatment of Michigan female athletes lawsuit.

The following people (representing high school principals and others) on the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) Board of Directors, that approved MASSP opposing the fair treatment of Michigan female athletes lawsuit are;

President, Bill Scaletta, Lakeshore High School, Stevensville; Kirk Baese, Ovid Elsie High School, Clinton County; Barbara Knuth, Hope Middle School, Holt; Ray Balutowicz, Meads Mill Middle School, Northville; Mark Thomas, Northview High School, Grand Rapids; Melody Hasselback, Bath Middle School, Breitung Twp.; Glady Nienstaedt, Kingsford Middle School, Breitung Twp.; Gary Grundman, Charlevoix High School, Charlevoix; David Barry, Walled Lake Central High School, Walled Lake; Kirk Wyers, Jr., Newaygo County Career-Tech Center, Newaygo; Scott Starkweather. Van Buren Voc-Tech Center, Van Buren County; Jay Kulbertis, Gladstone Area High School, Gladstone; Terry Urquhart, Loy Norrix High School, Kalamazoo; Dennis Furton, Glen Lake Secondary, Glen Lake; Penny Snyder, Jonesville Middle School, Hillsdale; Dick Nolan, Orchard View High School, Muskegon; Mary Stephen, Malow Junior High School, Utica; Don Zoller, Frankenmuth High School, Frankenmuth; Mary McFarlane, Roosevelt High School, Wyandotte; Bob Rood, Marine City High School, East China; Emeral Crosby, Murray Wright High School, Detroit; Erik Bergh, Northwest High School, Jackson; Larry Boehms, Troy High School, Troy; Earl Bryant, Taft Middle School, Detroit; Diane McMillan, Ottawa Hills High School, Grand Rapids; Gary Deuman, Alternate High School, Sault Ste. Marie and Blaine Goodrich, Western Middle School, May City.

The following people on the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) Board of Directors, which has Jack Roberts, Executive Director of MHSAA as a routine participant, that approved MIAAA opposing the fair treatment of Michigan female athletes lawsuit are;

Karen Leinaar, President, Gaylord; Melanie Miller, Lansing Sexton; Jim Gilmore, Tecumseh; Dave Price, Caledonia; Ken Semelsberger, Port Huron; George Lovich, retired; Tim Hall, Sault Ste. Marie; Cody Inglis, Sutton’s Bay; Dan Matusiewicz, Muskegon Catholic; Dave Chrisinke, Allendale; Larry Wegener, Battle Creek Central; Kristen Isom, Adrian Madison, Adrian; Jamie Gent, Haslett, Lansing; Pete Ryan, Saginaw Heritage; John Amend, Akron Fairgrove, Fairgrove; Jim Venia, Marysville; Bob Gershman, Berkley; Dail Prucka, Monroe Jefferson, Monroe; Vic Michaels, Detroit Catholic League; and Bill Houseman, Portage Central Middle, Portage.

The following people on the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) Board of Directors, that approved MASB opposing the fair treatment of Michigan female athletes lawsuit are; Kevin Hollenbeck, President, Portage Public Schools, Email: hollenbeck@we.upjohninst.org, Lynn Hayes, President Elect, Berrien County ISD, Email: rhayes@remc11.k12.mi.us, Alberta Martin, Vice President, Lake Fenton Community Schools, Email: abmartin@tir.com, Gary Scholten, Past President, Zeeland Public Schools, Email: leegaryscholten@aol.com, Brad Baltensperger, Director, Houghton-Portage Township Schools, Email: brad@mtu.edu, Robert Binert, Director, Van Buren Public Schools, Email: rbinert@peoplepc.com, Carol Borich, Director, Huron Valley School; Oakland Schools, Email: carol.borich@oakland.k12.mi.us, James W. Dittmer, Director
Mason County Central Schools, Mason-Lake ISD, Email: jdittmer@mlisd.k12.mi.us, Margra L. Grillo, Director, Gladwin Community Schools; Clare-Gladwin RESD, Email: mgrillo@edzone.net, Ben Harris, Director, Tawas Area Schools, Email: lanechanger@voyager.net, Lynda Jackson, Director, Ecorse Public Schools, Wayne County RESA, Email: lyndaj_30@hotmail.com, Mary Jason, Director, East Jordan Public Schools, Charlevoix-Emmet ISD, Email: Jason@boyne.k12.us, Lillian G. Mason, Director, Grand Blanc Community Schools, Email: lmason@central-office.grand-blanc.k12.mi.us, Sue Murawski, Director, Clare Public Schools, Email: sum@core.com, Frank Reid, Director, Farmington Public Schools, Email: frank.l.reid@jci.com, Earl C. Rickman, Director, Mount Clemens Community Schools, Email: rickmane@mc-fs-2.mtclemens.k12.mi.us, Paula Saari, Director, Marquette-Alger ISD, Email: psbb@up.net, Susan Schulte, Director, Clintondale Community Schools, Email: susan@schulte.net, James Woolfolk, Jr., Director, Saginaw City Public Schools, Email: jameswwoolfolk@aol.com, Mike Tenbusch, Director, Detroit Public Schools, Email: miketenbusch@thinkdetroit.org.

