District 142 Anti-Bullying Group: 'The Stakes Are Getting Higher'

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Patch in June. In recognition of October as National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month, we wanted to highlight this group's efforts to combat bullying in local schools.

Every bully has a story, and if you ask them, it's up to the members of 's to get to the bottom of each one.

So far, it's working.

"It's making connections with kids, making it a point for them to see me not only as a principal, but talking to them about their interests outside of school," said Foster Principal Curt Beringer.

"I saw behaviors change. ... If that takes me five minutes of my day to do, then good grief, that's my job."

Beringer is one of 15 faculty members and administrators on the 55–60 person committee that's focused on finding a solution to bullying within Forest Ridge School District 142 schools. Their efforts include educating students on a constantly evolving definition of bullying, including cyberbullying.

Some teachers believe it starts with something as simple as how students are taught to communicate and handle themselves in public.

Ann Ironside, a third grade teacher at Kerkstra, said she consistently works with her students on problem-solving, positive approaches to situations and socially acceptable response—even in bullying situations.

"We try to find the positive to a situation, not the negative," she said. "We approach it in a positive way, listen to both sides, and ask, 'what can I do better next time?'"

The district's approach to bullying situations, along with the foundation of a behavior system, have created a sound base for shaping students' behavior. In cases of bullying, students seem to listen and respond positively to parent, teacher and administrator involvement.

"Most of the time, interventions do work," said district employee Jill Wallace. "I can't control them, we can do everything we can.

"The stakes are getting higher, but it's whatever it takes."

Superintendent Dr. Margaret Longo said the district bases much of its educational strategy on social behavior and equipping students with a well-rounded set of social skills.

"We want our kids to be the best," Longo said. "Educating children is hard work. We're not just there to teach children from the books. We have to be interested in them as people, develop relationships within the community. Social skills need to be taught."

With their approach, students seem to feel comfortable speaking their mind, said Hille Principal Courtney Orzel.

"Our students are very honest," Orzel said. "They feel very confident and open to share their experiences. Any time we give students a voice into their experience, they embrace that."

Ridge Early Childhood Center Principal Anne Berry said the same theme starts even as young as her students, in kindergarten and pre-K.

"We teach them to take ownership, stick up for their peers," Berry said. "We teach them to use their 'strong voices.'"

The committee members know they can't be everywhere, can't pre-emptively keep kids from bullying one another. The administration is prepared to handle each situation. 

"We have an open door policy with students and parents," said Longo.

Each staff member carries an electronic device to respond to parents as soon as possible. Each of the schools has its own anti-bullying focus group broken out from the larger group, enabling the smaller groups to mold their efforts around their specific school's age group.

"We share a responsibility as a community for educating the children," Longo said. "The more we talk, communicate, the more our kids are taken care of.

"None of us can work in isolation."

The district has designed a community action plan, with specific aspects of researching and combatting bullying assigned to specific administrators. The approach is adjusted and shifted into tiers, based on the extent of the bullying. Many of the goals for each step include statements such as, "Students have a voice in the community," and "Increased awareness, clear expectations and response, providing an increased feeling of safety and security within the school." Action plans are tailored specifically to the students involved in each bullying incident.

Much of what the committee looks to enforce is the sound idea of social interaction among students—what's acceptable and what's not.

"Whether perpetrator or the one bullied, this is what good social interaction looks like," said Longo.

It might not be ground-breaking, but one parent said she's seen the positive outcomes in her own daughters.

"It has to do with the culture of the school," said Teresa Mezzich. "The culture of the whole staff. It's the culture of the mom's, the principals, the teachers.

"Parents need to defend their kids. We are the parents for a reason. We cannot take the same fears that they have."