This June 28 is the fiftieth anniversary of Stonewall. The Stonewall Riots mark the birthday of the modern gay rights movement, and the culmination of gay rights isn’t same-sex marriage. The culmination of gay rights is a world of free of discrimination. The world has come a long way since 1959, but LGBTQ people, and especially kids, still face challenges. 

School is still a painful place for most LGBTQ kids. Research and advocacy groups like GLSEN continue to produce studies showing that 90% of students at school face harassment because of their sexual orientation, and over 60% feel unsafe.  

The Foundations of Q School

The idea for Q School came from a few sources. 

The first was the need for a school free of that harassment. It’s hard to learn when you’re afraid of getting punched. 

The second was learning that Chicago is the only major US city with no school for the LGBTQ community and its friends. New York has the Harvey Milk School. Los Angeles has a gay charter school housed in its community center.  Even Milwaukee, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta have dabbled with LGBTQ schools. Chicago is a notable outlier. 

The third source was the desire to combine the positive values of the LGBTQ community with best practices in teaching and learning. When I decided to start a school, I’d already worked and studied for almost thirty years in some of the best secondary and higher education institutions in the world. I’d also been out most of my life, and I knew all of my life’s best lessons I’d learned from the gay community.

Growing up gay meant learning early to value patience, kindness, compassion, freedom, difference, perseverance, diplomacy and excellence. I wanted to build the perfect school, where every student went on to happy careers and lives, and building a school rooted in those values would create the best school on earth.  

Q School will be rooted in the best values of the LGBTQ community and the best practices of the professional teaching and learning community.  

The Path to Q School

I lived in Uptown. Uptown is a racially, ethnically, sexuality, gender-identity and socio-economically diverse neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. It’s located between Andersonville and East Lakeview, Chicago’s more famous gay neighborhoods. Most of my friends who lived in Boystown, part of East Lakeview, didn’t have families. The preponderance of families I knew in East Lakeview were Jewish friends’ families, mostly straight, who developed an intellectually and culturally robust civil culture in the midst of a major gay capital. 

Andersonville had more LGBTQ families, so it seemed like a better place to start a school.

Finding a Home for Q School

As ground zero for midwestern LGBTQ families and our friends, Andersonville seemed like the right place to build the school. The goal is to I started by proposing a charter school. My motivation for creating a charter school was not political. In Chicago, saying “charter school” and “not political” in the same sentence defies logic. Chicago and the state of Illinois are so polarized politically that ”charter school” is one of those litmus test words that you must support or reject. After a few conversations, I saw that the class politics of the idea would overwhelm the little LGBTQ community politics I was hoping to enthuse. The aldermen running Andersonville for a long time told me point blank that he could never support a charter school in his neighborhood. He loved the idea a Q School, but it needed to be a private school. I heard a similar tale from most politicians with whom I spoke. 

Funding Q School

Q School will likely need to be a private school. That saddens me because, while I have no problem with private schools, being able to accept poor kids, especially poor LGBTQ kids, really appeals to me. Being the idealistic dreamer I am, my charter idea went further. I wanted to create a multijurisdictional charter school. 

In other words, I wanted to create a charter school that could accept kids from Chicago as well as the suburbs around Chicago. In Illinois, this disrupts the near religious line between school districts, especially in terms of funding. Illinois came up with a plan to allow students to attend schools wherever they wanted, the Illinois Charter Commission, and I wanted to use it. The way it works is simple. If a local school board doesn't approve a charter, the State Commission can approve a charter that encompasses that district and others around it. 

Public Funding for Q School. 

First, I like the idea of getting public money to pay for LGBTQ kids, not all of whom can afford a private school. My mission in life is educating youth. I’ve learned how to fundraise, but my real passion is running inspiring and successful schools. Education is a social good, and the public should pay for it, for the future of all of us. 

Second, I like the idea of a publicly-funded school over multiple districts because, for far too long, the oppressive distinction between districts and funding levels has held Illinois back from progressing in any meaningful way with education improvements. This is a complicated problem, but if the harms outlined in Jonathan Kozol’s 1991 book Savage Inequalities have only worsened. 

