"Thoughts, volunteers sought for youth panel"

by steve

Before establishing a youth commission, the Selectboard wants to find out what people think of the idea and how many are willing to serve.

The board presented the idea of forming a commission at the bullying task force meeting Tuesday. The board will accept letters or emails from people who want to serve on a youth commission.

"I'd like to know what the reaction is from other people in town and the schools," said John Hine, Selectboard chairman. "The commission does no good if there aren't people committed to the cause," he said.

A youth commission would look at issues facing youths in town and, working with town departments and the School Department, propose ways to help. "What do we need for the long term? What can we do?" are the questions the commission should ask, said Selectboard member Bruce MacCallaugh.

A commission would consist of three to 21 people, with at least one being a high school student. It would be on par with other town commissions, such as the Historical Commission or Recreation Commission, that have budgets approved through the Selectboard and Town Meeting, but the board is not eyeing spending money at this time.

"There's no cost to us for establishing a commission, so I don't see what we wouldn't," said Selectboard member Robert Judge. Having a commission might make the town eligible for state and federal grants, he said.

In Our Opinion: Leadership, not blame

In Our Opinion: Leadership, not blame
by Daily Hampshire Gazette

If only it were as easy as firing somebody to get rid of the scourge that is school bullying. Apparently the South Hadley parents who are organizing a protest at the school tonight - seeking signatures on a petition calling for the ouster of Superintendent Gus Sayer and South Hadley High School Principal Daniel Smith - think it is.

What we need here is clear thinking, not retribution, which got us into this situation.

Tonight's protest was planned to coincide with the first meeting of an anti-bullying task force at 6:30 p.m. at South Hadley High School. The group's charge is big: Map out a community response to the high school's bullying problem, as it came to light in connection with a young woman named Phoebe Prince.

Prince, 15, committed suicide in her home Jan. 14 after enduring weeks of bullying from students who by now no longer attend the school, according to school officials.

Ever since Prince's death, anger over the way the school department handled the situation has simmered, boiling over at times in public gatherings. Over the past month, in widely discussed online posts, people named and unnamed have slammed school officials for their handling of the case, both before and after Prince hung herself.

They take issue with the way the school has communicated with the public about the tragedy and its aftermath. They criticize the speed with which punishment has been handed down to the students identified as her bullies.

All these matters are fair game for heated discussions. But there are a couple things to consider. The question of an administrator's ouster is best left for the context of a performance evaluation. If they don't have parent feedback as part of that evaluation process already, schools should consider adding it. And on the question of punishment, schools need to be fair, and officials can't dispense punishment based on Facebook posts. That's as it should be.

On the wider issue of bullying at South Hadley High, if people are solely focused on laying blame, they may miss an opportunity. There could be scant time or energy left to come up with a creative plan to change a culture that allowed bullying to go on unchecked and unchallenged until a lost and hurting 15-year-old freshman felt she had no option but to end her life.

That tragic act is a wake-up call for everyone that something is very wrong, but not just in the office of the administrators. For that matter, why not ask all parents what they are doing to monitor their teenagers' postings on Facebook, or what is contained in the many text messages they send out.

The death of Phoebe Prince indicates that something went wrong from the classroom to the school committee board room to the high school hallways to the kitchen tables of South Hadley High School parents.

One South Hadley parent told a Gazette reporter that the unbridled anger towards administrators on Facebook stems from parents' frustrations that they "don't have any other voice."

Well, they do have a voice. They should go to the anti-bullying task force meeting tonight.

But if they're going to talk, they should also listen. A first step would be for people to stop attacking each other. 
Another is to stop being defensive. They also will need to keep in mind that finding a solution to a public menace like bullying - a phenomenon which everyone agrees has been around forever - is not going to be easy.

It is certainly not as simple as firing someone or accepting a forced letter of resignation. That is not only unrealistic, it lets people walk away from the table before achieving long-lasting change. That change depends on a grassroots effort involving youth, parents, teachers, assistants, secretaries, librarians, janitors and administrators. In other words, everybody.

Maybe, as critics have said, tonight's task force meeting hasn't been well organized. But it's a starting point. It will be a tragedy if people remain outside drumming up ill will rather than going inside to roll up their sleeves in an effort to seek solutions to an entrenched, problem.

