The Bully Project Endorses Hilary Clinton, here’s why:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEziwwJQcTw

The 2016 Presidential Election:

Where the candidates stand on bullying prevention

A Report by: The Bully Project

Bullying in the United States is a crisis that cannot be ignored. Across our great nation, families, schools and communities are taking a stand against it . . . and standing for awareness, action and empathy to take its place.

How do the presidential candidates, Secretary Hilary Clinton and Mr. Donald Trump, weigh in on bullying? What do they think is important, insightful and critical for our nation’s schools? The Bully Project provides their positions on the subject.

We first offer some significant statistics that highlight the challenge our nation is facing. Nearly one-fourth of all kids in the nation report being bullied, and as sobering as this statistic is, that is only the children that reported this fact. It should also be recognized that youth who are exposed to bullying in any role, whether victim, bully or bystander/witness, can suffer emotional, physical and long lasting consequences.

With fifty million children enrolled in public schools alone in the U.S., addressing bullying, whether physical, verbal, social, or cyber, is an urgent cause. While widely recognized risk factors for bullying include appearance, disability, academic or other achievement, obesity, socioeconomic level, learning disabilities, LGBT status, special health care needs, racial and cultural differences — — in essence, the list is broad enough, that any child can be the victim of bullying.

Reported Statistics on Bullied Youth (2015 Info graphic — STOPBULLYING.GOV)

The Obama Administration has steadily worked to build awareness and improve the legal and social climate of bullying in our nation. The White House has worked to pass comprehensive legislation that would affirmatively impact this crisis, most notably the Safe Schools Improvement Act which a divided Congress, has, as of yet, failed to pass. The administration has taken a number of impactful steps including the launching of Stopbullying.gov, a federal government partnership made up on five key government agencies all of which enforce anti-bullying policies, practices and resources for the nation. The administration has screened our film, BULLY and held seven White House Summits on bullying prevention.

Thus there is an established precedent for addressing bullying and recognizing that it is one of the threats this nation faces when it comes to our children. As the U.S. has established national prevention and intervention strategies over the last eight years, how will the candidates build from there; and what will they do to take this country into a new phase of stopping bullying and supporting the children of this nation?

The Bully Project has consistently worked to understand how we can affect and improve school climate. One thing we know is that the school principal plays a tremendous role in setting the tone for how a school responds to the crisis of bullying. In that same spirit, we believe the next president will set the tone for either hindering or advancing this bullying prevention agenda in the next four years and beyond.

Bullying is a national epidemic. If we are unable to address it, then the strategic plans espoused for strengthening our educational system will not have an opportunity to flourish. After eight years of the Obama Administration’s work in the arena of ending bullying, the question is, what will the next president do to push this agenda forward on behalf of the children of this nation?

Donald Trump

Education has long been on the forefront of discussion of political candidates running for the role of President of the United States.

Donald Trump’s platform on education and children’s rights is, as far as we have been able to ascertain, general and vague. Through our research we have not identified a comprehensive educational platform or vision from this candidate. An October 13th, Washington Post article invited both candidates to share their educational vision via a series of identical questions on their plans for public schools should each become president. Trump’s campaign declined to answer the in-depth questions, “directing voters to Mr. Trump’s plan on his website.

One thing that we can report is that Donald Trump vowed in his first 100 days in office, to eliminate the Department of Education (DOE). While this action would have disastrous consequences in innumerable aspects, we want to highlight the devastating impact on families of children who are bullied. The elimination of the DOE would leave families where schools fail to take action on behalf of a child, with no federal recourse. Currently, a family in this circumstance can turn to the Office of Civil Rights and have standing to receive representation via this governmental agency — available to investigate and protect their rights. The dissolving of the DOE would also terminate the Office of Civil Rights, leaving families desolate of governmental support . . . in essence, on their own.

In order to provide our readers with full information, we have reprinted Trump’s position in this arena, as reflected on his own website, regarding his vision for education and serving children.

· Immediately add an additional federal investment of $20 billion towards school choice. This will be done by reprioritizing existing federal dollars.

· Give states the option to allow these funds to follow the student to the public or private school they attend. Distribution of this grant will favor states that have private school choice, magnet schools and charter laws, encouraging them to participate.