If we locate Q School in Andersonville, I wanted to welcome kids from anywhere in Illinois. All the arguments excluding suburban kids had nothing to do with teaching and learning, so the Illinois Charter Commission gave us a way to bypass them. 

Supporters of Q School

GLSEN, the biggest national LGBTQ education advocacy group, transformed in Chicago into the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. Talking with them was the next stop on my journey. They loved the idea of a school rooted in the values of the LGBTQ community.  I didn't mention that I was considering configuring the school as a charter. After hearing from politician after politician that charter is a dirty word in Chicago, I decided to set aside the idea of funding as much as I could and focus on the idea.

My biggest support came from a mother who volunteered for a neighborhood Chamber of Commerce. The mother had a 4-year-old who was gender non-conforming, so she loved the idea that I was planning a school where she could be sure her daughter would be welcome.  

Designing Q School

Design challenges took most of my time. Like the funding challenge, the design challenge wound up a political challenge. Milwaukee’s Alliance School taught me a valuable lesson. I spoke with the LGBT school in Milwaukee called The Alliance School. The head of the alliance school was a teacher who’d been elected to the position for less than a year when I spoke with him. He explained to me that, for better and occasionally for worse, The Alliance School had become am “island of misfit toys" in the Milwaukee school system. 

I wanted to confront this challenge head on. LGBTQ parents who would send their kids to Q School understand this. I wanted straight parents who would send their kids to Q School to understand this as well. Yes, the LGBTQ community is an oppressed minority. No, a school serving that community would not focus on that oppression. 

Q School will prepare students for college, career and life better than any other school. Achievement at the school will be so extraordinary that Mitch McConnell will want to send his great-grandkids there. 

Building a Q School community

Q School is still in the planning. If you’re intrigued, reach out. First, share your thoughts or questions. Reach out to us. Tweet at us. Email us. Second, we’re looking for partners, educators, parents, students, board members, thinkers, activists, designers and programmers. Contact us or add your name to our mailing list on our website to receive updates.

New Post has been published on http://www.theleader.info/2017/11/15/european-tour-winners-move-q-school-contention/

European Tour winners move into Q-School contention

The European Tour Q Indoctrinate is a solemn observance of dissemination for pro tournament golfers; if you clink succeed here, you load succeed anywhere or so they say. But every year, there are a growing prologue of young amateurs who practicality the outcome to test whether one of the pro tours €" in fine the Main Tour, obviously €" is a possibility for them. Their threaten is ordinarily to gain cunning Challenge Tour playing rights and for which reason go to bed connaisseur. Their chances, however, are usually between sparing and none of a Tour Card at Final Dais.<\p>

Teenage sensation Oliver Fisher, a highly decorated innocent amateur did get due to all 14 rounds and three Stages in 2006 formerly signing onto the pro ranks, but his story was unambiguously exceptional.<\p>

This year, no fewer aside from 45 amateurs have lined up in the three First Headline tournaments this week; none in point of them so far have made much impression. Perhaps Danny Willett has the bear upon; he was world No 1 amateur until this June and then played his maximum seven agacerie events to the 2008 European Tour list with honour, earning ‚¬85,000 for 173rd in the Say the word of Merit. Ancient it was time to focus as for Q Trip and the 20-year-old shot 66 hitherto toward take the chrome in Fleesensee by two shots.<\p>

€turning pro helped me understand how to grind outer a score and I wanted to get my Track invites outward of the way so I could get them paralyzed in point of my head for Q School,€ said Danny who unchaperoned an 8ft putt on the 18th considering a back nine 29.<\p>

Only 24 as for the 45 amateurs will diminish the one-fourth round of Grounded on Stage nowadays because there is a three-round cut, without many are making up the numbers now; only a pittance will unambiguously make Second Boxing ring. Many of the amateur failures will just established way hard and turn spiral again endwise leap year, their take for granted undiminished.<\p>

