Newsletters 2014-15 Focus newsletter, [3] spring | Page 5
LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
PAGE 5
District’s unique anti-bullying work makes it a national model
Anoka-Hennepin schools
have attacked the problems of bullying with an
energy that is producing
results.
Students know what do
when they are bullied or
see someone else bullied.
They know to whom to go
for help.
Dr. Jennifer Cherry,
Title IX and Equity Coordinator
Staff know how to
respond when they see
someone being bullied or harassed and they take
action. They know that ending bullying and creating
an environment where everyone feels safe and
respected in school is a priority for the district.
“The priority we have placed on cultivating safe
and respectful learning environments in this school
district is amazing!” said Dr. Jennifer Cherry. As the
result of many conversations with school district
leaders around the country, Dr. Cherry concluded
that Anoka-Hennepin is unique in the comprehensive approach it has taken to tackling a problem
that has received increasing attention from mental
health experts in recent years.
She regularly receives requests from other districts wanting specifics on what Anoka-Hennepin
has done. A school district in Texas, for example,
recently asked if they could send a team of staff
to visit the district to learn first-hand what AnokaHennepin is doing. Districts are intrigued by
Anoka-Hennepin’s unique staff training program,
its comprehensive system for tracking reports of
bullying and harassment, its annual student survey
focused on bullying and more.
Here are highlights of the unique components of
Anoka-Hennepin’s anti-bullying efforts.
Training staff
The district has implemented online training for
all staff that features scenarios depicting the types
of bullying incidents students have reported. Each
is accompanied by guidance on how staff should
react. “It is real life and it provides a co