New York City Council - Respect for All Week 2012

Respect for All Week 2012

The Department of Education's “Respect for All” initiative is New York City’s effort to combat bullying and harassment based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other characteristics. From February 13th - February 17th, Speaker Quinn, Chancellor Walcott, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) have urged all NYC public schools to take part in a week-long series of events to promote Respect for All in their classrooms. During Respect for All (RFA) Week, schools will have the opportunity to highlight and build upon their programs and curriculum that teach the importance of diversity and respect for one another. They will also receive important information on where to go for help if they or someone they know has been a victim of bullying or harassment. Click here to contact the Council regarding RFA Week 2012.

Videos
Watch our advocates discuss Respect For All week and their anti-bullying work.

List of organizations

ADL NY
Ali Forney Center|
American Jewish Council
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Asian Americans for Equality
ASPIRA of NY
Bronx Pride
Brooklyn Community Pride Center
Chinatown Youth Initiatives (CYI)
Coalition for Asian American Children & Families (CACF)
Center for Anti-Violence Education
Center Families
Circle of Voices Inc.
Coalition for Educational Justice
Coro New York Leadership Center
Council for Unity
DOE
EARS (Effective Alternative in Reconciliation Services)
El Centro
ENACT
Facing History and Ourselves
FIERCE
Generation Q
Girls Educational and Mentoring Services' (GEMS)
Girls for Gender Equity
GLSEN
HEART
Hetrick Martin Institute
Hispanic Federation
Historic House Trust
Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center IllimunArt Productions
LGBT Community Center
Live Out Loud
Make the Road NYC
Morningside Center for Social Responsibility
New York Tolerance Center
NYC Lab Middle School
NYCLU
NYQueer
Operation Respect
Parent Action Committee - New Settlement
Peace First New York
PFLAG FCA NYC
PFLAG Queens
PFLAG Staten Island
PFLAG Upper West side
Pride Not Prejudice
Project Hospitality
Project DGBM
Project REACH
Queens Community House (Generation Q)
Scenarios USA
Sihk Coalition
Soka Gakkai International - USA
South Asian Youth Action
Staten Island LGBT Center
Student Union
Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
The Arab-American Family Support Center
The ARISE Coalition
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
YouthBridge-NY / CAUSE-NY
Common Sense Media
CityKids
YES
Project Bully Free Zone
Turning Point For Women and Families
Child Mind Institute
National School Climate Center
New York Peace Institute
The New York Center for Interpersonal Development
Making Books Sing
Wediko Children’s Services
White House's guide to preventing cyberbullying

The Respect for All Initiative

In 2007, Speaker Quinn and the City Council first worked with the Mayor’s office and the Department of Education (DOE) to create a bullying prevention program, and help provide students with ways to deal with harassment when it occurs. While Respect for All has already demonstrated some success, Speaker Quinn met with numerous advocates to look for ways to expand and improve on the program. Speaker Quinn then worked with both the Mayor and Chancellor to find ways to implement several key improvements.

“We have a responsibility to provide every student in New York City with a safe and inclusive learning environment,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “Eliminating bullying and harassment in our schools is critical to preventing hate among future generations. For the past three years, we’ve been working with advocates and community members to expand our ‘Respect for All’ program. And now, by increasing training opportunities and accountability, we've created the most comprehensive anti-harassment initiative in the nation.”

Respect for All requires schools to develop annual plans to convey appropriate standards of behavior to students and staff; to track and monitor all bias incidents; to investigate complaints properly; and to take follow-up steps to ensure that schools maintain safe and respectful learning environments. The Department of Education added mandated reporting and investigation guidelines to the Respect for All initiative, making New York City a national leader in efforts to combat bullying and harassment based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, weight and other factors.

Currently in 2012:

• All parent coordinators and all school-designated Respect for All liaisons will be required to attend a two-day training session.
• A two-day Respect for All training program will be offered to all elementary school teachers and counselors. Middle and high school staff are already offered such trainings.
• School climate and culture will be added as evaluation criteria in annual Quality Reviews, which factor into principals’ annual performance reviews.
• Respect for All will be included in the school climate and culture section of on-site comprehensive assessments performed by the Office of School and Youth Development
• The Department of Education will offer new guidance and support to principals in developing their annual Respect for All plans.
• Parents will now have the opportunity to review principals’ Respect for All plans.
• Schools are required to post RFA posters in locations deemed “highly visible” to students. These posters inform students of who their RFA liaison is so they can report if they or someone they know is a target of harassment.
• Principals are required to certify that they have discussed RFA policies and procedures with students and staff before October 31st.
• Schools will send home reports to parents regarding the results of any bullying investigations as along as students say that it will not impact their wellbeing.

No student should feel unsafe in his or her own school or to be denied their right to a good education because of bullying and harassment. By working together as a community, we can help prevent bullying and hatred early on and ensure that every students is able to pursue his or her dreams without fear of discrimination.