On Thursday 7/27 from 11 am - 12 pm, Nikhil Vashee, Steph Mazzarella, and Amanda Mazzarella will lead Family Week 2023 attendees in a Back to School Policy Panel at the Crown & Anchor Inn. Family Week attendees can use this form to submit questions ahead of time for the panelists!
Nikhil Vashee (he/they) is Director of Education Law and Policy for Family Equality. A lawyer who has spent their career in education policy, Nikhil previously worked for the DC public school system and also worked as an advocate for higher education access. Nikhil led Family Equality's fight against the deluge of anti-LGBTQI+ school bills in 2023 and is excited to work and is excited to continue to work with LGBTQI+ parents to build safer and more inclusive schools.
Steph Mazzarella (she/they) has been in higher education administration for the past 20 years and is currently the Associate Dean of Student Services in Campus Life and Student Affairs at Drew University in Madison, NJ. Currently, Steph's duties include overseeing campus housing and LGBTQ+ student advocacy on campus. Her recent projects include a gender inclusive housing initiative and working to have Drew recognized by the Campus Pride Index with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.
Amanda Mazzarella (she/they) is a Dual-certified Special Education Teacher with 2 decades worth of experience in K-12 education. Amanda currently serves as an 8th grade inclusion math teacher and advisor to the student LGBTQ+ group at South Orange Middle School in South Orange, NJ. In addition to being a teacher and a trainer for Restorative Practices and most recently the SEED Program, Amanda is a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ students.
Event Description: Join panelists Nikhil Vashee (he/they), Director of Education Law and Policy, Senior Policy Counsel, Steph Mazzarella (she/they) Associate Dean, Student Services at Drew University, and Amanda Mazzarella (she/they) K-12 educator to learn more about the current legal landscape in schools, what Title IX is and how to file complaints, and how to advocate for your family in schools.
Instructions to Submit Questions: Please use this form to submit any questions you have for panelists about how to advocate for your family within schools. Panelists will answer as many of your questions as they can during the Q&A session at the event. Note that panelists cannot give legal advice, and depending on how many questions we receive we may not be able to answer all of them. However, we will make sure you leave this event with the resources you need to get your questions answered. You may choose to submit anonymously if desired.