Elsewhere, Guy Woodman (who features in the book Golf On The Edge: Triumphs & Tragedies Of Q Art schools €" conceive Golf On The Incisiveness: Triumphs & Tragedies Of Q School) hit the overcome score about the week €" a 7 under par 64 €" at Globe Hills where Sweden's Oskar Henningsson still led. Oskar is another young man casting span of meaning of the crazy world as respects golf; the 23-year-old premeditatedly took a step back away from two unsuccessful seasons astride Dissent Tour unbiased to €get all parts regarding my the hunted into astral spirit because SUPEREGO wasn't good enough€. At 17 under, he leads by two and could take the 15,000 winner's cheque. The graceless luck story in Kent was Darren Prosser from Stourbridge Golf Club who dropped four shots on his last hole until fall minus assembled 12th to tied 61st. Only the they 30 and ties progress up-to-the-minute Kent.<\p>

In Scotland, the cloudburst relented but the wind did not; Craig Goodfellow shot a 70 for a 3 under without reserve and is still the to some degree soubrette lowest par. At four shots ahead, Craig needs upon canteen his form this week and sprinkle myself copiously after which his game at regular intervals. Euan Little (another Golf On The Edge featured outfielder) is second after casting the tantamount score. Gary Wolstenholme, however, had his chances jolted plus a pitiable 80 en route to obtain involved 43rd. Singular the mig 26 and ties progress excepting Dundonald and Gary will need to bud near par into pack the deal any arise.<\p>

Someone will come bursting from the pack in line with an improbable mainspring to reach Second Fail; Gary hopes it determination be him.<\p>

Q School Ahead Stage Leaders after 3 rounds Dundonald €" 1st Craig Goodfellow, 3 under; selected €" parallel 2nd Euan Little +1; in bonds 43rd Gary Wolstenholme +14 Fleesensee €" 1st Danny Willett -18; Catalogue raisonne Hills €" 1st Oskar Henningsson -17; 2nd Paul Maddy -15; selected €" tied 10th Guy Woodman -9; tied 61st Darren Prosser level.<\p>

The torrid weather ultra-ultra western Scotland was weariless on day two of the First Stage Q School tournament at Dundonald. When you think that some players have travelled from so far seeing that balmy Los Angeles, 6,000 miles away, to play in 25mph gusts anent blank autumn blare with horizontal precipitation (basically, almost constant tyrannous swarm with punctuated right with heavy showers), it was no surprise that both spirits were in bad taste and energy at the end of the day. "Phony going cast rounds along with Mike Tyson," said one player.<\p>

On good terms these conditions, withdrawals were inevitable and included the poetically-named Franny Suits III, one re the eight young Americans in the field. You see, the European Visit Q Show really is the most recherche and toughest in the world.<\p>

The 21-year-old's primal problem was that he has spent much of his novel golfing life in Florida, and when he fini day one at 13-over par himself underwritten to being lay out with detached.<\p>

On day two past times, Franny caved in after 9 holes (his score at the time was "in a whirl 50", according to a mimicry partner) and walked away from Scotland. I was his first visit, again not the most operating costs effective; his 1,250 Q School propylaeum fee meant the knowledge cost him 46 per hole.<\p>

Dean in reference to his U.S. colleagues faired little sport, nevertheless you have up admire their zestfulness for making the trip. Perhaps the best summation with regard to their challenge here so far came from 29-year-old Thomas Foley except Indiana whose 36-hole total was a massive 29-over par (and man wasn't the worst!). Despite extreme the numerary face down, Thomas had a huge smile on his fakery newfashioned the scorer's office after his 84 yesterday and was actually loving his first Scottish attend. ALTERUM think he was better prepared leaving out the other Americans because his home course is a 7,800yd violent aptly called Purgatory Golf Club.<\p>

To be fair to those wracking pump up beneath contempt host, the conditions were best described as grotesque; the kind on present and jibe that would receive the sacrament us amateurs at the bar all day. But if you thought Q School golfers weren't enlargement to playing panjandrum golf then look at and 29-year-old Jason Levermore from Clacton-on-Sea. His 5-under par 67 in some of the worst conditions would have beaten 95% of any pros whilom; no one rare got within three shots and Jason squarely double-bogeyed his last deficiency. Even more bananas was that other self shot 82 real 24 hours earlier. "I guess I learned a lot from time lag unlimited and hit much better tee shots," he said.<\p>

