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Post by bobbbiez on Mar 29, 2010 17:12:31 GMT -5
The Mohawk Central School District agreed to settle and paid a gay student and his parents $50,000 for the bullying he received at school with the promise also that the school district will institute a bullying prevention program. Seems a lot of this behavior is going on in our schools and it's sad that parents of these bullying students haven't taught this to their kids at home.
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Post by Swimmy on Mar 29, 2010 18:32:04 GMT -5
I was reading about that. Good for that kid. Sadly, this behavior has been going on in schools for a long time, just the first time it's been fought against. Kudos to this boy and his family for having the courage to fight it.
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Post by bobbbiez on Mar 30, 2010 17:22:15 GMT -5
We're going to see more of this and rightfully so. Nine teens were charged in Massachusetts for bullying a 15 yr old girl to the point where she committed suicide and all for a stupid reason....she was just a new girl in school who dated a popular boy. How sad it that?
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 30, 2010 21:29:02 GMT -5
I feel for the kid, too, and am really glad he won his point. But the taxpayers will pay the bill, not the kids who did the bullying, nor their parents, once again not holding accountable those who are at fault.
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Post by bobbbiez on Mar 30, 2010 22:16:52 GMT -5
Dave, it can't always be about the money. If this case and the one in Massachusetts where nine teens are being charged for bullying a girl to suicide makes school districts address this most serious issue then so be it. Can't be ignored any more. Too many horror stories concerning this teen-bullying recently. Something has to be done and I'm sure it'll take place now.
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 30, 2010 23:22:14 GMT -5
Well, it IS about the money, and what it costs to pay and support administrations too dumb to do something about problems in the first place, as well as pay later for their mistakes.
We're all getting a 27% tax increase next year in our school taxes in my district because the previous financial administrator royally f'd up and mis calculated our state funding. Can you imagine that? How ridiculous is it when he's the only FA in New York State to miscalculate the amount of money we're supposed to get from the state? By 2 million dollars. And even if they fire or layoff 12 teachers and numerous aides, they can only get the increase down to 18%.
(Guess we didn't REALLY need the 12 teachers and the aides, however.)
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 31, 2010 6:06:56 GMT -5
It would probably help if state budgets were done BEFORE school budgets. The usual order in NYS: mandated layoff notices given if required, school budget prepared, school budget vote held, repeat steps 2 & 3, state budget completed, ad hoc emergency budget developed with major expenses already committed.
Is there an old saying on the order of "Dumb flows downhill?" If not, we need to create a new old saying.
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 31, 2010 8:44:57 GMT -5
The budgeting mistake was dumber than that, and even suspicious enough to interest the local DA, who completed his investigation and found no criminal wrong doing.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 31, 2010 9:01:26 GMT -5
Do you mean that there is no law addressing Criminally Stupid?
Have your school board taken the obvious next step: hired a consultant & a public relations firm to repair the damage done by this FA before the next election?
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 31, 2010 9:17:28 GMT -5
Turns out an entirely new board inherited the problem. And the financial guy left at the end of last year, of course. And to top it off, this is the first year for the new superintendent, so he's not to blame. The new super is an example of getting something right, however. He's been a teacher and principal in this same school district. There are disadvantages to that, of course. But I was happy the board didn't typically go to the Superintendent Meat Market and choose one more fly-in Ace from the pantheon of expensive gluttons who dance from one school district to another, pumping up their earnings by price-fixing their mutual salaries.
(I think I'll swear off metaphors for today.)
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Post by bobbbiez on Mar 31, 2010 11:25:29 GMT -5
Ok CB and Dave, I'm lost. Are you saying there is no need for schools to implement some type of training/program to halt this bullying in our schools?
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Post by stoney on Mar 31, 2010 11:57:19 GMT -5
If that kid had been at a bigger, more diverse school (like Proctor) I don't think he would have had as severe of problem. It's about time these schools had their feet held to the fire regarding these issues. It wasn't so long ago that blacks were taunted, & measures were successfully implemented to end that. And from what I read in the paper, even a teacher teased this boy.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 31, 2010 12:23:01 GMT -5
Bobbiez,
No, I think we were trying to hijack a thread and got caught. We're sorry and promise never to do it again unless tempted or distracted.
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Post by bobbbiez on Mar 31, 2010 12:25:40 GMT -5
The fact that the school officials knew this bulling was going on in both cases and did nothing about it is what upsets me the most. Situations like this only gets worse when nothing is done to stop it. I feel for these kids being subjected to this bullying. As a child it's a lonely feeling when you experience something like this
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Post by bobbbiez on Mar 31, 2010 13:18:50 GMT -5
Bobbiez, No, I think we were trying to hijack a thread and got caught. We're sorry and promise never to do it again unless tempted or distracted. CB, no need to apologize. Just gives me self-satisfaction when I catch someone doing what I've been guilty of. ;D
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