Narratives for Change: Organizing to Transform Vermont’s Hazing, Bullying, and Harassment Policy
Hazing, Bullying, and Harassment is a longstanding issue in Vermont public schools.
The 1999 report by the Vermont Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights exposed widespread racism in Vermont schools, documenting frequent racial slurs, physical intimidation, and social exclusion. The report found that administrators rarely intervened, leaving students of color vulnerable to ongoing harassment. Here we are, 25 years after the alarm bell was sounded by this report and bullying and harassment continues to be a huge issue in Vermont Schools. Last year we lost a young person to suicide after relentless bullying. This year Northfield residents spoke out about racial and anti-LGBTQ+ harassment plaguing their school and the lack of action. We are done with inaction and say no to continued harm in schools.
The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data also points to this problem:
BIPOC students are 4x more likely to be bullied on the basis of race/ethnicity
LGBTQ+ students are nearly twice as likely to be bullied as straight cisgender students
Students on an IEP or 504 plan are more likely to be bullied than students not on plans
Female students are three times more likely than male students to report unwanted sexual experiences.
Why have Vermont public schools not made significant progress on this issue?
We believe that one of the main reasons that progress has not been made on this issue is that the needs of those directly impacted by this issue, primarily students and their families, have not been centered in the solution to the problem. Last May, the Agency of Education announced it was updating its Hazing, Bullying, Harassment (HHB) model policy, a policy all districts are required to adopt. We advocated for an extended timeline to give space for those impacted by the issue to give deep and authentic feedback. We won an extended timeline and are using this time to speak out and lift up impacted voices.
Here are six changes impacted students and families are demanding: (see policy connections here)
Restorative Justice - All impacted caregivers/students have: 1) the option to choose from a formal HHB process and/or a restorative process, 2) the option for an outside consultant to lead the restorative process and 3) the option for an adult to sit in for the student during the process so as to not cause future harm.
Staff Prevention Training - Hazing, bullying, harassment prevention professional development should be embedded across the year not just in one training, with opportunities for practice. All educators must be trained in depth on the EQS Teaching Practices in order to create inclusion and belonging.
Youth Training - Require age-appropriate training each year for all students on the topics of creating a safe culture, what is bullying, how to respond, bystander intervention, know your rights, and advocacy. Invite caregivers/students impacted by HHB to give input and help lead this training. The Agency of Education will develop training materials and maintain a list of approved training providers.
Mandatory Intervention Bullying Policy – Create norms that do not allow harmful language and activities in schools. Define appropriate response for any incident that occurs, using both disciplinary and restorative actions. Define prevention efforts and positive school community building.
Whistleblower Protection – Add Whistleblower Protection language into the general information section or the procedural steps of the policy – folks making reports of HHB will be protected from retaliation, from those accusing, their parents or caregivers, or other third parties in the school community.
Transparency in Communication – Schools offer yearly training and plain language material about the HHB policy to caregivers. Caregivers are communicated with in each step of any HHB process. The safety plan is communicated to caregivers and within the safety plan there are clear expectations about how often caregivers will be communicated with.
You can take action now by sending a letter to education stakeholders in Vermont and asking them to include these demands in the policy update. You can also speak out at an HHB council meeting. The Dec. 1st meeting was postponed due to lack of quorum. We’ll share the new meeting date when it’s available.
Have a personal story to share and want to make a bigger impact?
Add one or two paragraphs to the letter below. You can use the following sentence starters to support you: “I am [share your role, are you an educator, student, caregiver]. [Share your story and the ways you’ve been impacted by this issue]. One demand that is important to be is ____ because ____.”
If you’re personalizing your email also personalize the email subject line “Personal Testimony from [name] about HHB Policy Update”
