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Date:	
Thu, 29 Apr 2004 09:31:52 -0500	

To:	
goofree@yahoo.com	

From:	
"Sen. Bill Foster" <bill_foster@mail.senate.state.mo.us>	

Subject:	
Re: Out-of-District: Bully Bill No.1135 	

Dear Jeff,
Thanks for your email and for the good things you are doing. My daughter is a fourth grade teacher so I hear from her everyday the problems classroom teachers are facing. I introduced SB 1135 and am doing all I can to get it passed.

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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1135
92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATORS FOSTER, COLEMAN, DOUGHERTY AND KENNEDY.
Read 1st time January 22, 2004, and ordered printed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
4060S.01I
AN ACT
To amend chapter 160, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to bullying in public schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: 
Section A. Chapter 160, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 160.670, to read as follows:
160.670. For the purposes of this section, "bullying" is any written or verbal expression or physical act or gesture or a pattern of behavior intended to cause emotional distress of a student in a public school, on public grounds, in public school vehicles, at public school bus stops, or at public school activities or sanctioned events. In order to provide a learning environment that is safe, conducive to the learning process, and free from unnecessary disruption, following consultation with parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, students, student councils where applicable and, where appropriate, the community at large, each public school district shall promulgate and implement a bully-free school plan. The plan shall state specific policies in effect designed to prevent bullying from occurring. The plan shall also contain procedures for disciplining students who bully. Each public school shall submit annually, in a manner and by a date determined by the department of elementary and secondary education, a written report to the superintendent of its respective school district concerning the learning environment in the school for the previous year. Each school district's superintendent shall compile the reports from every school in the district and shall annually submit the compiled report to the department of elementary and secondary education in a format and on a date specified by the department. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the bully-free school plan in effect in the school district, the number of bullying incidents reported at each school, and the total number of incidents reported in the district. The reports shall be made available to the public annually.

	

	
Senator Bill Foster
State Capitol Building  
Room 423   Poplar Bluff, MO 63901  
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101  
Capitol Phone:  (573) 751-3859  

Jeff Burgess
Greenfield Elementary School
409 Montgomery
Greenfield, MO 65661
April 26, 2004

Dear Senator Foster:

	I recently invited the staff of the elementary school that I currently teach at to comment on Senate Bill No. 1135 concerning bully-free school plans. 
	
	Teacher comments on Senate Bill No. 1135:
“Bullying is a problem.  We know how to identify it, but we don’t know what to do about it.”
“It is a problem and should be addressed.”
“Will having a written policy change anything?”
“Is there funding for this?”  
“Are there training sessions or programs available for teachers?”
“Specific guidelines on how to address bullying would be helpful.”
“Making schools do mandatory reports on a yearly basis will not necessarily reduce the incidents of bullying.”
	Discussion:  
	The main questions on this bill seem to be how we would go about deciding what specific actions would constitute bullying and what actions would teachers need to take.    Most teachers think it needs to be addressed, but how, when, where will this happen and who will pay for it?  These are the types of questions that, as the bill states, will require a collaborative plan, but that plan will then require extra time, effort, and professional development activities.  Where will the funds come from and where will the time required to train teachers to implement the plan come from?   
	My wife is a counselor who is planning to implement a bully-free school plan next year at the elementary school where she is currently employed.  She has visited other area schools that have successfully implemented this plan in Nixa, and it is used in some Springfield schools.  I plan to suggest the book that she is using for the school I am employed at and think that districts statewide would benefit from the concepts outlined in this resource.  I feel that the biggest problem then will be finding time and funds for professional development activities.
	The plan comes from a relatively inexpensive book with a comprehensive approach for elementary schools.  The book, Bully Proofing Your School is currently available online from the publisher at half price - $19.50 - at http://www.sopriswest.com/swstore/product.asp?sku=13 .  On-site trainings are also available for schools or school districts.
	Bully Proofing Your School provides a blueprint for implementing a program to meet one criterion: to make the school environment safe for children both physically and psychologically.  The book presents a process and all the materials necessary for adoption of a school-wide plan against bullying.  
	Scope of the problem: In the average elementary classroom, two to three students spend their day afraid.  Some avoid the restroom, cafeteria, and playground for fear of humiliation or confrontation by bullies.  Children increasingly do not feel safe.  Every seven minutes bullying happens on elementary school playgrounds.  
	Bully Proofing Your School is a comprehensive program with five equally important components: (from http://www.creatingcaringcommunities.com/train.html)
•	Staff training - Teaches staff the facts about the bullying dynamic and how to recognize and intervene in bullying situations. 
•	Student instruction - Teaches students skills to avoid victimization as well as to take a stand for others. 
•	Intervention with the Bullies and the Victims - Teaches no-nonsense techniques to avoid power struggles with bullies as well as support techniques for victims. 
•	Parent involvement - Provides strategies for collaborative relationships. 
•	Developing the Caring Community - Presents interventions to convert the silent majority of students into a caring majority who join together to take a stand for a safe and bully-free school.
	 Conclusion:  Teachers know that bullying is a problem in school – but most do not know what to do about it.  Senate Bill No. 1135 will be the first step in getting schools to do something about bullying in schools.  But the schools and districts need time and funding for materials and professional development before they are ready to add another burden to a public school system that is already cutting back on services due to budget concerns.  In the long run, an effective bully-free program will in effect save schools time and money by reducing the amount of time that teachers and administrators spend dealing with issues raised by inappropriate social behaviors.  

Sincerely, 

Jeff Burgess 
Elementary Teacher
Greenfield Elementary School
email: goofree@yahoo.com