Posted by Bill, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Jan 21, 2013 at 3:19 pm

Bullying either by student to student of by teacher to student is rampant. When parents try an do something they are most often met with the "kids will be kids" response. Schools are required to make an active intervention and protect the child no matter what. If you are hitting a dead end as a parent or a student let someone outside the school know about it. To get things done you often have to hold those responsible feet to the fire. Contacting the press can be invaluable as schools hate negative publicity.

Posted by Tom Cushing, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Jan 21, 2013 at 3:56 pm

I would second Bill's motion, and add that the School Board has ultimate responsibility for ensuring the proper implementation of District policies, including those specifically against bullying. Here is the SRVUSD webpage on Board meetings: Web Link

To summarize it, they meet twice a month, on Tuesday evenings, and each session sets aside a time for public comments, limited to 3 minutes each. You can say a Lot in three minutes, ask them to follow-up and commit to attending the next x meetings until they do. I am not suggesting that they would intentionally blow-you-off; I am suggesting that the "squeaking wheel" adage is true. Here are the meetings for the rest of the school year:

January 29, 2013

February 12, 2013

February 26, 2013

March 19, 2013

April 9, 2013

April 23, 2013

May 7, 2013

May 21, 2013

June 4, 2013

June 25, 2013

(... and while you're there, please ask whether they implemented those policies with affirmative, age-appropriate activities, as they intended back in 2010, to foster a positive learning environment in which all participants may thrive -- thanks!)

Posted by Diane, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Jan 22, 2013 at 6:48 pm

When my son was a Charlotte Wood student and was being bullied, the current administration mentioned that they were starting a student ambassador program to help with the issue. It wasn't going to start until after he left, but I have often wondered if it got off the ground. He was bullied in elementary school, middle school and the first couple of years of high school. It was awful to drop him off in the morning knowing I couldn't protect him. I so feel for parents who are in this situation now, and I appreciate Tom for his suggestions. If enough parents attend these meetings, you would not only be able to speak about your concerns, but you would meet other parents with the same concerns in the process. You might even find new friends for your kids, and ending isolation is a great way to discourage bullies.

If it is any consolation, my son finally started making friends in high school, and is now a very compassionate and well adjusted adult. The best of luck to the parents and kids who are dealing with this now.