Posted on Sep 13, 2023
A Kansas City educator wants to 'make lives easier' for trans people. So he's teaching adults
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Riley Long, a high school teacher in the Blue Valley School District, is taking his passion for educating outside of the classroom to help others learn how to be better trans allies.
A new school year brings new starts — and for Riley Long, this year, it brings several.
He moved to Blue Valley West High School this year after teaching middle school special education in the district for the last three years.
After graduating from the University of Kansas, Long was an AmeriCorps volunteer before traveling to Australia and Europe — but he says teaching felt inevitable.
“I am the oldest, I have two younger brothers so I feel like from a young age, I was always helping take care of them kind of show them the way,” Long said. “I think working with youth… it just kind of led me from there.”
Long and other educators have to cope with a lack of education funding, low pay and frustrated parents.
But he says being transgender adds an extra layer of concerns.
A new school year brings new starts — and for Riley Long, this year, it brings several.
He moved to Blue Valley West High School this year after teaching middle school special education in the district for the last three years.
After graduating from the University of Kansas, Long was an AmeriCorps volunteer before traveling to Australia and Europe — but he says teaching felt inevitable.
“I am the oldest, I have two younger brothers so I feel like from a young age, I was always helping take care of them kind of show them the way,” Long said. “I think working with youth… it just kind of led me from there.”
Long and other educators have to cope with a lack of education funding, low pay and frustrated parents.
But he says being transgender adds an extra layer of concerns.
A Kansas City educator wants to 'make lives easier' for trans people. So he's teaching adults
Posted from kcur.org
Transgender
LGBTQ+
Gender
Teaching
Education
Posted 8 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."He says that fear may be why other LGBTQ teachers don’t come out in the workplace, making it harder for him to connect with teachers who might share his experiences. He was the only out trans teacher he knew of at his last school.
By moving to a bigger school, he hopes he can connect with others and continue making a difference by educating outside of the classroom.
“I'll hopefully not only be able to continue having this business, but help a lot of people and make lives easier for a lot of trans people,” Long said."
..."He says that fear may be why other LGBTQ teachers don’t come out in the workplace, making it harder for him to connect with teachers who might share his experiences. He was the only out trans teacher he knew of at his last school.
By moving to a bigger school, he hopes he can connect with others and continue making a difference by educating outside of the classroom.
“I'll hopefully not only be able to continue having this business, but help a lot of people and make lives easier for a lot of trans people,” Long said."
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