Pine Bluff School District educators are taking a more aggressive approach to fight bullying.
District student support and special education officer Ben Brockert discussed updates to a policy prohibiting bullying during a special board meeting held last week.
Brockert said the amendments coincide with Arkansas law requiring the district to have such a policy containing certain provisions. He noted the policy contains a definition of bullying, actions that constitute bullying, how reports of bullying are gathered, a process by which that report will be investigated, and outcomes from a punitive measure.
“We satisfy all those requirements in this policy and it does mesh with the student handbook as it is written right now,” Brockert said. “… The only change is when it refers to the investigation of an incident of bullying, the statute is really clear: it requires the principal to conduct the investigation. In our previous policy along with our student handbook, it was an administrator or an administrator-designee.”
Brockert said there will be an online form to report bullying on the district website and people may email it to bullyingreport@pinebluffschools.org.
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“Parents, community members [or] anyone who wishes to report this bullying anonymously can send that information to that email address,” Brockert said. “And I and Ms. Alesia Smith [the Pine Bluff School District school improvement officer] will be the only individuals who will have access to that email address.”
Brockert and Smith will communicate with a principal of the school where the alleged victim of bullying attends school. That will begin the process, according to the handbook.
Board member Stephen Bronskill asked Superintendent Michael Robinson how they are training teachers and administrators to complete report forms. Robinson responded that they will be providing training at the principals’ institute to become acclimated to the policies and processes.
“We will also be communicating to parents relative to this process, so that they know if their child is being bullied, here is the process so we will act quickly on it,” Robinson, who has a doctorate in educational leadership, said.
District Chief of Staff Cheryl Hatley said each school has locked mailboxes, allowing students to report bullying anonymously.
Robinson finds too many students are being bullied and he takes action immediately. Students who are guilty of bullying will be suspended or expelled.
“I am bringing this to the forefront because I’m finding too many of our kids are being bullied, even if it’s an allegation,” Robinson said. “And I want us to move a little more quickly, put this as an urgent matter, and be a little more aggressive about how we go about handling this so that our kids are not afraid to go to school because they are going to meet the bully when they get there.”
Robinson added they will launch a campaign around anti-bullying.
Board member Phyllis Wilkins said the district is losing students because of discipline problems. She asked what they are doing to prevent bullying and build character.
“I think this is a major problem not only in the Pine Bluff School District but across our nation,” Wilkins said. “… We have to be aggressive, assertive and proactive in this. I know also we need character-building classes starting in pre-K about [how] it’s not appropriate to tease and belittle and that whole process of how to treat other people.”
Brockert responded that the district will teach character education next academic year. Robinson is working with a professional educator who was trained through a Restorative Justice national initiative and he asked her to start this program within two months.
The district anti-bullying document states in part “respect for the dignity of others is a cornerstone of civil society. Bullying creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, robs a person of his/her dignity, detracts from the safe environment necessary to promote student learning, and will not be tolerated by the Board of Directors.
Students who bully another personal shall be held accountable for their actions whether they occur on school equipment or property; off school property at a school-sponsored or approved function, activity, or event; going to or from school or a school activity in a school vehicle or school bus; or at a designated school bus stop.”