That would mean Phoebe Prince died in vain, only compounding the tragedy of her death.

South Hadley Selectboard Looks to Form Youth Commission

South Hadley Selectboard Looks to Form Youth Commission

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WGGB) -- In the wake of a South Hadley High School student taking her own life after allegedly being bullied, the Board of Selectmen discussed Tuesday the formation of a Youth Commission to tackle the issue of bullying in the schools.
http://www.wggb.com/global/story.asp?s=11997090

Find more items like this at http://www.wggb.com

Copyright 2010 WGGB

Students suspended over bullying

Students suspended over bullying
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com

SOUTH HADLEY - School Superintendent Gus A. Sayer confirmed Tuesday that there have been some suspensions of high school students in the Phoebe Prince matter and that some of the students will face expulsion hearings.

Sayer declined to say how many students have been suspended, but said those actions were taken after Prince's Jan. 14 death.

High School principal Daniel T. Smith determines if a student should be expelled following a hearing. His decision can be appealed to Sayer, who can overturn Smith's determination.

Sayer's comments came the same day Selectboard members discussed creation of youth commission in the wake of the death of 15-year-old Prince following intense bullying. Prince is believed to have committed suicide in response to bullying at school as well as over social networking sites and through text messaging.

The Northwestern District Attorney's Office is investigating whether bullying precipitated the death of the ninth grade student at South Hadley High School.

Selectboard member Bruce S. MacCullagh suggested creation of the youth commission. The nine-member could include one high school aged person, he said.

"Right now we have a lot of people coming to us with suggestions about what needs to be done," he said.

The commission could deal with problems and challenges of young people in town, said Selectboard member Robert G. Judge.

Following Prince's death Smith launched his own investigation and Sayer said students who were found to have harassed the girl would face "the most serious consequences" including suspension, expulsion, and referral to police. Sayer said Tuesday discipline had been meted out before Phoebe's death also. "Students have been disciplined right along," he said.

He said two students were disciplined the week before Prince died, one of them for calling her a vulgar name during class. Sayer said school officials did not know about most of the harassment of Prince until after she died.

School officials said previously they would not identify students disciplined because that would be a civil rights violation. Such information is part of the student's personal, permanent record, officials said.

Town, firm clash over Texon building

By STEPHEN C. HILL
Staff Writer

• Email this page
• Printer-friendly version
• 
• 

Saturday, February 13, 2010 Officials from both the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department and the town of South Hadley want to see the old Texon building demolished but disagree on how quickly and what measures should be taken.
Recently HG&E applied for an expedited permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to demolish the Texon Building, which it owns. "The building is unstable," said HG&E General Manger James Lavelle.

Meanwhile, town officials have written a letter to the Army Corps objecting to an expedited permit without a renewed commitment from HG&E to restore a significant portion of the historic canal, the first navigable canal in the country. The letter refers to a 2001 agreement on the demolition of the Texon building's boiler house that called for mitigating the loss of the historic building with the creation of a park and restoration of 9,400 square feet (about 300 linear feet) of the old canal.

"We're just trying to get what was laid out in the agreement," said John Hine, chairman of South Hadley's Selectboard.

Town Planner Richard Harris said the company recently proposed restoring a five foot section of the 1795 canal. "That's insulting," said Harris. "The canal is on the National Historic Register and a portion of it should be restored," he said.

The Selectboard has sought to place the issue in the hands of the Army Corps with a second letter, basically asking if the corps to decide what historic mitigation should be undertaken by HG&E if it demolishes the Texon building. The town would abide by the Corps' decision, according to the letter, but HG&E is not willing to make that commitment.

Lavelle said HG&E would be willing to discuss any ruling by the Corps, but would wait to make a commitment until a decision is reached. "We have a fiduciary responsibility to our ratepayers," said Lavelle.
HG&E, if it removes the Texon building at a cost of $700,000, will have spent about $2 million on the riverfront area, including building two parks for which contracts have been signed and work is to begin in the spring. "That building is an eyesore and an impediment to redeveloping the Falls area," Lavelle said. "We think the demolition of the building is mitigation enough," he said.

