Bushland Elementary School

Bushland Elementary School has a serious problem with all forms of bullying. While the correct words and images abound, the reality of the school's plan of action for dealing with Bully Problem is, as one prominant school official said, ...hopefully the bully will move on to a weaker child soon. Teachers routinely use humiliation before one's peers as teaching tactic as in Look class, everyone has a star except... and as a means of modifying parent behavior through the children. I have witnessed several incidents where teachers and staff spoke to tearful children with such harsh contempt, that I question as my first grader believes they don't really like kids. Attempts to promote substantive safety measures had such poor follow up that my child left second grade believing teachers lie; they don't have to like you and they won't keep you safe. Discipline is inequitable and punative in nature. Oddly, self defense is harshly punished by adults whose goal is to teach ...a lesson, what ever it takes while at the same time aggressive bullying is seen as a rite of passage, that merrits no more than time out or home for TLC. Parent involvement is tolerated only to the extent that is supports the prejudices and inequalities that exisit across all levels of the system. Bushland has the words but not the actions of a bully free school.