New York State's Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) seeks to provide the State's public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function.
The Dignity for All Students Act recognizes that schools must actively create cultures of belonging. This requires vigilance in responding to real or potential acts of intimidation or harassment.
- Heightened awareness and responsiveness to incidents of bullying and harassment.
- Specific reporting and documenting procedures for staff, school and district.
- Defining the scope of supervision, both on and off school grounds.
- Requirements for intentional and ongoing attention to creating school and bus climates that prevent bullying and harassment.
All actual or potential incidents must be reported to the DASA building coordinator - your Principal.
- Within one day, make a verbal report. Contact the Principal and provide a description of the observed or reported incident.
- Within two days, complete a written report.
What do you report?
- Describe the behavior causing concerns that harassment, intimidation or physical threats have occurred or could potentially occur.
- If words or phrases like "bullying" or "being a bully" are reported to you, ask for a description of the behaviors and actions. Ask for specific details that will aid in the reporting and investigation.
What is the Scope of Supervision?
DASA expands the supervisory role of schools to include incidents and acts both on and off school property. DASA supervision extends to:
- On school property
- At a school function that is a school-sponsored extracurricular event or activity.
- Off school property where incidents and acts would foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the school environment or each school property.
- Electronic communication, including incidents occurring off school property that would foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the school environment or reach school property.
Dr. Lamash's presentation from Convocation (September 2, 2014), is provided on the right of this page, along with links to other resources. Remember, in the words of Kid President, "no matter who you are, somebody is learning from you. Everyone is a teacher, and everybody is a student..."