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Thursday, July 26, 2007
Congress looks at Federal Legislation
Friday, July 20, 2007
If everyone believed they had a voice...
I recently received a telephone call from a member of the Governor's Task Force to ask my opinion about a bill passed in Tennessee that would require that certified education personnel received a minimum of three hours of suicide or bullying prevention
training each year. This could be in the form of a workshop, online program, self-study, etc. It would not be required in addition to the regular in-service points required by the state, but would serve as part of that requirement.
My immediate response was an overwhelming YES! Then I began considering the training nightmare and inequities that resulted from the passage of the ESOL requirements, and decided that this could be a wonderful benefit if done thoughtfully. It could also be a potential nightmare of accountability if it was not given the appropriate planning. I begin making a list of pros and cons, and some suggestions about how this might work best.
The greatest "PRO" is that it would clearly set Prevention as a priority within the state, which I am convinced will save lives and improve the "quality of life" for students, teachers, and administrators. It would allow districts to allot funding for training that is crucially needed to give educators and administrators the tools they need to deal with these situations. Finally, it would open the door to frank discussion about many practices that have devastated the climate of Florida classrooms, driving both parents and professionals out of the system in search of some alternative. The "CONS" I could come up with would only arise if this opportunity
for growth is turned into another fruitless exercise that puts teachers through their paces simply for the purpose of documenting that districts have gone through the motions. (ie. C.Y.A.) Here are my suggestions, but I can only look at this from my own personal perspective. Please take the time to look this over and respond so that we can have the widest amount of feedback. We would like to move forward with this next session with a plan that EVERYONE will support and embrace with their whole heart. I will forward all suggestions to Tallahassee for consideration. My suggestions are listed below...
I would like the bill to require that beginning in 2010, all professional certificate renewal applicants will have a minimum of six credit hours of in-service in the area of Prevention/Mental Health. This is not in addition to the 60 hours now required to renew, but would just fall into the general knowledge category. Courses could include suicide prevention, bullying, cyber-bullying, substance abuse, gang-related violence, sexual identity and gender preference, depression, eating disorders, grief counseling, anger management, bio-feedback, or any number of subjects that we deal with every day. I liked the idea of lumping it into the renewal requirements so that it didn't become just one of the long list of subjects that have to be cranked out during pre-school. This spreads out the process of tracking it over a period of five years so the classes aren't all slammed like they were with ESOL.
Extending the deadline also allows time for the state to identify quality programs to be offered, and for the development of a wider variety of programs to suit the interests and needs of educators in very diverse areas around the state. I am not certain how this would effect the college requirements for teachers, but I do feel that this should become an identified part of all Methods training for new educators, and that colleges might even want to look to creating a course that covers this information, even if it is an elective. Of course, there are many changes that I would love to see in public education, but I really would love to hear what others have to say. Please send me your feedback, and feel free to address any additional concerns you might have. You never know if your idea might be the one that changes the world.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Request for help from anonomous...
Please email me at jeffreyjohnstonlaw@msn.com so that I can reply to you directly...
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Now that it is nearing the date when that we will head back to the classroom, the anxiety about bullying that has happened in the past is starting to surface. As a parent, you may start noticing the early signs of depression that can accompany Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder if your child has been the target of severe or prolonged bullying. Know the signs of childhood depression, and provide opportunites for your child to share these feelings. Seek the help of a qualified mental health care provider if you have any concerns that your child may be depressed or suicidal.
The promise of summer can be a time when children, particularly teens, set unrealistic goals about self-improvement whether it is avoiding retention through summer school, losing weight, working out, or whatever. The idea of going back to the same situation where they feel they have failed either academically or socially, may be overwhelming. For some, the anticipation is many times worse than the reality, but many students will return to the same pattern of abuse unless they receive some type of intervention.
A caring adult can help by continually reinforcing that the child is loved and valued, and by reminding them that school is not life... Point out all the things that the child does well outside of the classroom, and help them see the perspective that school is just a small part of their life. It does NOT help an already stressed child to make dire predictions about what their life will be if they don't do well in this one area. Not EVERYONE'S gifts falls in the category of verbally-linquistic, but it is primarily this narrow spectrum that is assessed in high-stakes testing. There is NO STANDARDIZED TEST that can begin to measure the potential of the human brain, and research consistently demonstrates the inadequacy of our system in deciding which kids will "measure up" to the demands life will place on them. It wasn't long ago, that the multitudes were predicting that we would all end up supporting a generation of "Latch-key Kids" that would flouder once they hit the job market due to lack of parental supervision during their formitive years. Surprisingly, it was those very qualities of initiative and self-reliance that were formed as a result of this phenomina that spawned the likes of Bill Gates and other "technology whiz kids" that not only survived, but created the youngest crop of Fortune 500 executives this country has every known!
