For the second year in a row, BullyBust is providing FREE supports to schools nationwide to help students take a stand to bullying. BullyBust is designed to help students and adults become "Upstanders"-people who stand up to mean, cruel and bullying behaviors and become part of the solution to end harassment, teasing, and violence in our nation's schools. Building off the great success of the "Stand Up to Bullying"WICKED-themed Student Supplement and Educator Guide in 2010, BullyBust is proud to announce a new resource for the 2011-12 school year: the Upstander Alliance, which empowers youth with the tools and resources they need to powerfully engage their peers, using the school community in the effort to prevent bullying in their schools. By joining the Upstander Alliance, students and schools will have access to
For many of us the first day of school is right around the corner. Students and educators across the country are gearing up for another year and this year the issue of bullying and cyber-bullying is not only on the student’s minds but educators as well. This year, 160,000 students will skip school each day in fear of getting bullied. With these numbers as high as they are, it's not a big surprise that academic achievement is an increasing challenge in most schools. If you want take part in making a change in your schools academic achievement and pinpointing where exactly this begins, then you can't miss the first National Conference on School Engagement.
National Center for School Engagement Presents: The National Conference on School Success
Date: October 26-28, 2011
Location: Denver, Colorado
With regestration all conference participants will be given one year free membership to the School Climate Resource Center –Operated by the National School Climate Center
We typically look to teachers and administrators as leaders and role models when it comes to school climate. When adults behave in morally commendable ways, we can expect children to do the same. Unfortunately, recent events in the state of Georgia have revealed that this is a dynamic we should not take for granted. Teachers and administrators at 44 Atlanta Public Schools are alleged to have cheated on the state’s Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests. These test scores are a major focus of No Child Left Behind and can directly influence funding.
One of the much-discussed drawbacks of NCLB has been the tendency for school officials to sacrifice all other aspects of education in favor of high test scores. Often, such a shift in priorities can have a negative impact on school climate. Teachers, counselors and principals are at risk of losing school funding, personal salary, and even their jobs if students do not meet high and seemingly arbitrary standards. In the case of Atlanta Public Schools, this pressure was significant enough to prompt educators to change their students’ test answers or even give them the answers in order to ensure exceptional performance. The most obvious problem with this scenario is that many educators are now at risk of losing their jobs, and the district may be required to pay back several years’ worth of funding from the federal government.
But there is another problem. We must consider what it means for school climate when teachers are cheating on state tests. First, this clearly indicates that the atmosphere in Atlanta Public Schools exerts a large amount of pressure on teachers to teach to the test, and on students to perform extraordinarily well on said tests. Second, a teacher who cheats on a test reveals more than questionable morals or desperation. It reveals that the educator in question does not, in fact, believe in the abilities of his or her students. The motivation for cheating derives from the fear or suspicion that Atlanta’s children are not up to par; the teachers who cheated revealed a belief that they failed to educate their students according to state requirements. Perhaps the requirements are unattainably high; perhaps the teachers’ dedication is dishearteningly low. A cheating scandal such as Georgia’s taints the teacher-student relationship and casts a shadow over school climate. Still, there is great potential for Atlanta Public Schools to turn around. Research shows that favorable school climate is positively correlated with academic performance. School climate improvement efforts in Atlanta could evoke positive change academically and socially. For a summary of the important outcomes related to school climate, check out our School Climate Brief.
Kevin Jennings takes the fingers pointing at him and points it in the direction of the critics. As Deputy Jennings leaves his office of Safe and Drug Free Schools under the umbrella of the United States Department of Education, he leaves with his head high. Despite the critics and negative attention during his time in office, he is proud because of the precedents he set with nationwide attention and awareness of bullying, since his appointment in 2009. He tells critics, “I’d like you to know that you completely failed.”Coincidently, this statement was a parody on words that was once said to him as a shot to his character because of his sexuality. During his time in office, he was falsely accused of a number of demoralizing acts. Republicans even wrote a letter to the president that accused Kevin Jennings of “promoting homosexuality.”However, Jennings leaves to become the CEO of Be The Changeand he leaves on his own terms, knowing that at the very least because of his diligence, America looks at the issue of bullying more concretely and with the comprehension that it has and can ultimately take away a life, prematurely.
Kevin Jennings outlook is impressive and very commendable, and in turn his position teaches us an in depth lesson. The culture of bullying is not just within the walls of the schools, but we must pay attention to the culture of bullying that we promote. It is a disturbing truth to see adults try to bully Deputy Jennings out of his position with false accusations and a number of attempts to assassinate his character in front of the surrounding public. However, as Jennings moves on to another chapter in his life this summer, he is proud; he outlived the negativity and continued with his mission. I do hope his outlook is a lesson to us all, but also that we realize that respect, emotional support and being civic are some qualities we should all learn and teach, not just to our children, but to each other.
For more information visit http://www.schoolclimate.org/bullybust/
Bullying awareness is on the rise across the United States, but many politicians and educators are still struggling to address the threat posed by such anti-social behavior. On July 12, 2011 the National School Climate Center officially released the results of a nation-wide scan of school anti-bullying and school climate policies. Researchers have found that 45 states (88.2%) have such regulations in place, and that 24 states (47%) have general school climate policies. On one level, this bodes well for efforts to improve school climate. State-wide school improvement efforts reflect a larger national sentiment favoring school safety, as embodied in the pending Anti-Bullying and Harassment Act of 2011. On another level, however, the NSCC policy scan also unearthed some disturbing facts. Only 37 of the 45 states with anti-bullying policies provide technical assistance to administrators and teachers. It is also important to note that 11 states have punitive, intervention-only policies, as opposed to active prevention. Finally, just 6 states have funding to support their policies. Results such as these raise serious questions about the depth of well-intentioned legislation such as the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Act and the realistic impact we can expect from said Act. Given the results of the policy scan, NSCC is developing a plan to reach out to schools that are interested in putting some “muscle” behind their policies. NSCC experts will create quality policy options, determine strategies specific to each district/school, and conduct case studies. For the results of the NSCC anti-bullying policy scan, please visit http://schoolclimate.org/climate/database.php. In addition, Jennifer Piscatelli and Chiqueena Lee have composed a detailed policy brief discussing the research and implications behind the policy scan. An electronic copy of the policy brief can be requested by emailing policy@schoolclimate.org.