RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT – BUILDING FUTURES, ONE CHILD AT A TIME

Rachel Schultz, District Administrator Richland School District

The Board of Education, the administrators, the teachers and the support staff are committed to the Richland School District’s vision of “Building Futures, One Child at a Time.”  To help fulfill that vision, the District adopts goals each year.  This year has a slight exception, because the Board adopted five goals that will take the District into the year 2010.  The goals address math literacy, reading literacy, curriculum mapping, communication, and bullying, which is the one I would like to discuss now.

The goal states:  “By 2010, provide effective programming that promotes responsible and respectful behavior by everyone working and studying in our schools.”  This has been dubbed an anti-bullying goal, and was arrived at by focusing on two of the District’s ten Belief Statements.  The two Beliefs we are examining are “We believe everyone is entitled to a safe school environment,” and “We believe in developing responsibility, integrity and respect for others.”

Safety includes the appropriate behavior and conduct of people as well as the security of the physical surroundings.  This year we increased the safety precautions by having all employees and visitors wear identification tags, we added movable surveillance equipment to monitor behavior in public areas and we continue to train the staff and students in various emergency procedures.  The schools have always promoted respect for one another by endorsing the classic “golden rule” of “Treat others as you would have others treat you.”  Unfortunately, we have not really measured the effectiveness of our practices, nor put together a comprehensive plan.  Hence, this year we plan on assessing the prevalence of bullying, where it is happening, who is involved, and when it is happening.  We plan on reviewing the data quarterly and looking at current policies to create a baseline of data.

This data will be used to modify policies and practices, and to develop quality bullying prevention strategies for the specific areas in need.  Likewise, we will identify and allocate resources to directly assist victims, bystanders, families, and the bullies themselves.  The Richland School District wants to assure everyone working, visiting and attending our schools that you will not only be physically safe, but also feel safe at all times. 

If you would like to contact me, I can be reached at 647-6106, or visit our website at www.richland.k12.wi.us.