Maine's Best Practice Approach to Creating Safe, Fair, Healthy and Responsive Schools and Communities
A Cross-Systems Approach to Improved Training and School Supports
Maine's Best Practices in Bullying and Harassment Prevention - A Guide for Schools and Communities - in PDF
Best Practice Overview - PowerPoint
The State of Maine has a strong commitment and history of working across systems through the child-serving agencies by way of the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, a national model for executive-level and judicial policy and service delivery coordination and collaboration in which the commissioners of Education, Health and Human Services, Juvenile Correction, Labor, and Public Safety as well as the Chief Justice, as a planning partner, work towards improved shared outcomes for children and youth. ( www.maine.gov/cabinet )
Maine has taken important steps to assess and improve school climate and safety, particularly in the areas of bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment. In 2005, Maine law LD 564 (Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §1001) was amended to require all Maine schools implement policies and procedures to address bullying, harassment, bias-based harassment, and sexual harassment. The law further directed the Subcommittee on School and Community Climate of the Governor’s Children's Cabinet (GCC), under the direction of Maine’s Commissioner of Education and chaired by Maine’s First Lady, to develop model policies to assist schools with these requirements.
Charged by the legislature, the Children’s Cabinet led the development of a publication entitled, Maine’s Best Practices in Bullying and Harassment Prevention - A Guide for Schools and Communities. You will find the Guide in its entirety on this website as well as the Sample Policy co-developed with Maine School Management and distributed to all school administrators in 2006. In addition, the Best Practice Team developed a power point presentation Best Practice Overview to include a script or talking points below each slide for school leaders, school-boards, staff and parents alike.
Until recently, states have been on their own to address bullying and harassment: relying on local laws to enforce the protections of all students in their right to education free from harassment, intimidation, or relentless fear. However, recently the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice have contributed their collective support to states’ efforts to ensure the safety of every young person.
(http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/tip-sheets/tip-sheet-24.aspx)
You will find a variety of resources and tools from the federal government as well as other states, as you search this website. Please use the tools and resources you find here and let us know of any additional resources to include as we continue to find ways to assist schools and communities in preventing and addressing bullying and harassment.
Contact:
Lauren Sterling
25 Tyson Drive
Tyson Building 3rd Floor
Augusta, ME 04333
207-287-4349
lauren.sterling@maine.gov