Town officials say HG&E should simply live up to its prior agreements.
###

http://www.gazettenet.com/print/259892?CSAuthResp=%3Asession%3ACSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Asuccess%3AQaXxwEXz1of4cTKWJh8Amw%3D%3D&CSUserId=43317&CSGroupId=7

"Learning from A Tragedy" - Click HERE

Posts about the January suicide of a South Hadley teenager are at http://bobjudgeselectboard.blogspot.com/search/label/Learning%20from%20a%20Tragedy

Comments from Suzanne Cordes of South Hadley

From: Suzanne Cordes
Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2010 2:20 PM
To: Robert Judge

Hi Bob,

...


I just want to say too that...it is important to talk about what IS going on with the process and to encourage people to look at solutions rather than perpetuate bullying behaviors.  It's ironic that those who want the girls "outed" are more focused on doing that than finding a solution.


I'm all for building community and communication rather than remaining status quo which I'm sure people would like to do in South Hadley.  Let time heal and all will be forgotten.  I hope not.  I hope South Hadley adopts a NO TOLERANCE for bullying and a consequence if someone does not adhere to policy.  In addition, workshops, classes, speakers, building bridges, learning tolerance are all important to creating a safe atmosphere and a voice for our children.

"Punching Holes in the Darkness" - Click HERE

Posted by Bob Judge

February 12, 2010, 10:12PM

I attended this fine event tonight at the church. It was a relief to find clergy from several denominations there, as well as mental health professionals willing to be of assistance to any of those who wanted to talk.

Public officials must take a large role in solving the problems in our schools, and a couple of steps have already been taken. But we will need many others from all parts of the community, including the clergy, if we are to be successful in that effort. Tonight was a good start toward that end.

Exchange with a South Hadley resident

Below are excerpts from an email exchange I had with a South Hadley resident:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

(RESIDENT):

I understand your public position as an elected official.

…But I am afraid youth commissions are a bit too little too late…  I think proposed commissions may be a useful tool later on...but…you first have to rid the system of…problems…year after year…so ineffective…I am not sure that even our school committee is able to objectively evaluate the situation…  l would think what we need is an independent outside commission, perhaps appointed by the courts and the State Education Department, with no horse in the race, to begin to find a solution.  While I am always suspect of mob or scapegoat mentalities, having listened to these officials two weeks ago for the entire length of that meeting, I think any objective, independent voter would want…so that the next vulnerable student can have some substantial hope that things might change... 

---

From: BobJudge [mailto:BobJudge@comcast.net]
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 2:27 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Our school superintendent and our high school principal

Dear…:

As I am sure you know, because of our form of government, the Selectboard has no authority over the South Hadley schools.  Just as the voters elect a Selectboard, the voters elect a School Committee.  The School Committee would hire or fire a Superintendent. 

…your comments…I recommend that you direct them to the Chairman of the School Committee…

At the risk of changing the subject somewhat, however, please let me suggest that you look at the story from the February 18 Gazette, at http://bobjudgeselectboard.blogspot.com/2010/02/youth-commission-proposed-for-south.html.  I would be interested in your thoughts about a "Youth Commission," or any other aspect of our attempts to respond constructively to this tragedy.

Thanks for your message.

- Bob Judge

From: …

Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 1:54 PM
To: Bob Judge
Subject: Our school superintendent and our high school principal

(RESIDENT):

…She was corrected quite wisely by the expert from Colorado who insisted quite wisely that it is NEVER a matter of “she” said or of conflict, that 99.99% students do not lie about being bullied.  I spent ten years of my life teaching…counseling and living with students as a resident tutor at… to know that students rarely lie on matters like this (and the very few who do are transparent to any one with a bit of insight).  To have listened to parent after parent, student after student, recount the REPUTATION of the South Hadley schools for bullying is a tragic revelation to those of us who…Most of us naively assumed that our absurd real estate tax rate and evaluation system went towards supporting a first rate school system: only to hear that parents preferred to keep their kids in Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, or to send them to private or parochial schools, all to AVOID our school system. 

…we should stop worrying about depriving these criminal bullies of their rights.  This tragedy has gone far enough and demands immediate action on the part of our elected officials.

