TESTIMONY: Oversight: DOE’s Response to Incidents of Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination in NYC Schools and Efforts to Improve School Climate

Published October, 2017

On October 30, 2017, CCC testified before the New York City Council Education Committee regarding bullying, harassment, and discrimination in NYC Schools.  CCC also testified in favor of a series of bills aimed at strengthening accountability, information access and support to try to prevent, address and be transparent to students, parents and teachers about bullying, harassment, discrimination and ways to support LGBTQ students in schools.  In addition, CCC testified in support of two important pieces of legislation aimed at ensuring children are receiving free summer meals and other school meals.

CCC urged the City Council and the administration to pass all of these pieces of legislation and then made several other recommendations to help NYC better address school climate, as well as bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools.  These included ensuring efforts to address bullying are not overly punitive, use a multi-faceted approach that applies restorative and preventive principles and provides support to students who have been bullied.  Some of the specific recommendations include baselining and expanding funding for the restorative practices initiative and expand mental health services in schools.

You can read CCC’s full testimony.