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CRANBURY: Cranbury takes ‘proactive’ mode against bullying
DATE POSTED: Thursday, October 20, 2011 5:06 PM EDT
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David Kilby, Managing Editor
CRANBURY The Cranbury Board of Education had its anti-bullying training session this Tuesday, but many of their questions regarding the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights remained unanswered.
School officials unanimously agreed the best approach is a proactive one that teaches students to create a healthy learning environment of good communication and respect for one another.
The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights is new legislation that requires school districts to appoint anti-bullying teams and conduct investigations for every report of bullying at their schools.
Dr. Susan Genco, Cranbury chief school administrator, and Sally Bittner, anti-bullying specialist for the Cranbury School District, helped clarify some of the guidelines the Department of Education has promulgated.
The DOE has been working on an Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights since about 2002, but about a year ago, the cause gained momentum after the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi.
Mr. Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge in September 2010 after his roommate filmed a video of him having a sexual encounter, then posted it on the Internet.
During their training session, members of the board asked Dr. Genco and Ms. Bittner how the board ought to implement the legislation.
âIn larger districts, itâ™s a coordinated effort,â Dr. Genco said, adding not only do larger districts deal with bullying on a small scale, but they also have the resources to implement districtwide programs.
But in the Cranbury School District, she said school officials and teachers can focus on whatâ™s happening at Cranbury School since it is the only school in the district.
The New Jersey Commission on Bullying in Schools defines harassment, intimidation or bullying as an act that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students. To be considered HIB, the act must create a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with a studentâ™s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student.
Dr. Genco said the key phrase in that definition is âœsubstantially disrupts or interferes with the order of the school or the rights of the student.â
She added, âœOut-of-school conduct must disrupt the order of the school (in order for there to be an investigation). If bullying occurs off school grounds, then comes into the school, then an investigation can be launched.â
She said there still are many gray areas in the legislation, and itâ™s something districts are exploring together.
Lynne Schwarz, president of the board, asked if, for example, a student is affected by e-mails received outside of school, so much so it causes her to sit alone during lunch, does that qualify as disrupting or interfering with the order of the school?
Ms. Bittner responded that there is a form that needs to be filled out before an investigation begins, and through the form, the anti-bullying team will determine whether an investigation is necessary.
âThings can be happening outside of school, but not brought in the school day,â Dr. Genco said. âœItâ™s a very gray area, and cases should be dealt with individually.â
Ms. Bittner pointed out there is a difference between bullying and conflicts, and the school is looking at ways to resolve conflicts in the school without the need of a bullying investigation.
Dr. Genco has to make a report to the DOE of all bullying investigations twice a year. The DOE then will use the reports to grade each school and implement new policies and programs.
The anti-bullying team must meet at least twice a year.
âWe meet almost daily so we have far exceeded this requirement,â Dr. Genco said.
She added, âœProactive measures is what theyâ™re looking for. Weâ™re working with students, teaching them to be advocates for themselves and work with one another so that weâ™re preventing further bullying acts from being committed.â
A bullying investigation involves 12 steps, and the board must hold a meeting within 10 days of a reported act of bullying. If there is no board meeting scheduled, the board has to call an emergency meeting to complete the investigation, Dr. Genco said.
The state has provided no funding for these investigations, but did provide resources for implementing the legislation Monday.
If an individual promptly reports a bullying incident, and the incident is not remedied, the legislation protects the individual from liability.
The districtâ™s anti-bullying team is continuing to learn more about the legislation and plans to send Ms. Bittner to outside professional development classes to move along the process.
In addition, in October, Cranbury School has implemented a program to promote respect among students with the theme, âœChoose Respect. Give it, Get it.â
Austin Schraudenbach, vice president of the board, asked what the board is allowed to do and what it is required to do while emphasizing the legislation was not very clear in that regard.
âThe remedial measures are an including-but-not-limited-to list,â Dr. Genco said.
âItâ™s an infinity of what to do,â Mr. Schraudenbach said.
âDue to the policyâ™s vagueness, all we have to say is what the school administration has done is appropriate or we think (the investigation) needs to be revisited,â said Kevin Fox, board member and head of policy.
Dr. Genco said she has spoken to different attorneys about what the district needs to do exactly to implement this policy, and theyâ™ve all given her different answers.
âWe would definitely seek legal advice. We wouldnâ™t be hasty with our decision because this is uncharted territory,â she said regarding the steps the district would take in an investigation.
Essentially, the overarching approach the district is taking is a proactive approach, and in doing that, itâ™s important for the district to be have âœone community and one voice,â Dr. Genco said.
Now that the board has been trained in the legislation, the teachers and students will be trained.
âWe want to make sure our language is not only consistent but clear,â Dr. Genco said.
She said creating a positive culture and climate is the most important force against bullying in Cranbury School.
âI really think youâ™ve done a great job understanding what the school already does,â said Evelyn Spann, board member. âœI like how you say weâ™re going to be proactive and not reactive.â
At the end of her presentation, Dr. Genco gave a district report on violence and vandalism. It said there were four acts of violence and one act of vandalism in the 2009-10 school year, and six acts of violence and no reports for vandalism at the school in the 2010-11 school year.
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