· Establish the national goal of providing school choice to every one of the 11 million school aged children living in poverty.

· If the states collectively contribute another $110 billion of their own education budgets toward school choice, on top of the $20 billion in federal dollars, that could provide $12,000 in school choice funds to every K-12 student who today lives in poverty.

· Work with Congress on reforms to ensure universities are making a good faith effort to reduce the cost of college and student debt in exchange for the federal tax breaks and tax dollars.

· Ensure that the opportunity to attend a two or four-year college, or to pursue a trade or a skill set through vocational and technical education, will be easier to access, pay for, and finish.

Of the six statements above, all are general and aspirational “goals and good faith efforts” with the exception of the first, that states he would reposition $20 billion dollars by reprioritizing existing federal funds, though it can be assumed that these precious funds, if shifted, would be taken from other critical social service dollars. Additionally, the fact that all of these funds would go toward “school choice” which many have argued would perpetuate rather than alleviate public school challenges, is of cause for much concern.

In addition, Donald Trump has already stated that he would rescind the directive by the Obama administration that assures that transgender students may not be discriminated against on the basis of their gender identity as well as a rule issued on the same day that health care providers must provide transgender people with transition-affirmative health care. It appears that the Trump administration is not exhibiting much commitment or understanding of issues that face the LGBT community, many of whom are the most devastating victims of bullying in this country.

Donald Trump has not expressed much of an opinion on the bullying crisis in our nation. In a May interview with Fox’s Megyn Kelly, he stated that bullying victims “gotta get over it.” This statement defies our analysis.

Indeed, Trump’s behavior, comments and rhetoric would appear to be more of an anthem for bullying, than any form of stand against. Several of the qualities he exhibits are often attributed to bullying. Sadly there is a laundry list of Trump’s behaviors that have shown and repeated themselves throughout the presidential campaign. The Trump Effect, as it has become known, including analysis by the Southern Poverty Law Center in a report that details this “effect” on schools:

“It’s producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom. Many students worry about being deported. Other students have been emboldened by the divisive, often juvenile rhetoric in the campaign. Teachers have noted an increase in bullying, harassment and intimidation of students whose races, religions or nationalities have been the verbal targets of candidates on the campaign trail.”

Over the course of the campaign America has witnessed his inflammatory rhetoric and bullying; we have seen this play out on the campaign trail. We are most concerned at the reported rise in bullying and harassment of students of Latino descent and Muslim students, or indeed, those simply perceived as such. This is perhaps best summed up by

Lad Dawn, an educator who shared the following observations with us directly.

“I teach religious ed and I had an experience last week I am still upset about. A few kids started taunting the Mexican kids, saying for them to go home. I know for a fact most were born in the USA (as were the parents) and a few students said they heard it from Trump. Our country is not supposed to be a bastion for hate.”

Melania Trump has announced that her platform, should she become first lady, would be to fight against on line cruelty and cyberbullying. We welcome this contribution and hope that regardless of the outcome of the election that Melania Trump would continue to advance this mission.

All in all, words have power . . . and the omission of a definitive stand by this candidate on bullying in this nation . . . is a glaring one.

It would appear that his candidacy is amplifying the bullying crisis, rather than decreasing it. The Bully Project gives Donald Trump an F.

Hilary Clinton

Hilary Clinton has dedicated much of her adult career life to children’s legal and human rights issues. While she speaks often about her over thirty years of service in this arena, it could be theorized that education reform is at the very core of her vision and focused accomplishments. Clinton has a history of dedication to educational issues; dating back to her time in law school and directly after, serving on behalf of the Children’s Defense Fund. In 1983, as the First Lady of Arkansas, she headed a committee to improve academic achievement among the state’s public-school students.

In this 2016 national election, in contrast to the 2012 election where education questions were raised and highlighted during the debates; the debates have not focused upon in depth questions around education. Therefore, it has been up to the candidates to publicly espouse their views, commitments and plans for education, should they be elected.