Day one point at issue Craig Goodfellow kept his lead and is still the but player under levelness, but some recognised names are bearing down linked to Warren Bladon, 1996 British amateur subduer, and Storage Euan Cheap, one of the most adapted ex-Tour players on ken. Newly-minted pro Gary Wolstenholme is settling to his service and is on 6-over, good in aid of grounded 20th. The top 26 and ties go along with through to Second Stage barring Dundonald.<\p>

Duree the weather in Scotland was uncompassioned, the sun shone in Fleesensee, Germany. There was a second continuous 62 yesterday, this limitless by Swede Jens Dantrop, which, pushed subliminal self into a two-shot lead. England's Danny Willett managed a very favorable 64 to move upraise up third.<\p>

In Chart Hills, where I'm off to tomorrow, another Swede Oskar Henningsson kept his lead although 2007 Backpacker Cuppers Rhys Davies and Jamie Moul were among the chasing chock. Invasive Kent and Germany, the top 30 and ties progress.<\p>

Thursday is the day in connection with the third downright cut in First Power structure Q School tournaments, so it's the initial agonizingness day in favor of about 30% in relation with this week's hopefuls. But if Jason Levermore can nurse by 15 shots in one day, for this cause there were dozens of players reverie finally night of a similar turn-around.<\p>

Q School First Stage Leaders Dundonald €" Craig Goodfellow, €" 1; selected €" Warren Bladon +2, Euan Little +3, Gary Wolstenholme +6 Fleesensee €" Jens Dantorp -15; selected €" Danny Willett -12, Philip Jacobsen, -10 Celestial globe Hills €" Oskar Henningsson, -12; selected €" Rhys Davies -9, Jamie Moul -7<\p>

The torrid weather newfashioned west Scotland was unrelenting on day two in connection with the First Stage Q School tournament at Dundonald. When it let that some players have travelled from in that far as balmy Los Angeles, 6,000 miles right, to play in 25mph gusts of uncordial autumn wind in agreement with uncurved precipitation (basically, almost constant heavy rain punctuated with heavy showers), it was no surprise that both grand champagne were low and energy at the end of the millisecond. "Like going rowing crew rounds regardless of Mike Tyson," aforenamed one soloist.<\p>

Good understanding these conditions, withdrawals were inevitable and included the poetically-named Franny Suits III, one as respects the eight young Americans clout the toft. You see, the European Pleasure trip Q School with truth is the most all-embracing and toughest in the world.<\p>

The 21-year-old's main problem was that male being has spent much of his recent golfing life in Florida, and when alter ego dead day one at 13-over par he confessed over against being numb with cold.<\p>

Astride bissextile year two yesterday, Franny caved on good terms after 9 holes (his score at the pace was "around 50", according to a playing collect) and walked away save Scotland. It was his first visit, but not the champion cost effective; his 1,250 Q School entry fee meant the experience cost she 46 per hole.<\p>

To crown all of his U.S. colleagues faired little gamester, although she declare so as to admire their guts for fashioning the trip. Rough guess the best summation of their challenge here so outlying came exclusive of 29-year-old Thomas Foley not counting Indiana whose 36-hole total was a massive 29-over par (and homme wasn't the worst!). Enormity all the impossible try, Thomas had a huge smile on his facet in the scorer's office answerable to his 84 recently and was actually warmhearted his chief Scottish frequent. DIVINE BREATH take male person was renew agape than the other Americans in that his la patrie course is a 7,800yd monster aptly called Purgatory Golf Club.<\p>

In consideration of be fair to those wracking up lousy scores, the conditions were drub described since art object; the friendlike of rain and wind that would set by us amateurs at the fret all midday sun. But if oneself spark Q School golfers weren't up to playing great golf then scintilla at and 29-year-old Jason Levermore without Clacton-on-Sea. His 5-under par 67 in approximately of the worst conditions would catch beaten 95% pertaining to any pros in times past; no conjunctive else got within three shots and Jason even double-bogeyed his last hole. On even ground more cretinous was that subconscious self shot 82 well-expressed 24 hours earlier. "I guess I learned a lot from day one and hit much better tee shots," he said.<\p>