I love that old adage "Those that fail to plan, plan to fail!" Simply reassuring your child that things will be different this year may leave both of you disappointed, and your child might feel that they have, in some way, let YOU down as well. What you can do, is make a plan for how to handle whatever situation may come up. This may sound silly, and the sillier you get as you do it, the more your child will enjoy it! Role play situations where one of you is the bully, and the other is the target. Think up snappy come-backs to the usual put-downs, and have your child practice saying them in an acertive way that sends the message that they are NOT easy prey. They should also practice using a loud, firm voice and statements that will instantly alert an adult to the situation. Teachers are usually only a short distance away when most bullying occurs, but it goes unobserved in the general noise and movement of the entire group. It is sort of like trying to locate a swimmer lost at sea. An unexpected color, a flash of light, or a shrill whistle immediately calls attention by allowing the rescuer to separate and isolate the individual from the whole. With hundreds, even thousands, of voices and bodies moving in concert, it is next to impossible to distinguish conversation or conflict. The target should immediately stop moving, face the bully, and give a verbal warning in a loud, clear voice. "Stop right now, or I will report this to a teacher!" By stopping and facing the bully, passing students are forced to move around them like water around a boulder. "RED FLAG" for supervising teachers, and signals potential witnesses! The deeper tonality and volume serves the same purpose, and the words clearly identify that this is a bullying situation rather than a peer conflict. Simply yelling or screaming will get attention, but makes it more difficult to discern exactly who is the aggressor. Most bullies operate under the radar, and rely on intimidation and stealth to get away with it. Calling attention to their actions often has the same effect as turning on a flashlight in a roach invested kitchen. Both bullies and cockroaches scurry for cover! Tell your child to go directly to the nearest adult, and report the incident... Every TIME! Likewise, if your child witnesses a bully tormenting another child, they should do exactly the same thing. Can you imagine how quickly bullying would stop if incidents were met with thirty witnesses immediately offering their support to the target!
Consider a neighborhood where drugs, guns, prostitution, and other crimes go unreported and unpunished because witnesses refuse to cooperate with police and law enforcement due to fear of retaliation. People can bar up their windows, lock their doors, and keep their kids off of the streets, but they must still live in fear and danger every minute of every day. They know that the police cannot keep them safe, and that it comes down to personal survival. This is what school is like for many children. What would be the effect on that neighborhood if a group of inspirational leaders offered to help rally the people that live there? This is the principal behind Neighborhood Watch, Guardian Angels, and other grassroots organizations. Empowering each individual with the support of the whole isn't a new concept, but the "all-for-one and one-for-all strategy has historically proven to bring out the best in human nature. As we saw on United Flight 93, we draw courage from each other and together ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
Please don't take this to mean that I am endorsing a full-scale attack on the first kid that is unwise enough to dunk a pigtail in the inkwell... Just that in a climate where individuals are encouraged to care for and protect the rights of others, bullying is not likely to be tolerated, and that there is NO police or military unit powerful enough to protect individual rights unless the individuals are willing to take the responsibility of protecting each other. For this to happen, we need to be willing to give up a bit of that power to the students. The idea of punishing a child for defending themselves or another from the threat of bodily harm would be absolutely ludicrous in any setting other than our schools. It is common knowledge to any child that if you fight back you get suspended, but I wonder how many administrators would calmly allow a parent to come across the desk and punch them in the face without raising a hand in their own defense. It seems just as unlikely as a co-worker that pulled your pants to the ground would be given five days off with pay to "think it over."
Whether you are a parent, teacher, counselor, bus driver, the target of bulllying, or even the bully yourself, please know that there are people that care and that can help. Please know that I do NOT have the professional training to access, diagnose, or treat mental health issues, and certainly don't have ALL the answers. My experience is as a teacher, an advocate, and the mother of a child that was, literally, bullied to death. The suggestions offered here are based on a combination of research-based professional literature, personal experience, and feedback I have been given from the students themselves on what does and does not work when it comes to bullying. In other words, treat it the same way you would advice from your mother, take what you can use, but don't substitute it for seeing a professional! If you need help FINDING the right person, you can email me at jeffreyjohnstonlaw@msn.com and in many cases, I can at least get you pointed in the right direction. Above all, trust your instincts and remember that we all have a voice in deciding what is acceptable in our neighborhoods, and in our schools. It is THE PEOPLE of Florida that own the Florida Public School System, and it is up to THE PEOPLE to decide what course of action we must take to ensure the safety of every child in Florida's Schools.
