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Dr Glenn Fortmayer
Dr.Glenn Fortmayer is Superintendent of USD 247 Southeast. He has been a superintendent for four years and administrator for 15 of 23 years in education. He is working with Southeast on initiatives including: expanding student learning opportunities, technology integration, and increasing instruction that authentically engages students every class period of every day with an emphasis on project based learning. For more information call 620-457-8350.
Education Issues
2012-11-19 11:40:02
Anti-Bullying
Q- Bullying, why are schools making such an issue?
A- “Kids will be Kids.” “They were just playing around.” “Bullying will always exist, kids just need to learn how to deal with it, and it is a part of life.” We have all probably heard these statements. Some who read this may even believe in one or more of the statements. School staffs cannot operate by them because of state and federal laws that are being more strictly enforced in our court systems. Schools are legally required to define bullying and provide consequences. More demanding now, schools are legally required to go above identification and consequences; they must now also provide training and prevention interventions as well as documentation, reporting to law enforcement, and providing notification to parents of investigation results and actions. Just as school violence has more serious consequences today than what previous generations experienced, bullying is being required to be addressed much more strictly. Staff members can face liability for failure to report or act. Very few staff members will risk their careers and livelihoods over poor decisions and behaviors of students or even other staff (Kansas law prohibits staff to staff as well as staff to student bullying). Staff members correctly take a “better to be safe than sorry” approach and report possible bullying as soon as it is detected. Without a proper investigation, the incident cannot be determined to be part of a pattern, on-going, or severe or not. Anti-bullying efforts place a strain on administrators and designees as they have to investigate the vast increase in reports. Most are simply non-bullying incidents, especially as students and staff become better educated on bullying and bullying prevention. There are cases when the first two opening statements of this article are true and accurate. They are what every school staff member hopes to find at the end of investigation. Until that determination is found, all staff school members and especially administrators need parents and guardians to be patient, understand the legal requirements staff must comply with, and be supportive of a process that ensures the safety and well-being of students and staff. Positive parental and community support of school staff and administrator efforts to reduce bullying will foster and maintain a truly safe and positive school environment for all students. USD 247 Southeast and I believe, every district in Kansas, operate under the belief that the last opening quote in this article is completely false and unacceptable. The days that most of us remember, when being bullied physically, verbally, or emotionally were just part of growing up, are indeed in the past. What may seem over reaction to a few is a new safer, more positive educational environment of the present and future. Interested students and parents should contact their local districts or visit http://www.ksde.org/KS_SAFE_SCHOOLS_RESOURCE_CENTER/legislation.html for more information.
 
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