SOUTH BRUNSWICK: District gets first HIB report

By Ed Birch, Special Writer

  
The numbers are in on district bullying.
At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, Assistant Superintendent Joanne Kerekes, district Director of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Judy McCormick and Director of Professional Development Bonnie Capes presented their semiannual report to the township.
Schools Superintendent Gary McCartney started the report by explaining the recent developments with the new law.
Earlier this month, the New Jersey Council on Local Mandates declared the HIB law unconstitutional because it is an unfunded mandate by the state.
This determination will take effect, and the law will expire in 60 days unless the Legislature finds a way to fund the requirement under the law.
Despite the ruling, Dr. McCartney said the district would continue to abide by the law and maintain the program as it is.
"We should not change the level of enforcement," Dr. McCartney said. "We will not lay back from enforcing HIB violations."
The law and subsequent district policy provide for the neutral investigation of alleged violations both on and off school grounds.
It also provides for in-depth training for all district education staff and students, including custodial. transportation and educational staff as well as supervisors and administrators.
Ms. McCormick said she has been working nonstop coordinating all aspects of the program since August.
In addition, each school in the district has an in-school program coordinator who is identified on the district, county and state education websites.
In-service training has been provided for the administrators, workers, parents and students within the district. According to the report, the first six months yielded a total of 26 HIB violations: 10 from the elementary schools, five from the middle schools and 11 cases from the high school. The district educates approximately 9,000 students, according to officials.
In summarizing the district’s progress, Dr. McCartney said South Brunswick has been, perhaps, one of the most aggressive districts in the state.
"I doubt if any school district in the State of New Jersey has done more that we have in this area," Dr. McCartney said.
He went on to praise the efforts of Ms. Capes and Ms McCormick for their work on the new project.
Lisa Rogers, a Monmouth Junction School parent who is very active in the Monmouth Junction Elementary School PTO, suggested there should be "increased parent involvement" and also said, "increased awareness of this program should be made at middle school orientations as students and parents cross over from our elementary schools."
Perhaps the most powerful part of the presentation was a performance by a group of students from the high school, singing "Don’t Laugh at Me," a song performed by Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame, which serves as the unofficial theme song for the national HIB program in the district.
The performance, coordinated by Virginia Kraft of the high school music program, highlighted many examples of how these acts can make students very uncomfortable.
The students performing the song even made up lyrics of their own based on incidents in their own lives, according to Ms. McCormick.
One of those students, junior Quentin Madia, 16, created a verse about a friend he knew with cancer.
"I feel like I’ve done something for the community by speaking out," Quentin said following the performance. "It got me really emotional, knowing that there is so much bad in the world."
Ms. McCormick said even staff members experienced very deep emotions during the training session as they remembered their own experiences.
Board member Barry Nathanson said a video of the song should be made available for everyone to see to help understand the nature of the issue.