Friday, September 28, 2012

Transparency of GCS/NC Reporting of School Crime

"According to Guilford County Schools' policies for high school students, an incident that's considered an aggressive action includes hitting, biting, shoving, kicking, spitting or throwing objects toward a student or adult.
The student can be suspended from school for up to three days for the first incident.
Students committing more serious assaults on school employees can be suspended from school for at least 10 days or get reassigned to alternative education.
They will also not be allowed to return to that teacher's classroom unless the teacher agrees. Police will also be notified.
...
(GCS Chief of Staff Nora) Carr said assaults on school employees are rare in the district, and she was unable to cite a previous incident.
State data on school crime and suspensions shows that last school year, Guilford County Schools reported 84 assaults on school personnel, which includes volunteers.
Dudley High reported two such offenses, according to the state data.
Those assaults do not include serious injuries, based on how the state tracks assaults.
Guilford County Schools didn’t report any assaults that caused serious injury last year, state data shows."



By News & Record Sarah Newell Williamson


If you are threatened or feel unsafe, complete and file a police statement ASAP. Retain the original copy: needed if petition the court for a Restraining Order.

<- Click left page: Law Enforcement: School Crime/“Assault” definition www.saferschools.blogspot.com

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Character Point Average (C.P.A.)

  1. The Science of Good Character…Two Schools' Journey to Success ...

    Sep 20, 2011 – The Science of Good Character… ... students at the KIPP Infinity Middle School receive a C.P.A (Character Point Average) based on a two page ...
  2. www.nytimes.com/.../what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure...

    Paul Tough
    Sep 14, 2011 – Wouldn't it be cool, he mused, if each student graduated from school with not only a G.P.A. but also a C.P.A., for character-point average? If you ...
  3. atlantablackstar.com/2012/09/.../character-trumps-grade-point-averag...
    Are you more interested in your child's grade point average or his or her character and sense of personal responsibility?
  4. marymeganhoward.edublogs.org/.../moral-vs-performance-character...
    Sep 15, 2011 – You've heard of a Grade Point Average? What about a Character Point Average? As I read Paul Tough's article, I couldn't stop thinking of the ...
  5. (Blog) Character Point Average: Grades Matter, But...

    Apr 26, 2012 – Director of LD Resources & Essential Information Sheldon H. Horowitz, Ed.D., reflects on efforts to evaluate student character development and ...
  6. Character Point Average: Grades matter, but...

    Apr 26, 2012 – character point average kids Parents, educators, and especially teenagers complain that too much attention is paid to grades and test scores.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Never Give Up (4:56 & 9:21 min videos)

We cannot place limits on what we are capable of doing, because we often don't know our own potential. Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own, ever again. They were wrong... 

  Watch Never Give Up >>

Friday, September 21, 2012

It Takes a Village to Raise Bullies

"I’m beginning to believe that bullying is not a problem of two parents and a child; it seems to be a problem of entire communities.

When a bully named Scott targeted me in junior high (middle school), it wasn’t just him. It was Scott, his six friends and the school’s principal.
One day, Scott informed me during the bus ride to school that he wanted to beat me up. His anger toward me was intense, but I never knew why.
Word got out by late morning that there was going to be a big fight off campus. Being shy at that age, I had told no one.
Toward the afternoon, the principal caught me in the hallway and told me that if I fought, I’d be suspended or thrown out of school. I told him that I didn’t want to fight, but that Scott and company planned to gang up on me at my bus stop.
“That’s your problem,” the principal said. “Just get out of the fight.”

I told the principal that if I avoided the fight, I’d be a target for the rest of the school year. The principal again told me that was my problem.
There was no kindness or concern in this man’s heart. He was just worried about the school’s image.
All during the bus ride home, I was taunted by Scott and his gang, mostly weak boys emboldened by Scott’s cockiness. I knew that if I fought Scott, they would never bother me again.
But despite my shyness, I loved school. I wasn’t about to get suspended or thrown out.
I also was the strongest runner in my school. So two stops before my own, I jumped off the bus and ran home.
Scott and his gang missed their chance. To my surprise, no one bothered me much for the next few weeks.
Then, while passing one of Scott’s lackeys in a vestibule where no one was present, Jan knocked all of the books out of my hands. The boy laughed, saying he “owned” me. “Wimp.”
Without thinking, I punched Jan in the chest, knocking him against the wall. I watched him slide to the floor completely winded. No one from Scott’s gang ever bothered me again.
After that, Jan stopped hanging around with Scott. The boy would even move to the other side of the hallway whenever he saw me.
But to be honest, I lucked out. I think Scott was having other problems that made him forget about me. In the end, I was more angry with the school principal.
Still, my experiences were nothing compared with what is happening to Billy White in Arkansas. This boy gets beat up on a regular basis, and the school has completely failed to stop the cruelty, reports The New York Times.
Several of the incidents, which have required stitches, were even caught on video. The Times posted photos of Billy’s abused body.
Perhaps most disconcerting to me is that Billy’s parents let him continue on at the school. I mean, there’s fighting the good fight, but Billy, who already suffers from learning disabilities, is growing up fearful of education.
Why does this family want to stay in a community complicit with torturing this boy? Some of the students even “started a Facebook page called ‘Every One That Hates Billy Wolfe.’ ”
After one incident, a school official refused to call police, saying Billy got what he deserved. Another school official complained that Billy’s demeanor was to blame. Gee, do you think a boy who has been getting attacked since he was 12 and fears going to school is going to act normal?
No, most of us know what the real problem is: parents and communities that encourage kids to pick on the weak like a pack of hyenas."