"South Hadley taking steps toward progress" - Click HERE

Bob Judge (BobJudge@comcast.net) has sent you an item from http://www.wggb.com/.

"South Hadley taking steps toward progress"

South Hadley taking steps toward progress

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WGGB) – South Hadley is getting a helping hand as it tries to battle back against the bullies.
http://www.wggb.com/global/story.asp?s=11974568

Find more items like this at http://www.wggb.com/

Copyright 2010 WGGB

South Hadley taking steps toward progress

Posted: Feb 11, 2010 10:48 PM

Video Gallery <1> South Hadley Battling Bullying with State's Help 1:27

Members of the South Hadley School Committee address residents during their meeting Thursday.

By Elizabeth Corridan
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (WGGB) – South Hadley is getting a helping hand as it tries to battle back against the bullies.


The state Department of Public Health sent a team of suicide prevention and mental health counselors to the embattled town's school committee meeting.  Larry Berkowitz from the Riverside Trauma Center told committee members and residents in attendance.
"We don't consider ourselves experts, we feel like we've got experience. We've helped communities go on a journey they don't want to go on," said Berkowitz.


Berkowitz pledged to partner with the community to help identify resources and strategies to help the town heal and prevent another tragedy.  His offer was welcomed by parents ready for change and action.


"It's really stressful to worry about the safety of your child," said Kelley St. Clair.


Before Thursday night's school committee meeting, St. Clair led a meeting of the Special Education Parents' Advisory Council.  It was a chance for parents to brainstorm ideas in hopes of creating a safer, healthier learning environment for their children.


"There is a time and a place to express frustrations and tonight we just wanted to focus on solutions," said St. Clair.


The first meeting of the South Hadley's Bullying Task Force is Feb. 23.

Youth commission proposed for South Hadley, in wake of teen's death

Youth commission proposed for South Hadley, in wake of teen's death

By STEPHEN C. HILL
Staff Writer

• Login to post comments
• Printer-friendly version

Thursday, February 11, 2010 SOUTH HADLEY - Even a working meeting about routine business Tuesday could not escape the specter of youth bullying and suicide.

Bruce MacCullagh, one the Selectboard's new members, said creation of a youth commission in town, as outlined in state law, could be discussed as a response to the request of several dozen residents. Those residents raised the issue when discussing bullying at the board's last meeting.

The community is struggling to come to terms with a 15-year-old South Hadley High School freshman's suicide last month. Authorities say the student, Phoebe Prince, had been bullied in person and through electronic media.

A youth commission could survey issues facing young people in town and make recommendations about actions that can be taken. "I would be surprised if they come back and say there's nothing we can do that we're not already doing," MacCullagh said.

The commission would consist of adults and high school-aged students and determine for itself what issues it would address, he said.

"This is a great idea," said Selectboard member Robert Judge. A youth commission would not interfere with the planned bullying task force being formed by the School Department, but work on a broader scale to address youth issues, he said.

Francis DeToma, the other new board member, said a youth commission would be an appropriate response to requests from parents for action. Judge said a call for volunteers should come jointly from the Selectboard and the School Committee, because residents want to see the boards working together to address the problem of bullying in town schools.

Marilyn Ishler, a Selectboard member, said the Recreation Commission should be involved if a commission is formed. She noted the town established a teen center several years ago, but it petered out.

MacCullagh agreed that recreation should be involved, but said sports are probably not an area in town that needs more attention. "If you're not in the arts and you're not in sports, then there's nothing for you to do in South Hadley until school starts," he said.

John Hine, the board chairman, asked Town Administrator Paul Beecher to make time available at next week's board meeting to more fully and openly discuss establishing a youth commission.

Prevention work
The Jan. 14 suicide has shifted the focus of many town boards on bullying and youth issues.
Tonight, members of the state Department of Public Health's Suicide Prevention Program will give a presentation to the School Committee. The presentation is a follow-up from a meeting held last week in the police station, attended by Judge.

Judge said the meeting included officials from the state Department of Mental Health and other mental health professionals, as well as school officials. "They told us we are not alone," Judge said. Five teenagers in five years have committed suicide in Needham, he said.

