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Schools begin implementing anti-bullying programs

MILTON — As students settle in for a new school year, administrators and school boards are addressing a difficult issue: bullying.

A new law requires districts statewide to adopt policies that prohibit bullying in their schools — either their own policy or a model policy from the state Department of Public Instruction.

The legislation had been in the works for about six years before taking effect Aug. 15, said state Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-La Grange Township. Kedzie was instrumental in passage of the bill.

In Milton, the school board adopted the state DPI bullying policy, but Superintendent Bernie Nikolay said teachers and other school personnel have taken on the task of showing students what type of behavior is expected.

“We model good behavior and show them how to act,” Nikolay said. “We spent a lot of time the first week of school modeling the behavior we expect.”

Clayton Adamson and Maddie McCue are among about 80 eighth-graders at Milton Middle School who are in the Web Leaders program to mentor younger students. The pair said they don’t see as much bullying in the school since the program started.

“We don’t have a lot of bullying that I see,” McCue said. She suggests that students use “the golden rule” as a guideline for how to treat others.

At Milton Middle School, officials hope to meet any bullying concerns head-on, Principal Tim Schigur said.

Schigur says getting parents involved in educating children at a young enough age is key to attacking the problem.

“It’s working with parents, it’s working with the kids, saying, ‘Look, how do you want to be portrayed? Is that the reputation you want?’” Schigur said. “It’s the constant education of it.”

Read the full story in the e-edition of The Janesville Messenger, HERE.

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