Data Gathering Report
Posted Monday, July 22, 2002 by Tom Wilson

My Dear Equal Rights Advocate Friends,

Find below the wonderful work product of our friend Liz Homer of NOW. A work product only possible with the Statewide support of our friends in the chapters and branches of Michigan AAUW and NOW. A report that speaks well about the openness, interests and support of a number of Michigan’s local school districts. I feel this report is only the beginning of what we can do, together. I hope the educational organizations will consider the findings in this report, help communicate the findings. We hope you will work with us to make this survey an annual effort with greater participation, including feedback on how districts have taken meaningful steps to meet our minimal expectations. I will post this report on the www.mi-gender-equity.com website and hope our associate groups do as well. Please provide input you feel is appropriate, including ideas of how to distribute our findings further. Thank you one and all.
Tom Wilson, initiator of MGET

July 22, 2002

M-GET Title IX Compliance Project
Survey Report

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Introduction

The Michigan Gender Equity Team is a statewide coalition of groups interested in supporting and encouraging the implementation of Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972. The Michigan Gender Equity Team is devoted to actions that ensure women and men, girls and boys, receive equal treatment, by providing information, resources and sponsoring projects that can help. For more information about M-GET, go to our web site, http://mi-gender-equity.com/index.shtml.

In 1970 US Congressional hearings documented the effects of sex discrimination in America’s educational facilities, policies, and practices. In response, Title IX was passed in 1972 as an Amendment to the Education Act. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare took three years to develop the implementing guidelines and received over 10,000 comments on the Title IX regulations - more than ever before received on a single issue. The regulations called upon each school system to complete a self-evaluation to see if its own activities were in compliance with Title IX by July of 1976. Districts were required to change activities wherever they were in violation and to take remedial steps to help people, who have been discriminated against on the basis of sex, to catch up. Under Title IX each educational system must designate an employee (the Title IX coordinator) to coordinate compliance efforts.

Project Description

In the spring of 2002, M-GET undertook a survey of school districts to see how well they were complying with Title IX. The organizations involved with the data collection were the Michigan Conference of the National Organization of Women and the American Association of University Women. The location of local chapters of these organizations was instrumental in determining the areas where districts were contacted. Sixty-five public school districts participated in the survey.

The survey asked for data in six areas. Since the purpose was to ascertain whether districts were meeting minimal requirements, documents were not analyzed to determine the quality of the response, but rather only to determine if the district was meeting minimal requirements. In some cases it may be that some districts are doing a better job than indicated, since the responses varied according to the professionalism of the contact person - some were more thorough than others.

As the data was being compiled, districts were given the benefit of the doubt. For example, if the district provided a policy statement listing where the policy was published, we took their word for it.