from DAD Talk: Dedicated to the Most Important People in the World

Monday, September 17, 2012

How do you know if your child is being bullied or if your child is bullying another?

Check out these warning signs compiled by StopBullying.gov:

Signs a child may be bullied
 
* Comes home with damaged or missing clothing or other belongings
* Reports losing items such as books, electronics, clothing, or jewelry
* Has unexplained injuries
* Complains frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or feeling sick
* Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams
* Has changes in eating habits
* Hurts themselves
* Is very hungry after school from not eating lunch
* Runs away from home
* Loses interest in visiting or talking with friends
* Is afraid of going to school or other activities with peers
* Loses interest in school work or begins to do poorly in school
* Appears sad, moody, angry, anxious or depressed when he comes home
* Talks about suicide
* Feels helpless
* Feels as if he is not good enough
* Blames himself for his problems
* Suddenly has fewer friends
* Avoids certain places
* Acts differently than usual

Signs your child may be a bully
 
* Becomes violent with others
* Gets into physical or verbal fights with others
* Gets sent to the principal's office or detention a lot
* Has extra money or new belongings that cannot be explained
* Is quick to blame others
* Will not accept responsibility for his actions
* Has friends who bully others
* Needs to win or be best at everything

Source: StopBullying.gov


Restorative Practices
Proactive win-win approach
Click & peruse left page: Restorative Practices... (includes videos)

Friday, September 14, 2012

Illinois: New law requires police to alert schools of student investigations

Teacher attacked by teen in 2008 inspired measure, Quinn says
August 28, 2012
Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law requiring police to alert school officials when a student is under investigation.
Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law requiring police to alert school officials when a student is under investigation. (Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune)
As a teacher who was attacked by a student in 2008 looked on Monday, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law requiring police to alert school officials when a student is under investigation.
"Something really bad happened here," Quinn told dozens of students and local officials during the signing ceremony at Elgin High School, referring to the attack on Carolyn Gilbert. "We need to make sure that never happens again."
He referred to Gilbert, 55, as "heroic" and "dedicated."
"She inspired this law and all of us," he said, hugging her after signing House Bill 5602. The law takes effect Jan. 1.
Gilbert stood at Quinn's side as he spoke of the day when Angel Facio, then a 16-year-old sophomore at the school, threw a coat over her head as she was alone in her classroom and repeatedly stabbed her.
The attack caused her to lose sight in her left eye. Facio was convicted of attempted first-degree murder. In a separate trial, he later was found guilty for the aggravated criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 9 — a case he had been under investigation for at the time Gilbert was attacked. School officials did not know of the investigation because law enforcement at the time was not required to share such information with school officials.
A school would not have learned about a student being under investigation until he or she was detained or arrested in connection with a crime, said John Heiderscheidt, school district safety coordinator for Elgin-based School District U-46.
"Now police can tell schools if a student is under investigation," he said.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Keeping Your Kids Safe at Schools