In the same article referred to in Donald Trump’s review, the October 13th interview with The Washington Post, Clinton discusses the complexities that exist in creating educational opportunity for all. She speaks of her commitment on behalf of all children deserving a world-class education, and then goes on to answer the questions regarding her strategy for change. “Advocating for children and families has been the cause of my life, and if I have the honor of serving as president, it will be the driving mission of my administration.”

In an unprecedented move, Hilary Clinton released a comprehensive anti-bullying policy proposal. We stand in agreement with her policy proposal, applauding her commitment to social and emotion learning. While the proposal goes into some depth, we have printed it in its entirety to provide our readers with full information:

States will have flexibility in tailoring anti-bullying plans to their local communities, in keeping with the following national priorities:

• Develop comprehensive anti-bullying laws and policies. Comprehensive anti-bullying laws have been found to reduce bullying by more than 20 percent. But not enough states have such laws. To be eligible for funding, states must adopt comprehensive anti-bullying laws or policies that: (1) Clearly describe prohibited behaviors, including verbal abuse and cyberbullying; (2) Include grievance procedures for students, parents and educators to address incidents; and (3) Explicitly prohibit bullying on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.
• Expand behavioral health prevention and intervention programming. We must stop bullying before it starts. That means investing in evidence-based behavioral health programs that teach young people to control their impulses, recognize the feelings of others, and manage stress and anxiety. This learning should also happen outside the classroom with programming that engages parents and communities.
• Make the Internet a safer space for kids by addressing cyberbullying. While the Internet is essential to helping students learn and communicate, cyberbullying has become a harmful extension of bullying in the classroom. The ease with which demeaning and damaging content can be posted on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter make it difficult for our kids to ever really escape bullying. We need to invest in innovative solutions that allow students, parents, educators, and other adults to make the Internet safer, while respecting First Amendment rights.
• Support educators working to improve school climate. Every adult in a school — including teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, media specialists, and clerical, custodial, and school transportation staff — must work together to build a safe and healthy school culture for themselves and their students. That means providing resources to help prepare educators to effectively prevent, recognize, and respond to bullying. It also means investing in specialized support staff who are trained in preventing and addressing the underlying causes of bullying.
• Provide support for students impacted by bullying and abuse. Students who experience bullying, witness bullying, and even those who bully others, are at an increased risk for negative health and academic outcomes. We must ensure these students and their families receive the treatment and care that they need and deserve, including access to meaningful mental health services, substance use treatment, in-school supports, and connections to community support services beyond the school building.

States that put forward anti-bullying plans will be eligible to receive $4 of federal support for every $1 of new resources they commit to making progress on these goals. Examples of policy interventions and investments states can pursue include:

• Expanding social and emotional learning programs. To prevent bullying and harassment we need to help children develop their social and emotional skills and provide targeted programming to those in need of additional support. Research shows that effective behavioral support programs can improve academic performance, reduce bullying, and reduce student involvement in the criminal justice system. For example, the RULER program helps students recognize, understand, label, express and regulate their emotions. Studies show that students using RULER perform better academically, experience less anxiety and depression, and are less likely to bully other students. Under Clinton’s leadership, the Department of Education will work hand-in-hand with states to leverage Title I resources to further expand behavioral interventions supported by this initiative. Clinton will ensure states and districts also receive support from the Technical Assistance Center for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports established by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs.
• Investing in specialized instructional support personnel. Specialized instructional support personnel — including guidance counselors, social workers, school nurses, and school psychologists — are an important resource for our students and our teachers. With the help of these professionals, educators can address and prevent bullying, create safer classroom learning environments, and better connect students and families with the social and academic resources they need.
• Embedding training on bullying and classroom climate in educator and school leader preparation. We need to help educators and all school employees prepare to effectively prevent and respond to bullying in a way that maintains a productive learning environment and keeps students engaged. States can use Better Than Bullying funding in combination with resources available under Titles II-A and IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act to ensure that school climate and restorative justice training are embedded in peer mentoring programs, centers for induction, and other professional development and career path­way initiatives for educators.
• Implementing suicide prevention and mental health programs in high schools. In 2013, a survey of high school students revealed that 17 percent considered attempting suicide in the prior year. Research has shown a link between bullying and suicide, and we need to respond by providing support to students that have experienced bullying and those that have bullied others. For example, it is critical that school districts emphasize mental health education so that school leaders, teachers, paraprofessionals, and specialized instructional support personnel are aware of the warning signs and risk factors of mental illness and how to address them. The Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention, released by four leading mental health organizations, includes concrete recommendations that school districts can adopt.
• Investing in school-based cyberbullying interventions and parent education.Studies suggest that one out of every four teens has experienced cyberbullying and one out of every six teens has bullied others. While this bullying may largely occur during non-school hours, it is often an extension of bullying that takes place in our schools. States can use “Better Than Bullying” funding to support cyberbullying programming for students in the classroom and to provide parents with the tools and resources necessary to address cyberbulling at home. For example, Common Sense Education’s Cyberbullying Prevention Toolkit, developed in partnership with No Bully, provides lesson plans for teachers, interactive digital learning games for students, and materials for family education. In Finland, the program KiVa utilizes role-playing exercises and online games to show students how to prevent bullying. When bullying cases emerge, the KiVa program directs additional program to the students involved, as well as to several classmates who are challenged to support the victim. An analysis of the program found it resulted in a 46 percent reduction in “victimization” and 61 percent reduction in “bullying others” in only nine months.
• Making school climate a priority in implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The ESSA allows states to include school climate and safety as one indicator of student success in their statewide accountability systems. If implemented correctly, this can provide schools, teachers, and parents with a more holistic view of student success. States can use Better Than Bullying funding and leverage existing ESSA resources to support the development of safe and healthy school climates.