Under the Freedom of Information Act districts may charge citizens for asking for information. Two districts wanted to charge so much that the information from them was not obtained, e.g., Bloomfield Hills wanted to charge $89.90 and Clarenceville, under the advice of an attorney, said we would have to pay $500. For the most part, districts were very cooperative and if districts charged anything at all, it was under $5.00. Thomas C. Smith, Superintendent of the Escanaba School District and a strong supporter of Title IX wrote, A Given that this information was readily available in my office and the time to compile it was short; there will be no duplication fees.

M-GET helped develop the recommendations at the conclusion of this report as part of a group working specifically on Title IX athletic issues, but the suggestions outline the important steps needed to continue to make progress toward gender equity in all areas in Michigan schools.

Project Findings

Policy Compliance

The good news is that most public school districts have a Title IX coordinator and the policies and procedures for Title IX and sexual harassment are in order. Still, 16 percent of the districts did not provide information about the designated Title IX coordinator, 30 percent did not provide a published grievance procedure and 22 percent did not provide a sexual harassment policy.

Some districts are going far beyond minimum requirements. For example, Baldwin includes equal educational opportunity as part of its goal statement. Traverse City has an active Gender Equity Committee with a brochure listing services available to schools in the district and a comprehensive plan as part of its School Improvement Plan. Nice Community School District had strong gender equity outcomes for academics. Others took pride in being in front of the issue, as one Superintendent put it.

School Improvement Process

The most disturbing finding of the study is that even though it has been 30 years since Title IX was enacted, school districts do not appear to be incorporating Title IX requirements into the School Improvement Process. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by the traditional school organizations, the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Association of School Administrators, the Michigan School Board Association, the Accreditation Agencies and School Improvement consultants. Teacher organizations, the MEA and AFT, could also be helpful. Twenty percent of the districts in the survey do address gender equity in their School Improvement Plan. Not every district sent a School Improvement Plan.

Use of Disaggregated Data

Most districts report MEAP scores by sex, but not much other data were disaggregated. The MEAP gender gap varies widely from district to district, grade level to grade level, and even year to year. These differences should raise a red flag to School Improvement Teams, but we could not tell whether they were being addressed in their annual plans. One district analyzed the MEAP data by school building, revealing one elementary school that stood out in terms of the large gender gap in its MEAP scores. We can only hope this building received special attention because of this gap.

Athletics Interest Assessment

Few athletic departments have conducted an assessment of the sports interests of students. Of those that had, fewer still had provided recommendations for changing sports program offerings. A form provided by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), was frequently used to survey student interests. This form listed sports by season as they are currently offered, forcing students to pick and choose between sports that were offered in the same season. This form subtly helps insure that the status quo regarding seasons is maintained. Also under the auspices of the MHSAA, some districts include offerings in cheerleading as a sport. This is an extra-curricular activity similar to band, and is not considered part of the calculations when determining equity in sports. Counting cheerleading limits the sports opportunities of female athletes. Some districts also listed pom pons and even pom/danz, which may be popular activities but are not sports.

Last year, in a Title IX athletics survey of nine school districts from the Detroit Downriver area not included in this study, the AAUW found that fewer than half had conducted an interest survey.

Use of Nonsexist Language

One important finding was not part of the survey but came through consistently, it is that the use of sexist language in public education is pretty much dead if the wide variety of materials we sampled are any indication. We found no instances of sexist terminology or word usage in any documents, publications, or correspondence. This is truly a fine accomplishment.

Survey Results
1. Designation of a Title IX Coordinator According to 34 CFR Section 106.8 of Title IX, every school district must designate at least one employee to coordinate compliance efforts and investigate any complaints of sex discrimination: all students and employees must be notified of the name, office address, and phone number of this employee. Districts were asked to send documents used by the school district to provide this notification including the required information regarding the current Title IX coordinator for the district.

Of the 65 districts responding, 56, or 86 percent, had a designated Title IX coordinator, or an individual serving in that capacity. Only 46, or 70 percent, provided a document that would meet the requirements for notification.

Many of the respondents provided documents designed by the Northeast Ohio Learning Associates (NEOLA). NEOLA develops policy and administrative guidelines for school districts in six states. They have 250 client districts in Michigan. We can assume all of these districts policies are in compliance. There was a trend among these districts to combine compliance statements for Title VI and section 504, and sometime ADA and the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act into one statement under such titles as a statement of Affirmation of Nondiscrimination or Access to Equal Educational Opportunity. Seven of these districts used the term A Civil Rights Coordinator.