I guess this has turned into one of my marathon blogs, but it was done with the hope that nobody will have to lose a precious child like our Jeff, because of not knowing the lessons that I learned too late.
The promise of summer can be a time when children, particularly teens, set unrealistic goals about self-improvement whether it is avoiding retention through summer school, losing weight, working out, or whatever. The idea of going back to the same situation where they feel they have failed either academically or socially, may be overwhelming. For some, the anticipation is many times worse than the reality, but many students will return to the same pattern of abuse unless they receive some type of intervention.
A caring adult can help by continually reinforcing that the child is loved and valued, and by reminding them that school is not life... Point out all the things that the child does well outside of the classroom, and help them see the perspective that school is just a small part of their life. It does NOT help an already stressed child to make dire predictions about what their life will be if they don't do well in this one area. Not EVERYONE'S gifts falls in the category of verbally-linquistic, but it is primarily this narrow spectrum that is assessed in high-stakes testing. There is NO STANDARDIZED TEST that can begin to measure the potential of the human brain, and research consistently demonstrates the inadequacy of our system in deciding which kids will "measure up" to the demands life will place on them. It wasn't long ago, that the multitudes were predicting that we would all end up supporting a generation of "Latch-key Kids" that would flouder once they hit the job market due to lack of parental supervision during their formitive years. Surprisingly, it was those very qualities of initiative and self-reliance that were formed as a result of this phenomina that spawned the likes of Bill Gates and other "technology whiz kids" that not only survived, but created the youngest crop of Fortune 500 executives this country has every known!
I love that old adage "Those that fail to plan, plan to fail!" Simply reassuring your child that things will be different this year may leave both of you disappointed, and your child might feel that they have, in some way, let YOU down as well. What you can do, is make a plan for how to handle whatever situation may come up. This may sound silly, and the sillier you get as you do it, the more your child will enjoy it! Role play situations where one of you is the bully, and the other is the target. Think up snappy come-backs to the usual put-downs, and have your child practice saying them in an acertive way that sends the message that they are NOT easy prey. They should also practice using a loud, firm voice and statements that will instantly alert an adult to the situation. Teachers are usually only a short distance away when most bullying occurs, but it goes unobserved in the general noise and movement of the entire group. It is sort of like trying to locate a swimmer lost at sea. An unexpected color, a flash of light, or a shrill whistle immediately calls attention by allowing the rescuer to separate and isolate the individual from the whole. With hundreds, even thousands, of voices and bodies moving in concert, it is next to impossible to distinguish conversation or conflict. The target should immediately stop moving, face the bully, and give a verbal warning in a loud, clear voice. "Stop right now, or I will report this to a teacher!" By stopping and facing the bully, passing students are forced to move around them like water around a boulder. "RED FLAG" for supervising teachers, and signals potential witnesses! The deeper tonality and volume serves the same purpose, and the words clearly identify that this is a bullying situation rather than a peer conflict. Simply yelling or screaming will get attention, but makes it more difficult to discern exactly who is the aggressor. Most bullies operate under the radar, and rely on intimidation and stealth to get away with it. Calling attention to their actions often has the same effect as turning on a flashlight in a roach invested kitchen. Both bullies and cockroaches scurry for cover! Tell your child to go directly to the nearest adult, and report the incident... Every TIME! Likewise, if your child witnesses a bully tormenting another child, they should do exactly the same thing. Can you imagine how quickly bullying would stop if incidents were met with thirty witnesses immediately offering their support to the target!
Consider a neighborhood where drugs, guns, prostitution, and other crimes go unreported and unpunished because witnesses refuse to cooperate with police and law enforcement due to fear of retaliation. People can bar up their windows, lock their doors, and keep their kids off of the streets, but they must still live in fear and danger every minute of every day. They know that the police cannot keep them safe, and that it comes down to personal survival. This is what school is like for many children. What would be the effect on that neighborhood if a group of inspirational leaders offered to help rally the people that live there? This is the principal behind Neighborhood Watch, Guardian Angels, and other grassroots organizations. Empowering each individual with the support of the whole isn't a new concept, but the "all-for-one and one-for-all strategy has historically proven to bring out the best in human nature. As we saw on United Flight 93, we draw courage from each other and together ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
Please don't take this to mean that I am endorsing a full-scale attack on the first kid that is unwise enough to dunk a pigtail in the inkwell... Just that in a climate where individuals are encouraged to care for and protect the rights of others, bullying is not likely to be tolerated, and that there is NO police or military unit powerful enough to protect individual rights unless the individuals are willing to take the responsibility of protecting each other. For this to happen, we need to be willing to give up a bit of that power to the students. The idea of punishing a child for defending themselves or another from the threat of bodily harm would be absolutely ludicrous in any setting other than our schools. It is common knowledge to any child that if you fight back you get suspended, but I wonder how many administrators would calmly allow a parent to come across the desk and punch them in the face without raising a hand in their own defense. It seems just as unlikely as a co-worker that pulled your pants to the ground would be given five days off with pay to "think it over."