Clinton will take additional federal actions to make progress on these goals, including:

• Working to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act. Clinton will fight to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act to require that federally funded school districts adopt comprehensive codes of conduct that explicitly prohibit bullying on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.
• Incentivizing school districts to hire School Climate Support Teams. As part of her comprehensive plan to end the school-to-prison pipeline, Clinton will dramatically increase funding for School Climate Transformation Grants from $23 million in FY 2014 to $200 million annually and will include in the program an incentive for school districts to hire School Climate Support Teams for the first year of the grant. These teams — comprised of social workers, behavioral health specialists, and education practitioners — will help districts or schools accurately assess their own school climate; establish “early-warning systems” to identify and assist at-risk students; provide training and professional development to staff on intervention-based approaches to behavior; and secure federal and district funding for social and emotional learning interventions.
• Requiring professional development programming supported by Title II and Title IV funding include training on classroom climate. The climate of a classroom is set by a teacher’s interactions with his or her students. Quality teacher preparation and continuing professional development and advancement opportunities for teachers and paraprofessionals are not only critical to a classroom’s academic success, they are also essential to its culture. That’s why Clinton will ensure that restorative justice and classroom climate training, including training on implicit bias and cultural competency, are embedded in professional development initiatives funded with Title II-A and Title IV-A ESSA resources. She will also ensure these concepts are included in higher-education-based teacher preparation programs supported by Title II-A of the Higher Education Act.
• Ensuring equal access to education through vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws. The core mission of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is to ensure equal access to education through vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws. Clinton will ensure that OCR investigates incoming complaints and pursues proactive investigations of school districts failing to address hostile classroom environments. That includes enforcement of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. As Clinton has previously said, it also includes enforcing Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination as prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
• Creating a national initiative around suicide prevention across the lifespan that is headed by the Surgeon General. As part of her comprehensive agenda on mental health, Clinton will move toward the goal of “Zero Suicide” that has been promoted by the Department of Health and Human Services. The initiative will encourage evidence-based suicide prevention and mental health programs in K-12 schools and provide $500 million in federal support for suicide prevention funds.

Many of the agenda points expressed herein are a continuation of the long standing work of the anti-bullying bipartisan community, who has fought for years to move the needle on legislation, policies, strategies, funding and education, to work to stop bullying.

Hilary Clinton has a committed educational track record and extensively outlined vision for a United States of America that addresses the bullying crisis and educational needs and responds with a comprehensive agenda, while recognizing the complexities that exist in accomplishing educational transformation in this country. It remains to be seen if Hilary Clinton will be able to institute her vision and policies and how they would ultimately impact positive change. The Bully Project gives Hilary Clinton an A-.