Dear Sir

A week has gone by since my last word to the school on Bullying. I am hoping that McDuff has been sufficiently humiliated in front of his colleagues to have at least put on a good show at getting something started. But I have not heard anything since his e-mail the afternoon of the day we’d met thanking me for my input and my willingness to help. All probably just courtesies, but I would make sure it did not remain that way. He’d have other opportunities to thank me. I’d see to that.

I take to my AOL account and send this to McDuff and his merry band of bystanders:

Dr. McDuff -

It has been a week since our meeting and I wanted to reach out to you to see what progress has been made, and follow up on my suggestions.

I had come to the school to obtain copies of the complaints that Patrick and Mr. Royal had completed and submitted. Have you been able to locate them? I'd still like them. While you looked for them, I noticed that you had many, many complaints to look through. I asserted then, and renew the assertion, that you have experienced this type of overload because you have not made a firm, convincing presentation to your student body that indicates to the pupils that you expect them to interact with you and with each other with respect, and that you will immediately take issue with conduct, bullying or otherwise, that does not meet with your expectations. The students are running amok because you have not communicated your expectations to them in a meaningful way. Has any type of assembly or classroom discussion been planned to initiate this type of communication?

I renew my offer to be an active, engaged part of the solution and not just a complainant. To that end, I have continued my research and have several resources for you to use.

You spoke of several aspects of your anti-bullying initiative as being "in the works." I proposed adopting a neighboring school district's finished product in the interest of time and necessity. The link below is the handbook from a neighboring district which may help you refine your current handbook. Your current handbook's mention of bullying is brief, poorly written, and makes no mention of physical aggression. The policy from this district offers procedures and definitions that would go far in setting expectations.

Additionally, I have attached the Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying policy from another neighboring district. It folds all three topics into a comprehensive policy which defines the unacceptable conduct so that it includes offensive behavior that does not rise to the legal definitions, but is problematic, discouraged and would likely lead to bullying if not addressed.

I also attach a letter from a NJ district that mentions their additional efforts to "step up their game" in response to stricter state guidelines. I would anticipate that we’d be pressured to follow NJ's lead in the next few years and think it would be prudent to consider the value proposition in making strides toward that end now. They were wise to reach out to all district parents as they have to engage them meeting the school district's needs.

Though you argued that the Olweus program has a lengthy implementation process and is very costly, it remains a very well respected authority on bullying that is widely recognized. A school district with the budget our district enjoys should find a way to bring Olweus to our students and teachers. In the mean time, I encourage you to visit this site for information and links to help the district assess their preparedness and create an effective anti-bullying program. www.olweus.org/

www.freespirit.com is a web site that features products designed for use by teachers in promoting educational and social-emotional growth. There are dozens of very affordable resources and self-contained programs to help schools eradicate bullying and create a culture of respect. I am sure the PTO would be happy to help foot the bill so that all of our district schools could address this issue with credibility and effectiveness. Some of the products assist with teacher presentations in the classroom, posters for different age groups, tips on promoting the responsibility of bystanders, etc.

When we met we also discussed the poster that hangs in each classroom, I noted that it states that, "The Compliance Officer shall publish and disseminate this policy and the complaint procedure at least annually to students, parent, guardians, employees, independent contractors, vendors, and the pubic. The publication shall include the position, office address and telephone number of the Compliance Officer." Can you tell me when I can expect this to be done?

Thank you for your continued effort to develop a meaningful and effective program. I look forward to your response.

I know I’ll be waiting. I am hoping he’s just broken out in a flop sweat knowing he has to answer, and that his truthful answer would go something like, “Ooops! Forgot all about that. Hoped you had, too. LOL. My bad.”

He writes back immediately stating simply that he’ll keep me posted on the progress they make and insisting that we are on the same page.

I don’t think so. I’m a few chapters ahead, pal.