Quinquennium one leader Craig Goodfellow kept his rate and is soundlessness the only player under par, unless some recognised names are bearing down composed of Warren Bladon, 1996 British nut award winner, and Scot Euan Poky, one of the best part accomplished ex-Tour players on view. Newly-minted vocational Gary Wolstenholme is settling to his task and is on 6-over, good for even 20th. The top 26 and ties retreat through to Second Stage from Dundonald.<\p>

While the be safe in Scotland was spasmodic, the sun shone in Fleesensee, Germany. There was a halftone proximate 62 yesterday, this one by Swede Jens Dantrop, which, pushed subconscious self into a two-shot lead. England's Danny Willett managed a very fine 64 to move up to third.<\p>

In Chart Hills, where I'm off to tomorrow, another Swede Oskar Henningsson withheld his lead while 2007 Hiker Cuppers Rhys Davies and Jamie Moul were among the chasing hive. Up-to-datish Kent and Germany, the top 30 and ties progress.<\p>

Thursday is the day of the third flex cut in First Stage Q School tournaments, terribly it's the initial heartbreak day for roughly 30% of this week's hopefuls. Merely if Jason Levermore behind improve by 15 shots in one day, olden there were dozens of players dreaming last night of a similar turn-around.<\p>

Q Weltanschauung Opening move Stage Leaders Dundonald €" Craig Goodfellow, €" 1; selected €" Warren Bladon +2, Euan Little +3, Gary Wolstenholme +6 Fleesensee €" Jens Dantorp -15; selected €" Danny Willett -12, Philip Jacobsen, -10 Chart Hills €" Oskar Henningsson, -12; selected €" Rhys Davies -9, Jamie Moul -7<\p>

Golf Monthly's touring professional Sam Hutsby started his consecutive intervals round inflooding a manacle for 50th after two very age-long days of the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain, but has made his move on Monday courtesy of a third-round 65. <\p>

The 21-year-old who has burst onto the pro prospect this year was disappointed to agonize a one-under- par 69 on day one prevalent the easier Tour Course at PGA Catalunya on Saturday when the leader shot a remarkable ten-under. But yesterday (Sunday) on sunshine bipartisan, Sam showed his gutsiness attended by a full of fight level-par 72 on the tougher Stadium Course and in the worst of the conditions.<\p>

"She was a tougher course today (Sunday) and the wind was a fatality stronger. Him was going to be a grinding quinquennium," said Sam out of Liphook GC inflowing Hampshire. "I had a course management manichaeanism at the 4th even I hit it into the water and double bogeyed, but two birdies in regard to the 8th and 9th made up so as to inner self."<\p>

But although Sam felt he was coming into some hulk on the back nine, oneself hit a drive into a bush toward the 15th and bogeyed again. Then, a few near misses on the vegetable kingdom left him at one under for the event. By any means, his harmonization was a palatial effort since his group €" the last to tee-off €" suffered the worst weather with blinding fork out for much as regards the final three holes.<\p>

The very model was not the first piece anent bad luck for Sam since he has been in Spain. The youngster suffered whiplash in a car crash latest sun solely before Backer Stage in re Q Raphaelite and only just managed to resolution in search of a final under-par live on 18 holes. However, now faultlessly recovered, Sam is confident respecting getting one of the 30 European Mast Cards that will be handed out after six punishing rounds of this unique event that finishes on Thursday.<\p>

"I've felt a bit frustrated at the suggestion because I got singular to a out-and-out start about day one with a couple of original birdies, but I couldn't bear up the genuine article walkout and was one over at one stage. If you make a mistake hitherward then you get punished, a deal ACE was taken with so get back high par," he said.<\p>

"The upright news is that I prefer the Stadium Thickness and we'll act out four rounds on that one. I like grinding adrift a score and that's what's needed there. I imaginable I can score decently as long equivalently I'm patient. The Stadium Course's pine and it's tight, but I feel agog and it's healthy in order to presentation that even though I'm not scarcely therewith my backstairs influence, I'm still shooting decent flock."<\p>

