Becoming a World Class Leader: Bullying….Beyond Awareness

What Howard County Public

School System Leaders Need to

Know and Be Able to Do to

Maintain Safe, Nurturing, Bully-

free Environments

Linda Wise

Chief Academic Officer

Highly effective schools succeed where others fail because they ruthlessly organize themselves around one thing: helping students learn a great deal. This seems too simple an explanation, really. But, by focusing on student learning and then creating structures that support learning, these schools have drastically departed from the traditional organizational patterns of American schools.

-Karin Chenoweth

Exemplary InstructionExemplary Instructional

LeadershipExemplary Use of Data

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

-Mohandus Ghandi

Leadership Lessonsfrom

Dancing Guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ

Linda Wise

Chief Academic Officer

Professional Learning and Student Results

http://www.learningforward.org/news/jsd/index.cfm

Our World-Class Power GridHCPSS Mission and GoalsVision of Exemplary Teaching for

Student LearningSystemic ExpectationsThe College and Career

AdvantageSkilled and Talented Leaders

Bullying….Beyond Awareness

Outcomes for TodayIncrease awareness of how bullying affects the

brain and impacts teaching and learningDiscuss how Powerful Practices help to maintain

safe and nurturing environmentsExamine the critical components of Policy 1060Increase understanding of the role of system

leaders in assuring policy/legal complianceEnhance relationships between and among DOI

colleagues to strengthen our learning community

Pam Blackwell

Director, Student Services

Bullying in the News Headlines

Megan Meier

Tyler Clementi

Phoebe PrinceJamey Rodemeyer

Matthew Shepard

Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover

Jaheem Herrera

“Bullying can have destructive consequences for our young people. And it’s not something we have to accept. As parents and students, teachers and communities, we can take steps that will help prevent bullying and create a climate in our schools in which all of our children can feel safe.”President Barack Obama, White House Bullying Prevention Summit, 3/10/11

Outcomes for Today Increase awareness of how bullying

affects the brain and impacts teaching and learning

Discuss how Powerful Practices help to maintain safe and nurturing environments

Examine the critical components of Policy 1060

Increase understanding of the role of system leaders in assuring policy/legal compliance

Enhance relationships between and among DOI colleagues to strengthen our learning community

In Their Voices – HCPSS Students Talk About Bullying

Lisa BoarmanCoordinator, School Counseling and

Related Services

In Their Voices – HCPSS Students Talk About Bullying

What did you learn from the students?

As you think about your role as a system leader, what should we be doing to eliminate bullying?

Reasons for Being Teased, Harassed or Bullied

Gender Disability Perceived Sexual Orientation

0.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

7.00%

4.9% 4.7%

NA

6.6%

4.4%

6.5%

Elementary Secondary

Reasons for Being Teased, Harassed or Bullied

Race Appearance Family Background

Religion0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

6.1%

14.1%

5.8%3.9%

12.3%

21.9%

6.8% 7.3%

they call me mean names like short stack, midget, dwarf, retard, idiot and more

Comments About Being Teased, Harassed or Bullied

people say that being

black is my disability, I

hate this place

they are teasing me

about how I look

students make fun

of me because of

my disabled armI am Muslim and I wear a head scarf and

people make comments about it and I get upset

and they say that it is just a joke but I know

it’s not

People call me “chink” or “chinaman”

or “gay”or “stupid” in school

relatively frequently

“ppl don’t like tht im a redneck they make jokes like ur late for ur clan meetin (expletive) hole (reference to the KKK”)

Bullied at My SchoolElementary

33.8%

66.2%

YesNo

Bullied at My SchoolSecondary

27%

73%

YesNo

The Bullied Brain – How Bullying Impacts Teaching and Learning

Heather HigginsTraining Director of the Upside Down

Organization

BREAK

“Principals and school leaders who are most successful in maintaining a safe and respectful school environment are those who put the appropriate structural components in place but then rely on more traditional and visible components of leadership: becoming a spokesperson for civility and respect.”

-adapted from Stephen L. Wessler, The Respectful School

Exemplary InstructionExemplary Instructional

LeadershipExemplary Use of Data

Powerful PracticesExemplary Leadership

Lead Through Example

Create and Maintain a Respectful School Climate

Communicate the School’s/Program’s/Office’s Commitment to Preventing and Responding to Bullying, Harassment and Other Unsafe Behaviors

Powerful PracticesExemplary Instruction

Teach, Acknowledge, Model School-wide/Program/Office Behavioral Expectations

Ensure Relationships Between and Among Students, Staff and Families are Positive

Allow Students to have a Voice in Creating Safe School Climates

Powerful PracticesExemplary Use of Data

Engage in Collaborative Planning and Inquiry

Drill Down to Determine the “Why?”

