Resource Center Dallas Wants Dallas ISD to Define Students Protected by Bullying Policy

• I think it is stupid teacher dont care about the kids so i think it is stupid.

• Scott I am childless. I only have dogs, but no dog in this hunt. I believe that ALL children feel safe to learn in a school setting. As someone who pays school taxes, I would like to ensure that all sexual orientations, ethnic groups, and even religious groups are treated with the respect they deserve. It seems as simple as treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated. It is just that when we are in our teens and confused by peer pressure we need some guidance and rule s to abide by. Scott..not sure what was meant by the drug laws.......but pot should totally be legal as I want to set up the first Ganji store in NW Dallas (Sparkman Club Sparkys). Free papers or screens with each purchase.

• Jon affirmed what I suspected, that bullying is already against the rules. So, what would a new policy do? Force administrators to act even when they don't see justification? That could be good or bad. But, clearly, no tolerance rules have their substantial shortcomings as well. Jack-e-Jett asked if I would rather have a dead kid than a bullied one. Well, would he rather have our current drug laws, or would he rather have legalization? Mandatory sentencing has many attendant ills, regardless of the issue. I was a late bloomer, and got picked on enough. After getting my growth spurt, many of those who picked on me begged for my forgiveness later. I thought they were idiots before and after, and didn't much care about them at all. Before the growth spurts, I was probably a bully to some; not out of malice but perhaps more akin to the A.A. Milne's "Tigger." We enjoyed going and messing with our misanthropic classmates, not to intimidate, but to provoke a bit--kinda like "Night at the Roxbury." We were probably guilty of harassing and bullying our classmates, but it wasn't threatening or deliberately vicious. Again, the challenge I raised in the last thread on this topic, what one decree do we pass to end this, deal equitably with all the variety and range of "bullying?" How do we keep flexibility in the particular while seriously reforming the system?

• I agree with the posts that call for a definition of bullying that applies to all kids regardless of special circumstances. Trust me, there are lots of kids who game the system and claim they have been bullied when they haven't. Those types of kids would love a Student Support Team with all the attendant drama and time required. On the flip side, the worst bullies are very covert and not likely to be reported. My daughter attended a DISD elementary school with a truly psychopathic child whose mother was a teacher at the school. All the adults knew the child was a problem, but the mother seemed to think that anyone who complained about her overdressed (Coach tennis shoes on a 4th grader), overfed darling was a racist. Families had no option but to pull their child out of the school rather than be called racists. Edwin is the definition of a worthless grandstander who has supported his "rock star" superintendent and every disaster of a plan the 2 of them can think up. Heaping more on already overburdened teachers won't work. We already loathe bullies and want to kick them off campus. Why don't we have an alternative campus in each part of the city for bullies and other criminal students, Edwin? He's all talk, no walk.

• What a horrible, stupid policy. Every student that suspects he <i>or anyone</i> might have been bullied should report it and the principal <i>shall</i> form a "Student Support Team" in response? Ugh. <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2010/10/bullying-shouldnt-be-a-crime-no-matter-how-many-people-kill-themselves-because-of-it/">Here</a> is a better view. If one kids assaults another kid on school grounds, the school ought to take action. Teasing, harassment, or getting picked on somewhere out of school shouldn't be a DISD issue.

• Thanks for that information, Jon. Much obliged.

• FYI-The district's current policy regarding harassment reads as follows: "Students shall not engage in conduct constituting harassment on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of another student, an employee, or any person who seeks the campus community in any capacity or who interfaces with the District (such as citizens, parents, vendors) at school or school-related events. [See also DIA(LOCAL)] Prohibited harassment includes but is not limited to oral, written, psychological, physical (both climate and contact), and other demonstrative actions with regard to race, creed, ethnic origin, religious preference, gender, disability, or sexual orientation that is harassing." There is a similar policy that extends to staff members as well. These policies were developed with the assistance of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance in the 1990s. Jon Dahlander Dallas ISD

• Like Caligula's war on Poseidon, what metrics do we use to declare victory? Only our Edwin has the arrogance to think he can legislate this out of existence. My kids have been minorities in four DISD schools. There has been bullies in all the schools. The principles know about the situation, and all have addressed any situation that I have ever brought up. Maybe I am missing something, but this seems a little grandstanding to me. Though, less destructive then destroying TAG schools or getting Jack a new contract

• Add me to those who believe ALL students should be protected form bullying. Just define what bullying is and make a rule against doing it.

• What's the difference between GLBT and LGBT? Was DISD afraid that listing the LGs 1st the entire time would upset the GLs? OMFG.

• Wouldn't it be best to define bullying and then note that everybody is protected from it? Otherwise, you just create loopholes. "Well, we can't protect that kid from bullying because he's a straight white kid, and they aren't specifically protected by the bullying rules" It's not an enhanced penalty for bullying against a particular group, it's a rule designed to stop an overall problem. As long as the bullying rules are enforced across the board, it should protect GLBT students, too. I do get the concern and the symbolism, though, and I know it is a tough topic because of the controversy about homosexuality in general. But since the bullying policy has to cover any and all bullying, specifically listing every single possible group that could get bullied is potentially counterproductive in and of itself because you're never going to be able to create an all-inclusive list of traits that people could get bullied for.

• "Absent any specific protections, it could be inferred that it would be okay to bully students based on their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression." Um, no, it couldn't. Taking a rule of no bullying that obviously applies to everyone and singling out a specific group will only, well, single them out and make them even bigger targets for bullying. And as anon points out, where does it stop? Do nerds get their own special rule?

• Hey! What about the small students, and the fat ones? Or the anorexic? Who will protect the children?

• I 100% agree with this initiative for LGBT students. However, does anyone agree that we are handling children with such kid gloves that they just wouldn't make it in the world we live in today? Everything has to be broken down by definition for race, religion, shape, size, peanut-allergies, etc. They have taken away discovery learning and candy rewards in the classroom. There is no staying out after dark and hardly any recess (those long periods of time when you just ran around in circles outside in between learning, rather than memorizing TAKS objectives). Life couldn't possibly be that stimulating if electronics are not involved for today's child. I think it's some of our doing as adults for the shit we got as kids. I was bullied, but I totally got over myself, and when I gained confidence, I became a new person and told those bitches not only to suck it, but to open wider. Yes, we should be specific on protecting LGBT--it is a right to have your sexuality respected, the same way "straight" is acceptable. But, seriously, the more narrow we make everything, especially in school, the more work and terribleness we create, and are giving kids an unrealistic picture of what the outside world will be someday.

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