The Dignity for All Students Act, or DASA, looks to create a supportive education environment for all students. Some officials in the Buffalo School District believe it can help curb bullying in city schools.
"I know certain schools are doing an excellent job with how they're handling bullying. I guess from my position as a board member I would expect that information ultimately be shared in some sort of a form," said Board Member Sharon Belton Cottman.
Part of the implementation of DASA calls for a computerized database of bullying incidents and how they are handled. The district's chief for intergovermental affairs, planning & community, Will Kereszetes, explained how the district records such incidents.
"In our student discipline database, we make sure that the various infractions related to bullying and cyberbullying because of harassment and any level of misconduct related to those issues is clearly articulated in not only the Code of Conduct, but also the reporting system," said Kereszetes, who told a school board meeting the recounting of each incident isn't even available to the board, only the general numbers.
The rules are supposed to be taught to teachers, administrators and students so everyone knows the rules. Belton Cottman welcomes the effort.
"That (computerized data) would be a great tool to use in order to find out what our problems are with bullying, where we are having the most occurrences and what remedies are working and what solutions are not working."