Use Data to Inform Interventions and Supports

Engage All Students

Powerful PracticesExemplary Leadership

How do you model respect in your school/program/office?How do you communicate behavioral expectations to staff,

students and/or families?

Exemplary InstructionHow does each teacher teach school-wide behavioral

expectations?What recognition programs are currently in place for

recognizing student academic, behavioral and attendance successes? For recognizing staff in your school /program/office?

Exemplary Use of DataHow is Goal 2 data shared with faculty and staff? With

program staff, offices? With parents?How are you using the results of the climate survey to

improve school climate?

Powerful Practices Choose one of the powerful practices

– Exemplary Leadership, Exemplary Instruction, Exemplary Use of Data.

Share with a colleague how you demonstrate this practice as an system leader in your school/program/office.

Know Your PolicyLisa Boarman, Coordinator,

School Counseling and Related Services

Rosanne Wilson, Specialist, Positive Behavior Supports

How To Vote

1. Standard texting rates2. Capitalization doesn’t matter, but spaces and spelling doTIPS

Mark BlomGeneral Counsel

Legal Issues When Bullying Becomes Illegal

Cyberbullying (FACEBOOK, etc)

HARASSMENT AND BULLYING

The Office of Civil Rights Perspective

When does student bullying violate

discrimination laws?

U.S. Dept. of Education (OCR)

• Issues: Dear Colleague Letter: Harassment

and Bullying

• Explains interplay between school policy and

discrimination law

Dear Colleague Scenario

What appropriate actions were taken to address the issues?

What other actions could have been taken?

Dear Colleague ScenarioCounseling for the perpetrators about their

conductPublically labeling the incidents as anti-

SemiticReaffirming the school’s policy against

discriminationPublicizing the means by which students can

report harassmentProviding teachers with PD to recognize and

address anti-Semitic incidents Conducted outreach to involve families and

community groups in preventing future harassment

Federal Discrimination Laws1.Discrimination on the basis of:

RaceColorNational OriginSexDisability

2. That is severe, pervasive, or persistent

Our policy is different

Why did OCR Issue the DCL?To highlight the difference

between bullying (governed by Board policy) and illegal harassment (governed by law)

To remind schools that by limiting responses, they may fail to consider if the misconduct is in violation of a students’ federal civil rights

OCR’S MESSAGE

In following bullying

protocols, DO NOT overlook

the obligation to comply with

federal standards for federal

civil rights offenses.

Federal Standards

1.Make immediate investigation2.Take action reasonably

calculated to: End harassmentEliminate the hostile

environmentAddress its effectPrevent its recurrence

How to Meet School’s Obligations Under Federal Standards

1.Broader distribution of policies

2.Providing training to staff

3.Making sure students/parents know how to report incidents

4.Immediate investigation

How to Meet School’s Obligations Under Federal

Standards(cont’d)

5. Providing tutoring or services to victim

6. Counseling to harasser

7. Separating the harasser and victim

8. Disciplining harasser

How to Meet School’s Obligations Under Federal Standards(cont’d)

9. Conducting follow up inquiries with victim, witnesses, friends

10. Action to prevent retaliation

11. Respond to cyberbullying

12. Involve school team in response

13. Leadership

Cyberbullying When Administrators Must

Intervene Substantially or materially disrupts

the operation of the school

Interferes with the educational process or climate

Utilizes school-owned technology

What Should Schools Do About Cyberbullying

Be Proactive –1. Communicate the Board’s policy on bullying2. Educate staff, students, and parents on the

dangers of bullying

Be Reactive –3. Conduct prompt, thorough investigations4. When appropriate, take prompt, effective,

remedial action (not limited to punishment)5. Don’t be deterred from action simply because

you may not be able to punish

All of it is wrong.

All of it is harmful.

Do the right thing. Always!

November Lead Team and Session Presenters

Lisa Bertucci Mark Blom Lisa Boarman Bob Cole Ivan Croft Heather Higgins Kami Wagner Rosanne Wilson School Presentations

Atholton High School Lime Kiln Middle School Talbott Springs Elementary School

“In the end we will remember

not the words of our enemies

but the silence of our friends.”

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.