ARA: High Point Enterprise:  8-24-2012


(ARA) - The start of the school year is a time of great anticipation for parents and kids alike. New teachers. New classes. New and old friends. It’s a time for fun and learning.
Parents expect schools to be safe havens, but the reality is that children face a host of dangers all day long. Bullying, taunting and teasing are only some of the hazards that kids must deal with it every day at even the best schools in America.
About 30 percent of middle and high school students say they’ve been bullied. Among high school students, one out of nine teens reported they had been pushed, shoved, tripped or spit upon during the last school year, according to a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development research study.
FindLaw.com, the nation’s leading website for free legal information, offers the following tips on how to keep your children safe at school:
* Talk to your kids about school safety. Talk about bullying and make sure your child understands what is and is not acceptable behavior. Also discuss when and how to report bullying.
* Go to the bus stop. If your schedule allows, go to the bus stop with your child and get to know the other kids and parents, along with the bus driver.
* Get to know your kids’ teachers. Send your child’s teacher an email to introduce yourself and regularly check in on your child’s academic and social progress. Learn how his or her teacher approaches bullying and other issues that may distract from the school’s learning environment, such as the use of cell phones and iPods.
* Read the school’s policy on bullying. Become familiar with school policies about bullying - particularly the protocols for identifying and reporting bullying behavior. Pay careful attention to policies regarding cyberbullying, which can take place outside of school.
* Watch and listen for the cues. Many kids don’t want to reveal to their parents that they’re being bullied, taunted or teased by other kids. If your child is withdrawn, not doing homework, sick more often than normal or demonstrating other out-of-the-ordinary behavior, talk about what seems to be bothering him or her.
* Know where your kids are at. Sometimes bullying and other unsafe situations take place outside of school grounds, such as at other students’ houses. Telling your kids that you want to know where they are and that they need permission to visit a friend’s house shows them you care. It also reassures them that they can contact you if they need help.
* Monitor Internet use and texting. Put the home computer in a public place and don’t allow your kids to use a computer in their bedroom by themselves.
* Talk to other parents. You may learn that their children also have been bullied or have been involved in activities on and off school grounds that you should be concerned about. You stand a much better chance of obtaining changes and creating a safer environment for your student by acting together rather than alone.
* Put it in writing. If you suspect your child is being bullied or sexually harassed by another student (or a teacher or staff member), ask for a face-to-face meeting with the school’s principal. If the principal does not act, hire an attorney and escalate your complaint to the superintendent and school board. Putting your complaint in writing about the specific types of negative behavior affecting your child is necessary if you need to litigate the complaint in court.
* Take appropriate action when bullying becomes assault. If your child is physically assaulted on the bus, in school or on school grounds, contact the local police department, particularly if there is a school liaison officer assigned to the school, about whether a police report or assault charges should be filed. Do not wait to let the school handle the situation.
For more information about how to keep your kids safe at school, visit FindLaw.com.

Read more: High Point Enterprise - Keeping your kids safe at school

Friday, September 7, 2012

NC House Bill 1078 and Senate Bill 707: School Safety

Above Legislation Bills: great improvement,
yet...
From listening to students, parents, educators and law enforcement personnel needs, Safer Schools Team members have sought legislation inclusion of the following three requests to proactively safeguard students, school personnel, & SROs. 

Safer Schools' three requests seriously are addressed with accountability in some NC school systems.
Why not in GCS?
Why not in all NC school systems?

Safer Schools'  Requests made to NC Legislators & NCAE (NC Association of Educators)/NCRSP (NC Retired School Personnel):
1) Include oral and written threats of violence in the School Law Enforcement Report Form and publicly report this information on the monthly school board agenda.
2) Institute a Violence Risk Threat Assessment, a process in which school administrator, law enforcement, mental health counselor, & teacher(s)/employee(s) involved TOGETHER investigate, examine, evaluate and report the threat.
3) Enact PROACTIVE legislation similar to VA Code 18.2-60: VA Teacher Association and VA legislators passed AFTER the VA Tech massacre: at school or school activities, oral threats of bodily harm are a Misdemeanor 1; written threats of bodily harm are a Felony 6

NC House Bill 1078: ensures that acts of violence at school or school activities are reported to law enforcement and to school superintendent: signed fall, 2009
NC HB 1078 is a beginning. It governs Principals to report to Law Enforcement, but it isn’t clear on the “immediately” part. It is re-active, not pro-active. It does not address written or verbal threats of violence, threats of bodily harm or death.
NC Senate Bill 707: signed 7-2012; adds improvement to HB 1078; does not include Safer Schools' above three requests

What is the reasoning and in whose best interest is it to avoid/omit accountability of Safer Schools' above three requests?

Video- Bullycide in America » Book Video Creation | Book Trailers

Boy gets $50000 grant to stop bullying - ABC Action News
One in four children will be bullied this year, which equates to more than 18 million kids. ... We caught up with Jaylen in his science class.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Back to School: Talk to Your Kids About Bullying

Bullying can happen to anyone. Statistics show one in five children admits to being bullied at school. Bullying can affect a child’s school performance as well as their social and emotional development. With a new school year upon us, bullying may be a concern for your child.

Family Service of the Piedmont’s Director of Counseling Services Theresa Johnson offers advice on talking to your kids about bullying and tips on what to do if your child is a victim of bullying at school.
  

Click Here to Read More <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=51612173&msgid=354984&act=3XP9&c=1003497&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.familyservice-piedmont.org%2Fnews%2Fnewsletter%2Fbullying>