Harvard Education Letter Wins National Press Club Award

Assistant Editor Michael Sadowski Cited for Second Straight Year

The Harvard Education Letter has won a 2002 National Press Club Award for its coverage of one of the most underreported issues in American education-the harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in schools. Assistant Editor Michael Sadowski's article, "Sexual Minority Students Can Benefit from School-Based Support-Where It Exists," was awarded first place in the category of Newsletter Journalism, Analytical.

This is the second straight year the Harvard Education Letter and Sadowski have been honored by the National Press Club. In 2001, Sadowski's article, "Are High-Stakes Tests Worth the Wager?" won an honorable mention.

With both balance and a sense of urgency, Sadowski's article examines recent research showing the extent to which LGBT students are affected by verbal, physical, and sexual harassment--and the ways school-based programs can help.

Research reports show that verbal harassment of LGBT students can develop into more violent forms of abuse. Sadowski's article also presents statistics of other disturbing trends among LGBT students, including a high incidence of suicide attempts, truancy, and fighting, as well as some of the negative academic consequences associated with harassment.

The article includes studies, such as one conducted for the Massachusetts Department of Education, that suggest that the existence of gay-straight alliances (GSAs) and practitioner training can significantly improve the school experience for both LGBT students and their peers. Sadowski also includes a discussion of the potential legal consequences schools may face when they fail to address issues of harassment.

About the Author

Sadowski is the assistant editor of the Harvard Education Letter and a doctoral candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research specializes in the issues faced by LGBT youth, and Sadowski will teach a course next year at HGSE on LGBT issues in K-12 education.

About the Article/HEL

Visit the Harvard Education Letter website for the full text of the article. Valued by readers for its concise, accurate and thought-provoking coverage of today's pressing K-12 education issues and debates, the Harvard Education Letter is published bimonthly by the Harvard Education Publishing Group.