Whether you are a parent, teacher, counselor, bus driver, the target of bulllying, or even the bully yourself, please know that there are people that care and that can help. Please know that I do NOT have the professional training to access, diagnose, or treat mental health issues, and certainly don't have ALL the answers. My experience is as a teacher, an advocate, and the mother of a child that was, literally, bullied to death. The suggestions offered here are based on a combination of research-based professional literature, personal experience, and feedback I have been given from the students themselves on what does and does not work when it comes to bullying. In other words, treat it the same way you would advice from your mother, take what you can use, but don't substitute it for seeing a professional! If you need help FINDING the right person, you can email me at jeffreyjohnstonlaw@msn.com and in many cases, I can at least get you pointed in the right direction. Above all, trust your instincts and remember that we all have a voice in deciding what is acceptable in our neighborhoods, and in our schools. It is THE PEOPLE of Florida that own the Florida Public School System, and it is up to THE PEOPLE to decide what course of action we must take to ensure the safety of every child in Florida's Schools.
I guess this has turned into one of my marathon blogs, but it was done with the hope that nobody will have to lose a precious child like our Jeff, because of not knowing the lessons that I learned too late.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Fw: Justice for Victims of Bullying in Florida Schools
On September 3, of 2002, Tim Mikula savagely battered classmate Bobbie Bean three times at Sebring Middle School, leaving the fourteen-year-old barely clinging to life and with permanent brain injuries which will affect him for the rest of his life. For this offense, Mikula received a five day suspension from school and a free walk from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. Over the past five years as their son struggled to cope with this tragic event, Bobbie Sr. and Marilyn Bean have fought for justice for Bobbie for what was stolen from him that day. At 9:00 on July 10th, Bobbie will walk into a meeting of the Highlands County Commissioners one more time to request that someone be held accountable. In this case, that person is Sheriff Susan Benton, just one of the many public officials involved in a cover-up that caused one member of the Florida Senate to question the qualifications of the District Attorney in allowing three counts of aggravated battery and attempted murder could be made to simply disappear. This is also a question being asked by State Attorney, Bill McCollum, and Governor Crist. To add insult to injury, the Bean Family has been repeatedly harassed and threatened by the local Sheriff's Office while the assailant went on to become Captain of the high school wrestling Team and hailed as a hero in the small town press.
With documentation of Sheriff Benton's misconduct in hand, Mr. and Mrs. Bean will ask for her resignation. Hopefully, this will signal the first step toward justice for this family that has never stopped believing in the power of the ordinary citizen. No child should be beaten on a school bus, in a locker room, or in a school corridor as he is being walked to the clinic by his assailant. All of this happened to Bobbie on that morning in September 2002 when his only offense was to get on the bus to go to school.
Hopefully, as people become more aware of the abuse that many children are subjected to in schools all over our state, we will no longer dismiss bullying as just a rite of passage or a sign of the times. In the next few days, I will be traveling to Tallahassee to meet with Governor Crist to ask him to expand the call of the special session on Children's Health to include HB575/SB114 The Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up For All Students Act. Until Florida takes a stand against bullying, bullies will continue to get a free ride in Florida's classrooms.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
1 new message in 1 topic - abridged
SaferSchools
saferschools@googlegroups.com
saferschools@googlegroups.com
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Today's most active topics:
* Status of Jeff's Law - 1 new
http://groups.google.com/group/saferschools/t/4274ffdf155e05ce?hl=en
Active Topics
-------------
Status of Jeff's Law - 1 new
----------------------------
I'd like to know the status of Jeff's Law. I know it died in committee during
the Spring 2007 Florida legislative session and there was an attempt to get it
on the agenda of the special session June 12, 2007. I haven't heard anything
about the bill since June. Thanks! Lorrie - Thurs, Jul 5 2007 6:56 pm
1 message, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/saferschools/t/4274ffdf155e05ce?hl=en
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