It is just a tiny cut. It barely bleeds. But it is a cut nonetheless and (intentionally mixing metaphors) yet another straw on the back of already overburdened property taxpayers.
“It” is the legislation you surely have heard the most about in the past few weeks - and is not any number of “reform” items in the Governor’s “tool kit,” which has yet to be acted upon by the Legislature. No, “it” is Assembly Bill 3466, “Establishes measure to address harassment, intimidation, and bullying in school settings.” Not yet known as “Tyler’s Law,” after the tragic case of a Rutger’s student who took his own life following harassment by fellow students, the legislation imposes mandate after mandate after mandate upon state and local schools.
Here is a sampling (taken from the sponsors’ press release):
The bill “requires all teachers, administrators and school board members to complete anti-bullying training; requires public colleges and universities to adopt an anti-bullying policy to include harassment and intimidation and include it in the code of conduct given to all students; provides that the superintendent of schools in each school district must appoint a district anti-bullying coordinator and sets forth the responsibilities of that individual; requires school districts to establish bullying prevention programs or approaches compared to current law under which school districts are only encouraged to establish such programs; provides that a school district's policy on harassment, intimidation, and bullying must include appropriate responses to such actions that occur off school grounds; provides that each school district must form a school safety team in each school in the district to foster and maintain a positive school climate within the schools; provides that by the 2011-2012 school year all candidates for school administrator or teacher certification will be required to complete a program on harassment, intimidation, or bullying prevention, and that training in this area will be a part of the professional development requirements for these individuals; includes training regarding harassment, intimidation and bullying in schools as a part of the training program provided to all school board members; designates the week beginning with the first Monday in October of each year as a "Week of Respect" and requires districts to observe the week by providing age-appropriate instruction focusing on preventing harassment, intimidation or bullying; provides a detailed procedure that must be included in each district's policy concerning the investigation of incidents of harassment, intimidation, or bullying; provides that a school employee or contracted service provider must file a written report with the school principal within two days of observing or being made aware of an act of harassment, intimidation, or bullying; provides that the principal in each public school must appoint the currently employed school guidance counselor, school psychologist or another similarly trained individual as the school anti-bullying specialist (if there is no individual that meets these criteria employed in the school, the principal must appoint another currently employed individual in the school to the position of school anti-bullying specialist.); and, provides that the superintendent of schools must report to the board of education twice a year, rather than annually, at a public hearing all acts of violence, vandalism and harassment, intimidation, or bullying which occurred during the previous period.
To assist school districts in meeting the new mandates, the legislation creates a “Bullying Prevention Fund” in the Department of Education to which districts can apply for grants. Raise your hand if you think the fund will a) be enough to cover the cost of the new mandates for every district in the state; and b) never be used for other purposes by the state in tough fiscal times. Those of you who raised your hands can tune into Fox tonight (in certain areas) to enjoy the Yankee-Phillie World Series that you were also led to believe would happen.
When I last checked, the bill had 42 sponsors and cosponsors in the Assembly, more than enough to assure passage.
The bill, if it becomes law, will not prevent bullying. Simply teaching teachers and administrators (who are already taught such things) and requiring them to report on their success will not accomplish anything. Brett Favre has been told over and over again that he should not throw the ball to the other team, but somehow he keeps getting intercepted.
Indeed, according to the New Jersey Department of Education’s own website, “New Jersey has been a leader in the establishment of a strong statutory, regulatory, policy and program framework to support the prevention, remediation and reporting of HIBT (Harassment, Intimidations & Bullying) in schools. The site provides “information and resources to aid schools in the establishment of HIBT policies, the adoption of HIBT program strategies, the implementation of proactive responses to HIBT and the adoption effective HIBT reporting procedures.” Note: No new law required.
No, unfortunately, we will probably never end bullying amongst the young. There will always be “haves” and “have-nots;” we will always have “weak” and “strong;” there will always be “cool” and “geek” and “nerd;” and, yes, “gay” and “straight.” And there will always be those because of some weakness in THEIR character who will take advantage, bully, punish, torture and otherwise harass those who they see as different. It has been going on since men and women sent their children to the cave down the valley for training.
No law will, however well intentioned, will change that.
But the bill WILL add to our property tax burden. Perhaps maybe not next year or the year after, but eventually it will become part of all that the state requires schools to accomplish. And it will take away from schools a part of a few days that first week in October every year when they were supposed to be teaching the kids how to read and write and do math.
The publicity surrounding the death of Tyler Clementi has already accomplished more than will be achieved by this bill. I am certain that in classrooms across New Jersey and America teachers are using this tragic event as a “learning moment” and doing some good.
Let’s leave it at that and not knee-jerk another new mandate upon our schools. Some day you will thank me. A lot of us are already bleeding to death. We need no new cuts.
Don,
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis of another needless piece of legislation. I guess the political class will never learn that it makes little sense to just throw a new law at every problem the gets a headline.
Our nation's schools are already collapsing into failed instutions as a result of too much government intrusion. They certainly do not need more that would result from enactment of A-3466.
You are "certain that in classrooms across New Jersey and America teachers are using this tragic event as a “learning moment” and doing some good."
ReplyDeleteYou assume much from our administrators in view of the fact that school systems were not adhering to the original law that relied on schools and teachers to DO the "right thing".
to shrug off the problem with a "cave-man" mentality is telling of a reactionary social agenda which exacerbates the problem.
USA Today on new study on bullying. Perhaps they are simply waiting on a new law before they stop.
ReplyDeleteHalf of teens say they have bullied others, survey finds
A survey of 43,321 teens ages 15 to 18 found 50% had bullied, teased or taunted someone at least one time and 52% had hit a person in anger. Researchers also found 47% of teens said they had been bullied, teased or taunted to the point where they were very upset. USA TODAY (10/27)