2. Grievance Procedure According to 34 CFR Section 106.8(b) of Title IX, every school district must adopt and publish grievance procedures providing for resolution of student and employee complaints. A published copy of the district’s Title IX grievance procedures was requested.

Seventy percent of the school districts provided a grievance procedure, most had separate but similar grievance procedures for students and employees. It was not always clear that these policies were published. Student and Employee Handbooks and district or building newsletters were the most common documents used for the publication of the grievance procedure.

3. Notification of Policy According to 34 CFR Section 106.9 of Title IX, every school district must take specific and continuing steps to notify applicants for admission, students, parents, employees, and all unions or professional organizations holding bargaining or professional agreements with the district of its compliance with Title IX. Districts were asked to provide recent examples of the districts notification to these groups of Title IX compliance.

Sixty-nine percent of the districts provided one or more examples of publications and documents with a Title IX compliance statement. These statements of equal opportunity usually covered other categories of civil rights as well. Publications included the district’s letterhead, newsletters, handbooks, calendars, annual reports, employment applications, and so forth.

4. Sexual Harassment Policy According to the 1993 Amendments to the Michigan School Code, PA 335, '1300a, requires that the board of each school district shall adopt and implement a written sexual harassment policy. At a minimum, the policy shall prohibit sexual harassment by school district employees, board members and pupils directed toward other employees or pupils and shall specify penalties for violation of the policy. A published copy of the district’s Sexual Harassment Policy was requested.

Seventy-eight percent of the districts had a Sexual Harassment Policy. However, it was not always clear that the policy was published. Almost all of the Upper Peninsula districts had a policy because of their reliance on NEOLA. Student and employee handbooks were most commonly submitted to demonstrate the sexual harassment policy and grievance procedure were published.

5. Addressing Sex Equity in the School Improvement Plan According to the 1993 Amendments to the Michigan School Code, PA 335, '1277a, the information assembled regarding each school building in the district to prepare the school’s annual educational report, is disaggregated by gender and that all gender equity issues raised by the disaggregated information described are to be addressed as part of the planning, development, implementation, evaluation, and updating of the school improvement plan of each school within the school district, or an explanation given to the community for why it is not addressed. The most recent school improvement documents showing the use of disaggregated data as described in this section of PA 335 were requested.

Only 13, or just 20 percent, showed that they addressed gender gaps in disaggregated data in their School Improvement Plans. Districts rarely disaggregate data for vocational-technical education, athletics, extra curricular activities and employment, other test data, or dropout and enrollment data. Thirty-five percent of the districts submitted documents which indicated they published MEAP data disaggregated by sex, although sometimes this was in school newsletters, brochures, calendars or reports other than the School Improvement Plan.

6. Athletics Interest Survey According to 34 CFR Section 106.41(c) of Title IX, (c) Equal Opportunity, a school district, which operates or sponsors interscholastic, intercollegiate, club or intramural athletics, shall provide equal opportunity for members of both sexes. In determining whether equal opportunities are available the Director will consider, among other factors: (i) whether the selection of sports and levels of competition effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of members of both sexes. Districts were asked to send the most recent assessment report of the sports interests and levels of competition for students disaggregated by sex and the resulting action plan.

Only 19, or 25 percent, of the districts presented documents indicating they had done a student athletics interest assessment and only eight, or 12 percent, provided a report indicating recommendations or actions taken as a result of the assessment.

Blue Ribbon Panel Recommendations go beyond Athletics
A new group has been formed in Michigan that shines a bright spot on gender equity in high school sports. This group has convened to address some of the inequities that exist in girls athletics as highlighted in the Communities for Equity v. MHSAA lawsuit. By agreement the group did not deal with issue of sport seasons or the representation of women in MHSAA decision-making. It does set forth a plan for achieving equity in sports. That, coupled with the recent consent agreement, could lead to real progress for girls in athletics in Michigan. While the plan was developed through the avenue of athletics, its scope and therefore, its impact will be far greater.