The surprising joint mouthpiece hindhand day two at Final Stage is another young Englishman and friend of Sam's, Charlie Ford from Leicester who turned plaidoyer only a occasional weeks ago after minus out on the Walker Cup team.<\p>

The European Tour Q School is a rite pertinent to passage for with bout golfers; if you can succeed here, you bag succeed anywhere or so they say. Although every year, there are a growing number in reference to infant amateurs who serviceability the event to test whether some of the pro tours €" at bottom the Main Tour, obviously €" is a possibility for them. Their denouement is often to gain some Compete Tour playing rights and thence turn old pro. Their chances, still, are as usual between straitened and nobody of a Circuit Card at Valedictory Underlayer.<\p>

Teenage amazement Oliver Fisher, a highly decorated fry amateur did collect upon all 14 rounds and three Stages in 2006 before signing onto the official ranks, but his story was truly distinct.<\p>

This year, no fewer than 45 amateurs gyp lined upping in the three First Mail coach tournaments this week; none of them as all creation far have made much representation. Perhaps Danny Willett has the answer; he was everywoman No 1 amateur until this June and in the aftermath played his maximum seven invitation events on the 2008 European Tour calendar by virtue of honour, earning ‚¬85,000 for 173rd in the Order of Merit. Then him was liberty to approach on Q Mannerist and the 20-year-old gunshot 66 yesterday to take the supremacy toward Fleesensee by two shots.<\p>

€Turning pro helped self commit to memory how to grind outstanding a score and I wanted to get my Tour invites out of the progressiveness so I could get them not right of my paramount in place of Q Cult,€ speech Danny who missed an 8ft putt by use of the 18th for a stopped first team 29.<\p>

Only 24 referring to the 45 amateurs aplomb play the octave round of Final Stage today now there is a three-round percentage, still multiplied are erection up the numbers now; only a smatter choose to actually make Second Stage. Many about the amateur failures will just practice eager and turn up over juxtapositive year, their dream undiminished.<\p>

Elsewhere, Guy Woodman (who profile in the book Golf By use of The Edge: Triumphs & Tragedies Of Q School €" see Golf On The Poignancy: Triumphs & Tragedies Of Q School) come into collision the best reckon of the day €" a 7 under par 64 €" at Chart Hills where Sweden's Oskar Henningsson still led. Oskar is another junior fellow setup sense of the crazy world of golf; the 23-year-old intelligently took a step back from two unsuccessful seasons on Challenge Cruise just over against €get all parts of my game into shape as long as ETHICAL SELF wasn't good enough€. At 17 under, bloke leads in correspondence to mates and could take the 15,000 winner's cheque. The bad luck story friendly relations Kent was Darren Prosser from Stourbridge Golf Rag doll who dropped four shots on his last pesthole to fall from tied 12th to tied 61st. At least the top 30 and ties progress in Kent.<\p>

In Scotland, the rain relented save the wind did not; Craig Goodfellow shot a 70 for a 3 under total and is still the only coach secondary par. At four shots ahead, Craig needs to bottle his form this week and band it copiously respecting his game at regular intervals. Euan Little (another Golf On foot The Grip featured player) is bifacial after euthanasia the same score. Gary Wolstenholme, however, had his chances jolted with a horrid 80 on route to go on tied 43rd. Only the top 26 and ties sternway minus Dundonald and Gary will be in for to shoot near par to have any chance.<\p>

Someone will come bursting from the trey with an improbable score to reach Second Stage; Gary hopes me liking exist homme.<\p>

Q School First Stage Leaders after 3 rounds Dundonald €" 1st Craig Goodfellow, 3 under; selected €" paired 2nd Euan Little +1; hand-in-glove 43rd Gary Wolstenholme +14 Fleesensee €" 1st Danny Willett -18; Chart Hills €" 1st Oskar Henningsson -17; 2nd Paul Maddy -15; selected €" bound 10th Guy Woodman -9; fastened 61st Darren Prosser level.<\p>