PUBLIC FORUM ON HARRASSMENT, BIAS-HARRASSMENT AND BULLYING IN NEW YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DISCUSSION ON THE NEED TO PASS THE DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT

Date:          Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Time:          12:00 P.M. -- 3:00 P.M.
Location:       Hearing Room A
                       Legislative Office Building
                       Albany, NY 12247

Students deserve to receive a quality education in a school which has a safe and dignified environment. Yet this is impossible for many students who encounter bullying, intimidation and harassment each time they enter a classroom. Many students face such harassment simply based on their real or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or mental or physical disability. Such actions not only hamper a studentfs ability to receive an education but may lead to psychological scarring and increases the chance of a violent incident.


The Dignity for All Students Act (S.1571/A.3496) was designed to prevent these problems from occurring in New York's public schools. The bill requires that school districts:

    •    Promulgate rules to prevent and respond to discriminatory violence.

    •    Adopt policies to make schools harassment and discrimination free.

    •    Develop guidelines on non-discriminatory instruction and diversity.
    
    •    Establish teacher and administrative training guidelines on dealing with diversity,
         reducing discriminatory behaviors and responding to 
         discriminatory harassment and hate violence.

    •    Provide a staff member trained in human-relations education.

It is the goal of this forum to gather testimony from interested persons regarding the problem of bias-harassment, intimidation and bullying in New York public schools and what should be done to practically address these problems. Further, it is desired to determine what practical effect the passage of the Dignity for All Students Act will have on school districts. It is strongly encouraged that students submit oral or written testimony on their own personal experiences and what they believe could be done to improve school environments.

Persons wishing to present testimony at the forum should download, complete and return the reply form by Wednesday, June 4, 2008. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that people may be notified in the event of postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to 15 minutes. Witnesses are encouraged to summarize the written comments which they have submitted. If possible, please bring ten copies of your prepared testimony. In preparing the order of witnesses we will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. (It is anticipated that students wishing to present testimony will wish to do so after school hours.) These requests should be made on the reply form or communicated to Senator Duanefs office as early as possible.

In order to further publicize this forum, please tell interested people and organizations about the forum. For further information contact Senator Duanefs counsel, Mark Furnish at (518) 455-2451

|