Below are the seven recommendations adopted by the Blue Ribbon Panel on gender Equity in High School Athletics at the final meeting February 21, 2001 in St. Johns. The panel was convened by State Representative Doug Hart and was composed of MHSAA officials, parents, coaches, and members of the state advocacy groups: National Organization for Women and the Michigan Gender Equity Team. The panel held hearings and developed the following recommendations in the hopes of increasing equity in Michigan schools.

By school year 2002-2003, every Michigan K-12 public school district will be asked to publicly identify a Title IX officer in its Annual Report to the community. The Title IX officers of these districts will be asked to complete one Title IX in-service by 2003-2004 and to annually attend a Title IX in-service.

By school year 2002-2003, every Michigan K-12 local school board will be asked to adopt an equity policy that includes a procedure for addressing equity concerns in academic, athletics, and other extracurricular activities, as required by Title IX. The State Board of Education will be asked to develop a model policy that local school boards can adopt or adapt.

The panel will request that by 2002-2003, the State of Michigan will earmark state funds for the purpose of assisting K-12 districts in performing a Title IX audit and developing a plan for addressing issues of compliance.

By school year 2002-2003, every major state education association will be encouraged to elevate the impact of fairness and equity on student success at their annual conferences and to provide workshops on Title IX and other related topics.

By school year 2002-2003, state and community foundations will be asked to set Equity in Education as a priority for funding K-12 projects that will assist school districts in developing a fair and equitable learning environment for all students.

By 2003-2004, every Michigan K-12 school district should complete a Title IX audit of their athletic programs as well as a plan to address issues connected with compliance. This plan will be included as part of the district’s school improvement plan as published in its Annual Report to the community.

Local districts will be asked to present an annual Title IX report summarizing their progress to their local school boards and communities. The Department of Education, in consultation with every major state education association, will coordinate this recommendation and provide prototypes for the Title IX audit and will alert the Regional Educational Consultants to serve as resources.

Participants

We would like to thank these M-GET survey committee members for their assistance in gathering the data for this study: Irene Brown, Mickey Edell-Cotner, Bonita Edmon, Elaine Franklin, Rosemarie Jayroe, Jean Jokipii, Mary Sue Sickafus, Joyce Squires, Elizabeth Miller, Cynthia Peck, Joyce Squires, Deborah Trombly, Linda Varonich, Tom Wilson, April Woodward-Slack and Lotus W. Yound.

We would like to thank the following districts for their participation in this study

:
Adams Township
Allendale
Baldwin
Baraga Area
Bark River-Harris
Big Bay de Noc
Burt Township
Buckley
Calumet-Laurium- Keweenaw
Comstock Park
Coopersville
Chelsea
Clarkson
DeTour Village
Engadine Consolidated
Escanaba Area
East Grand Rapids
Forest Hills
Forest Park
Free Soil
Garden City
Gladstone Area
Glen Lake
Grand Rapids
Gwinn Area
Hancock
Houghton-Portage
Holly
Huron Valley/Milford
Ishpeming
Kenowa Hills
Kingsley
Lake Orion
Lamphere Schools
L=Anse Area
Lake Linden-Hubbell
Ludington
Mackinaw Island
Madison Heights
Manchester
Manistique
Marquette Area
Mason County Central
Mason County Eastern
Mid Peninsula
Munising
Negaunee
Nice
North Dickinson
Ontonagon Area
Pentwater
Pickford
Powell Township
Rapid River
Republic-Michigamme
Rockford
Rudyard Area
Sault Area
St. Ignace Area
Superior Central
Tahquamenon
Whitefish Township
Traverse City
Willow Run
Ypsilanti

The author of this report is Elizabeth A. Homer ( lizlansing@mindspring.com ), chair of the Michigan NOW Education Task Force and a member of M-GET.
Inquiries regarding this report and M-GET may be sent to Tom Wilson, chair of M-GET, at 4045 23rd Street, Wyandotte, MI 48192-6902, tomwilson@mi-gender-equity.com.