Don't Fear the Website

A couple weeks ago, a reporter from KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids asked me to comment on a new website aimed at helping students report bullying and harassment at school. The website is sponsored by the Eychaner Foundation, which sponsors Iowa's Matthew Shepard Scholarship, as well as a minority scholarship for high school students in DeKalb, Illinois. I wrote about the organization and its founder, Rich Eychaner, in The Principal's Challenge. In addition to contributing more than a million dollars for scholarships in the last ten-plus years, Eychaner and his foundation have contributed mightily to civil rights and tolerance in Iowa and beyond.

Before the interview, I needed to get familiar with how the website works. After a kid makes a report, the school receives an email and letter through the postal service with the report. The website also includes the foundation's privacy policy and how they handle the information.

As a former principal, I first thought about how the information would be used. I immediately knew that some would see the website as a potential "gotcha game" that might be misused to label districts. I know what it feels like to be saddled with one more (tough) thing to do and to feel like you're getting peppered from all sides.

Last summer, Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass asserted that bullying data reported by Iowa districts is "unbelievably low." His comments no doubt offended a whole lot of educators who feel constantly under siege by state and federal mandates, media scrutiny, and politicians who've been convinced that running schools more like a business (whatever that means) or more testing will save America. No doubt it felt like piling on.

And yet national surveys suggest that bullying and harassment are real problems.

Hudson Superintendent Tony Voss noted in his blog last June that if the numbers reported to the state are low, it isn't because schools are letting harassers run wild, at least not in his district. He suggested it's more likely that incidents are under-reported by students. I think he's right in a lot of cases. I think there are a lot of kids who just take it. Maybe they're not sure who to tell. Maybe they're not sure how. Maybe they don't think it will make any difference.

I think most administrators in Iowa are like Voss. They mean business when it comes to school culture and climate. Like all responsible leaders, when they know something is wrong, they act to correct it. So what about the clunkers with an outdated, boys will be boys attitude toward bullying or who lack the courage or know how to address it? Well, we've got a law that prohibits bullying and harassment related to 17 criteria, a new level of attention being given to reporting, and a new way for kids to let their schools know.

So here's my take:
  • Bullying is not some powder puff issue or a weird mutation of political correctness. It's real and it matters.
  • Jason Glass may be right. The numbers may be low.
  • I think Hudson Superintendent Voss is right that kids may not be reporting what's really going on.
  • That may partially because some kids aren't sure how they should go about reporting it and/or to whom. 
  • After fighting for the Safe Schools Law and investing more than a million dollars in scholarships, it's clear that the Eychaner Foundation's interest is in supporting students, not trashing school districts or people who work in them. 
That's why the website is a good thing. Let's not get hung up on how schools find out about harassment. Let's make sure schools do find out and that they respond accordingly. Let them decide if they want to walk into the principal's office or log on.

We've got similar websites and toll free numbers devoted to everything from helping the DNR catch somebody poaching a turkey, anti-terrorism tips for the FBI, and money saving suggestions to the Iowa Legislature. This may feel like one more thing to administrators who are already spread thin. But if a hotline is a decent way to collect tips on bagging turkeys out of season, this website is a reasonable way to help kids feel comfortable, safe, valued and listened to at school.

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