Student Well-Being Video

What An Inclusive School Environment Looks Like For This Transgender Teen

By Ileana Najarro & Sam Mallon — February 27, 2023 2:40
Dandelion Hunt-Smith pictured at San Francisco’s Dolores Park on Feb. 23, 2023.

Dandelion Hunt-Smith, a transgender and nonbinary senior at John O’Connell High School in San Francisco, Calif., moved from Georgia last year in search of a more welcoming school environment.

Dandelion says they see great value in school environments that treat all students as human, and where students can feel safe and supported in exploring their gender identity.

As a growing number of legislation targeting LGBTQ students is introduced across the country, families like Dandelion’s are calling on schools to better support future generations.

Ileana Najarro is a reporter for Education Week covering race and opportunity in schools across the country.
Sam Mallon is a video producer for Education Week.
Related Tags:

Video

Reading & Literacy Video How Everyday Objects Can Strengthen Phonemic Awareness
Teachers can create homegrown kits to help students master phonemic awareness—how to manipulate the sounds in English.
2:17
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School use mirrors to see themselves sounding out words for phonemic awareness during literary instruction in Concern, N.C., on March 19, 2025.
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School use mirrors to see themselves sounding out words for phonemic awareness during literary instruction in Concern, N.C., on March 19, 2025.
Cornell Watson for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Video This High School Program Is Preparing Students to Be Detention Officers
For high school students interested in fields in criminal justice, this district’s program gives them the opportunity to graduate with a job in the field.
3:01
Reading & Literacy Video How Schools Can Help Older Students Struggling With Reading
With a growing number of struggling readers in the older grades, schools need school-wide strategies and individual interventions.
3:34
A teacher leads students in a discussion about hyperbole and symbolism in a high school English class.
A teacher leads students in a discussion about hyperbole and symbolism in a high school English class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Reading & Literacy Video How to Structure Lessons to Build Reading and Writing Skills
Tips for teachers on ways to incorporate reading and writing into lessons to enhance both skills.
031225 Reading Month Thumbnail KM BS
Kate Medley for Education Week