School Committee Discusses Anti-Bullying Plan

No longer will the responsibility be on teachers alone to report incidents of bullying at school. Legislation recently passed will require all school employees to report what they see.
That means secretaries, custodians, bus and van drivers and anyone else employed by the School Department must also report bullying.
"The law clearly makes it mandatory for all employees," Superintendent Bella T. Wong told the School Committee last night.
The law also requires an "investigatory response" to each incident by administration, which begins with principals, she said.
Law enforcement would also have to be notified if a crime is implicated, something which is already done in Wellesley, Wong said.
The full set of state guidelines will be available by Sept. 1, and each school system must have an updated plan in compliance with the new regulations in place by the end of 2010.
The new law requires that the anti-bullying plan be included in all school handbooks,  annual training and professional development for staff be in place starting this year and anti-bullying curriculum be included in all grades starting in fiscal year 2012.
Wong passed out to Committee members draft copies of the town's updated anti-bullying policy which includes changes to meet the state requirements.
Most of the changes involve updated definitions of bullying, cyber bullying and hazing, Wong said.
She said copies of the updated policy will be posted on the School Department website for public comment