By Rep. Jeff Howe
It’s interesting how the conversation unfolds when advocates for the proposed statewide Safe and Supportive Schools Act – aka, the anti-bullying legislation – visit my office.
Advocates tell me we need to pass H.F. 826, the anti-bullying bill. I ask them what provisions in this bill address issues our schools haven’t already covered with current policies. I have yet to receive a clear, insightful response.
The advocates tell me we need to pass H.F. 826 to make our schools safer. I ask them if they have read bullying-prevention policies schools have in place. Take Rocori, for example. Not one person has told me that, yes, they have read the Rocori policy.
I have asked citizens to contact me with input on both of these fronts and have yet to receive a response.
Simply: We have legislators and advocates in St. Paul pushing to create new layers of bureaucracy and enact provisions they have not thoroughly examined in order to “improve” school district policies they have not even reviewed.
This is the epitome of top-down government operating as if it knows better than local citizens what is best for them. Who is in charge of our schools? Is it our local parents, teachers and school boards, or is it bureaucrats from the Twin Cities?
The bullying bill passed the House last year and is now advancing through the Senate. The legislation is a one-size-fits-all approach. It does not provide funds for training, meaning an expected $25 million price tag for school districts that would have otherwise been spent in the classroom.
No one wants to see bullying in our schools. Schools should be safe places to learn and grow for all students. We all agree on that. But we should be engaging local citizens all across the state to find out how we can support their unique community needs.
Our area is a prime example of how local citizens can tailor policy to meet a district’s needs. Rocori’s policy looks like a rock-solid model for other districts to follow, if it is right for them. But, in the end, it should be up to people from around the state to look at what others are doing to address bullying and adopt any provisions they feel would be valuable in their particular district.
The Rocori bullying prevention policy is posted on my legislative site and you can visit www.house.mn/13A to read it. I encourage citizens to review it and let me know if you believe that there are areas that need to be improved. We can then make an effort to improve other school district policies without passing legislation that is a one-size-fits-all micromanagement that comes with mandated costs, reduced parental rights, compromised rights for the accused and other concerning provisions.
Do you believe that state government would do a better job at handling this issue for us? I have confidence in our local citizens to address bullying and do not believe our state is the “weakest in the nation” at implementing prevention policies. Let me know what you would change.
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