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Minutes for SB410 - Committee on Education
Short Title
Requiring publication of school district bullying policies and requiring a report on bullying incidents at each school district attendance center.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 18, 2020
Chairperson Baumgardner opened the hearing on SB410.
Proponent Testimony:
Thomas Witt, Executive Director Equality Kansas, reported the legislation previously passed in Kansas regarding bullying. Equality Kansas has researched school districts looking for their bullying prevention policies and plans and have found many have been very slow to comply with the basic requirements of the law. Most districts have adopted a “boilerplate” policy distributed by the Kansas Association of School Boards. Those policies are minimal and do not include procedures for implementation or reporting. The majority of Kansas school districts have adopted and posted their bullying policies online. Equality Kansas has found absolutely no correlation between the size of a school district and the quality of their bullying prevention plans and policies. They have learned that effective programs include education of students; professional development programs for faculty, staff, and administrators; support for both victims and perpetrators of school bullying; and varying degrees of consequences and remediation. Equality Kansas believes the best approach is to allow districts to develop policies and procedures that best fit their local communities. They believe that when provided with the information they need, parents, students and local community advocates can work with their local school boards and building administrators to build effective bullying prevention programs that address the needs of their communities. (Attachment 6)
Liz Hamor, Chapter Director, GLSEN Kansas, related her experience with student advocacy and feels there is something very wrong with the reporting process of many schools/districts when parents/students feel like they must call in an expert in order to be heard and taken seriously. GLSEN National does a large research study every two years, surveying LGBTQ students, one of the student populations most at risk for bullying. The study showed 55.3% of LGBTQ students who were victimized in school did not report the incident because they doubted effective intervention would occur or feared the situation could become worse and 60.4% of the students who did report an incident said school staff did nothing in response or told the student to ignore it. Research also shows that comprehensive bullying prevention policies (along with other interventions) make schools safer for ALL students. Schools need better bullying prevention policies, procedures, and training on bullying prevention. Students and parents need to know how to report bullying and to whom to report it. Students deserve to feel safe, valued, and respected in schools and cannot learn if they don’t feel safe. If we want our Kansas children to learn and thrive, we must create safer learning environments for them. (Attachment 7)
Mark Desetti, Kansas National Education Association, believes this bill represents a very positive and very powerful step forward and that the reporting requirements, while extensive, are needed. The continued effort to ensure these policies are linked prominently on school district and school websites is appreciated. One problem with this bill is that it doesn’t include private schools and suggest the Committee add SBOE accredited private schools or any school that accepts students on scholarship under the tuition tax credit program.(Attachment 8)
Proponent written testimony was submitted by:
Jennifer Pearson, Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator of Sociology, Wichita State University (Attachment 9)
Lindsay Buck, USD 497, Lawrence High School Teacher (Attachment 10)
Reanna Gilmere, private citizen (Attachment 11
Opponent Testimony:
Leah Fliter, Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, Kansas Association of School Boards, spoke against the bill. KASB and its member school districts are committed to working proactively to address the root causes of bullying in schools and they feel this bill in its current form does not accomplish that goal. The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Bullying met across the state in 2019. Its recommendations include better support and direction for school districts; continue and develop efforts around social-emotional learning to address school bullying; examine the state law and determine if it requires reconsideration; local policies must focus on relationships, school culture, and the mental health impact of bullying in schools; better data through measures such as the Kansas communities That Care survey; addressing cyberbullying; and train, professional development and teacher preparation. KASB supports posting bully prevention plans and procedures on school district websites. However, the Task Force’s recommendation focuses instead on a more holistic approach to the causes and impacts of school bulling and how boards, administrators and teachers can and should respond to those factors.(Attachment 12)
Chairperson Baumgardner closed the hearing on SB384.
