State leaders discuss bullying prevention

The state’s top leaders in education, human rights and law gathered at the Howard Dean Center in Springfield last week with one common goal in mind — keeping all students free from bullying, harassment and hazing at school.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20121029/NEWS01/710299909

Published October 29, 2012 in the Rutland Herald State leaders discuss bullying prevention State leaders talk bullying prevention By Cristina Kumka STAFF WRITER The state’s top leaders in education, human rights and law gathered at the Howard Dean Center in Springfield last week with one common goal in mind — keeping all students free from bullying, harassment and hazing at school. At times throughout the three-hour meeting, there were passionate calls for action from some of the 20 adults and students who make up the newly-formed state Harassment, Hazing and Bullying Prevention Advisory Council. “When I go back to Burlington High School, I have a vision and a mission,” said member Henri Sparks, equity director for one of the state’s largest and most diverse school districts. “How can we, as a state, look at bullying systemically? We need to get dirty and do some of the work.” The meeting was the second for the council, formed on Aug. 1 as somewhat of a “clearinghouse” — according to Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca — for information from various expert agencies on what bullying is, what other divisive school behaviors are, how these behaviors are measured by officials and what is, or is not, being done to combat them. The state Legislature called for the formation of the council in its passage of Act 129 this year. The act repealed old policies and replaced them with a new law that states, “Harassment, hazing and bullying have no place and will not be tolerated in Vermont schools. No Vermont student should feel threatened or be discriminated against while enrolled in a Vermont school.” The act requires school boards to adopt the state’s policy or a more stringent one, and recommends schools cultivate an environment of tolerance and respect between students inside and outside of the school’s walls. It also touches upon designating school employees to field complaints of harassment, hazing and bullying, training staff to respond to all three and a implementing a process for independent review of complaints. Training and providing basic information on these student behaviors is only one part of what the council intends to investigate. During a brainstorming session at the meeting, Robert Appel, executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, teamed up with Curtiss Reed, Jr., executive director of Vermont Partnerships for Fairness and Diversity, and called on the council to “engage families and invite and really listen to student voices.” “They have the expertise in these areas,” Appel said. Vilaseca asked that the members come together to help schools, because they can’t do it alone. “Schools should have the systems to respond consistently and effectively,” Vilaseca said. “I agree with Sparks on this one,” said Ken Page, executive director of the Vermont Principals’ Association. “We (have to) say what the problems are. There is a lack of consistent response or no response.” The council’s first meeting in August identified three priorities for their work including training, student leadership and data collection. Last week, members agreed that the goal was to ensure that “every student had the right to feel safe” in school. But developing a mission statement wasn’t so cut and dry. While some members felt a mission statement was necessary to ensure goals are reached, others felt the council should act more in an advisory capacity, assisting schools rather than leading them. Kathy Johnson, an anti-bullying independent consultant who works in Vermont schools, said adults need to be “skilled, informed and intentional” when dealing with bullying. Page and Barbara Crippen, staff attorney with the state Education Department, said the council should “develop and publish rules” on anti-harassment and bullying and “develop a network of support for students and effective strategies to immediately efface bullying.” Sparks of Burlington and Saben Littlefield of Outright Vermont said, “any report a kid makes (must be) taken seriously.” And Jeff Francis of the Vermont Superintendents Association and Lucie Garand of the law firm Downs, Rachlin and Martin, said that wrong behaviors could cross generations and “a school has a right to break generational biases.” According to Vilaseca, the council won’t handle individual complaints from students or parents. It may, however, influence discussion around them. The council’s subcommittee meetings will run through the month of January 2013 and be publicly noticed when scheduled. The collective council will meet again before reporting annually to the State Board of Education and the House and Senate Committees on Education in January. For more information, go to education.vermont.gov