Ideas were exchanged and Jane Rathbun, director of guidance for the school, was asked about the mood of the school, Judge said. The school feels stressed and some students were being watched for signs they might harm themselves, she said, according to Judge.

The Selectboard has been invited to the meeting and should attend to support the School Committee and show its willingness to work together, he said.

"The School Committee is traumatized," said Judge. "Everybody who approaches the School Committee yells at them," he said.

"There have been trauma counselors in the high school for administrators," MacCullagh said.

WFCR: Blog about South Hadley (2010-02-10)

WFCR: Blog about South Hadley (2010-02-10)

"In Our Opinion: The blame game"

Tuesday, February 9, 2010
In Our Opinion: The blame game
by Daily Hampshire Gazette

Role models they are not. After a teen's suicide in South Hadley Jan. 14, some people picked up the same electronic tools that extend the reach of bullies to rail anonymously against girls they believe responsible for hounding Phoebe Prince to death.

Thanks to the Internet and social media like Facebook, bullies can now invade a victim's world around the clock. The mob never sleeps. And now, a new mob is targeting area young people believed to have mistreated Prince, a 15-year-old freshman newly arrived from Ireland. Their names, addresses and photos have been posted on the Internet in a new round of cyber-stalking.

People engaged in the new online threats may feel they possess a courage lacking in officials preoccupied with due process, fairness and long-term learning. It is hardly courage. Their words, like those of bullies anywhere, only seek to exert power over another person. We hope young people see this and recoil from it as much as they do mean comments heaped upon Phoebe Prince in person and online in the weeks before her death.

Americans are angry about a lot of things these days. Many believe their institutions have failed them. In the case of Prince's death, the school system stands in. In well-attended public meetings after Prince's death, some called for immediate action against students suspected of harassing Prince. Because this case involved minors, confidentiality issues and schools, it was guaranteed to proceed more slowly than people wanted.
But action did come last week, when Superintendent Gus Sayer announced that officials will summon several students to hearings over what he termed "very serious infractions" related to bullying. The students face the possibility of suspensions or expulsions. Further, their actions may be referred to police.

We believe the school system moved swiftly to track down facts about this case. After just three weeks, while probes by South Hadley police and the Northwestern district attorney's office continue, Principal Dan Smith was able last week to offer his initial findings, even as the school's work to hold people accountable continues.

It is against this picture of earnest but temperate inquiry that the new online mob's posturing would seem ridiculous - if it wasn't downright dangerous. Here is a sampling of the vulgarity-laced online posts that vow physical violence against anyone who taunted Prince: "If you can find them, I'm in." "I got an idea. BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM." "These girls need to be put in their place." "How we playing this? Facebook abuse or actual real scale chaos with a plan?" You can see why parents were alarmed and called police.

Once upon a time, before instant, two-way global communication, a community's grief was its own. Today, the South Hadley story is attracting the interest of Internet nomads, people who, in their posts, admit they are trolling the Web looking for "lulz," an online shorthand for the ability to laugh at other people.

Several of the worst online posts suggest the authors would have a hard time finding South Hadley on a map. "Lucky for these girls I'm in Texas," one wrote. "Do we have someone on the ground in that area? If you can locate the targets, I'm in," another wrote.

Yes, they do tend to sound like people who staggered away from an episode of "24" after chugging Red Bulls. And then decided to save America.

It is one thing to feel for a victim and want to prevent bad things from happening again - the stance of most of those who have turned out in the hundreds at public meetings in South Hadley over the past few weeks. It is another to adopt a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality that lets people at their computers believe they have what it takes.

What they may have is trouble with the law. South Hadley Police Chief David LaBrie is pursuing the source of threatening online comments directed at students. The chief said last week he is seeking a subpoena for Facebook records. While he's unlikely to rein in such comments, we are glad he is pushing back.
By the time a new anti-bullying task force gets to work Feb. 23, the online vigilantes will be feeding off another community's misfortune. People who really care about solutions to bullying in the South Hadley school district will not have turned away.

When that session comes to order, it will be led by people who understand the difference between finding solutions and taking potshots.

They will get back to work - together in a room, not at their computers - on a problem that needs thought, patience and a willingness to reach out with a peaceful mind.

"South Hadley seeks bullying solutions" - Town Reminder - February 5, 2010