MONROE - School boards in the area are adopting a model bullying policy put out by the Department of Public Instruction just in time for the new school year.
A new Wisconsin state law required schools to have a bullying policy in place by Aug. 15.
The definition of bullying, according to the DPI, is "deliberate or intentional behavior using words or actions intended to cause fear, intimidation or harm. Bulling may be repeated behavior and involves an imbalance of power."
It can be physical, such as kicking or hitting; verbal, such as teasing or name-calling; or indirect, such as spreading cruel rumors, social exclusion or sending insulting messages or pictures via cellular phone or internet.
Under the DPI policy, bullying is prohibited in all schools, buildings, or property used or leased by the school district, including buses.
The Monroe School District made slight modifications to the DPI model policy to address specific procedures for the district, according to Joe Monroe, director of pupil services.
"The district will do a better job of collecting data. We have been collecting data, but now more analysis will be done and reported to the board annually. Bullying concerns will be addressed immediately," he said.
The district's current harassment policy doesn't address bullying behavior specifically.
"There is some overlap between the two policies, and the (bullying) procedures reflect the previous policies," Monroe said.
To bring awareness about the new policy, the district will inform students, parents, and families through the schools' newsletters or in a letter to the parents, Monroe said.
Teachers are not expecting students coming into high school to know anything about the proper conduct they need to follow.
The schools are applying positive behavioral intervention, "... explicitly teaching what we'd like them to do," Monroe said.
Darlington School District did not make changes to the DPI model.
The adopted policy will be an addition to the harassment policy the district has in place, said Superintendent Denise Wellnitz.
"The new policy will give the district procedures that will make it easier to pull data. The policy is asking for accountability of the number of complaints on file, in writing," she said.
The bullying policy is printed in the new student handbook, and students and parents must sign that they have read it.
The school is also informing the students and staff "to bring awareness and knowledge," Wellnitz said.
"I wouldn't say bullying is a problem (in Darlington district), but issues arise," she added.
Bullying behavior is not limited to upper grades, according to Bill Conzemius, New Glarus superintendent.
"It's well distributed across grades, and after being in school administration for 35 years, I can tell you, it's not just in New Glarus," he said.
Conzemius said the DPI model policy refers to online bullying but not in great detail.
"We do have examples that occurred online, easy, casual comments on social connections, ranging from cruel to flippant," he said.
Getting students to understand the definition of bullying is not easy, he said.
"In reality, even students all in one room being taught about respect - when communicating, any number will say, 'I understand'; others will say, 'I heard but don't understand.' At any age there is a need for repetition," he said.
New Glarus schools will have to rehearse this lesson over and over, even to the younger students, he said.
"As kids engage in it and see the consequences, they will understand more," he said.
The New Glarus school board passed its bullying policy with no significant changes in the DPI model. Because of the short time to adopt a policy by Aug. 15, the school board incorporated all parts of the state model, Conzemius said.
"All employees are not on 12-month contracts. The board didn't ask if we wanted to wait, so adopted the state plan, and we'll embellish it once school gets started," he said.
In Brodhead schools, information on the new bullying policy is being put into registration packets.
"The bullying policy doesn't really change the code of conduct policy at Brodhead, but does lay out the procedures more for parents," said Dave Novy, elementary principal in Brodhead.
Novy said the district's policy committee "drafted, tweaked and made changes" in the DPI model policy to meet the needs of its district.
Bullying and harassment are more than a violation of the code of conduct; now, they are against an official policy, Novy said.
"Bullying hasn't been a problem although incidents have been close," he said. "The potential has been addressed by prevention. Meeting with the guidance counselor, documentation and notifying the parents have worked," he said.
The Wisconsin statute requires school board to provide a copy of the new bullying policy to any person who requests it. The school boards must distribute the policy annually to all pupils enrolled in the school district and to their parents or guardians.
A new Wisconsin state law required schools to have a bullying policy in place by Aug. 15.
The definition of bullying, according to the DPI, is "deliberate or intentional behavior using words or actions intended to cause fear, intimidation or harm. Bulling may be repeated behavior and involves an imbalance of power."
It can be physical, such as kicking or hitting; verbal, such as teasing or name-calling; or indirect, such as spreading cruel rumors, social exclusion or sending insulting messages or pictures via cellular phone or internet.
Under the DPI policy, bullying is prohibited in all schools, buildings, or property used or leased by the school district, including buses.
The Monroe School District made slight modifications to the DPI model policy to address specific procedures for the district, according to Joe Monroe, director of pupil services.
"The district will do a better job of collecting data. We have been collecting data, but now more analysis will be done and reported to the board annually. Bullying concerns will be addressed immediately," he said.
The district's current harassment policy doesn't address bullying behavior specifically.
"There is some overlap between the two policies, and the (bullying) procedures reflect the previous policies," Monroe said.
To bring awareness about the new policy, the district will inform students, parents, and families through the schools' newsletters or in a letter to the parents, Monroe said.
Teachers are not expecting students coming into high school to know anything about the proper conduct they need to follow.
The schools are applying positive behavioral intervention, "... explicitly teaching what we'd like them to do," Monroe said.
Darlington School District did not make changes to the DPI model.
The adopted policy will be an addition to the harassment policy the district has in place, said Superintendent Denise Wellnitz.
"The new policy will give the district procedures that will make it easier to pull data. The policy is asking for accountability of the number of complaints on file, in writing," she said.
The bullying policy is printed in the new student handbook, and students and parents must sign that they have read it.
The school is also informing the students and staff "to bring awareness and knowledge," Wellnitz said.
"I wouldn't say bullying is a problem (in Darlington district), but issues arise," she added.
Bullying behavior is not limited to upper grades, according to Bill Conzemius, New Glarus superintendent.
"It's well distributed across grades, and after being in school administration for 35 years, I can tell you, it's not just in New Glarus," he said.
Conzemius said the DPI model policy refers to online bullying but not in great detail.
"We do have examples that occurred online, easy, casual comments on social connections, ranging from cruel to flippant," he said.
Getting students to understand the definition of bullying is not easy, he said.
"In reality, even students all in one room being taught about respect - when communicating, any number will say, 'I understand'; others will say, 'I heard but don't understand.' At any age there is a need for repetition," he said.
New Glarus schools will have to rehearse this lesson over and over, even to the younger students, he said.
"As kids engage in it and see the consequences, they will understand more," he said.
The New Glarus school board passed its bullying policy with no significant changes in the DPI model. Because of the short time to adopt a policy by Aug. 15, the school board incorporated all parts of the state model, Conzemius said.
"All employees are not on 12-month contracts. The board didn't ask if we wanted to wait, so adopted the state plan, and we'll embellish it once school gets started," he said.
In Brodhead schools, information on the new bullying policy is being put into registration packets.
"The bullying policy doesn't really change the code of conduct policy at Brodhead, but does lay out the procedures more for parents," said Dave Novy, elementary principal in Brodhead.
Novy said the district's policy committee "drafted, tweaked and made changes" in the DPI model policy to meet the needs of its district.
Bullying and harassment are more than a violation of the code of conduct; now, they are against an official policy, Novy said.
"Bullying hasn't been a problem although incidents have been close," he said. "The potential has been addressed by prevention. Meeting with the guidance counselor, documentation and notifying the parents have worked," he said.
The Wisconsin statute requires school board to provide a copy of the new bullying policy to any person who requests it. The school boards must distribute the policy annually to all pupils enrolled in the school district and to their parents or guardians.