Guest Column: District 205: Exposing the bullies among us
By Jane Hayes
Bullies! The very word strikes a chord of fear in young and old, especially if you have been bullied in the past.
As teachers, we are told to recognize signs of bullying in our schools so we can prevent this dangerous form of abuse. As adults, we think maturity makes us more invincible from this practice of terrorism, but often memories are fresh because of intense emotional scars.
Thankfully, the media have called attention to cyber-bullying, excessive rites of initiation, sports baiting and bashing, and abuses done to children, women and those who risk being different.
Both my son and daughter left their college fraternity and sorority because of their personal stance against hazing.
Finally, public consciousness is being raised to recognize the ultimate cost of this unacceptable and demeaning practice. Now, there are even some legal repercussions for bullies, punishing them for their dangerous acts against humanity.
However, what if the bully is your boss and you need your job? What recourse do you have for righting the wrongs done in the workplace? What if the legal department in your school district amplifies their bullying tactic by exiling you from your classroom, school building and school events? What recourse do staff members, who have been disgraced by this inhumane practice, have to be reinstated and to clear their names and reputations?
Putting a professional on administrative leave without warning and being walked from your classroom to your car can be a humiliating experience that scars you forever. Being denied due process and the right to know your offenses are dangerous practices that District 205’s legal department has done way too often over the past few years.
What recourse is there for those who have been assumed guilty even before knowing the charges? Why are we so quick to presume guilt rather than innocence? Instead of an outcry from colleagues when they witness this ignominy and public disgrace, their objections are silenced by fear of knowing their careers and dignity might be next. Such an atmosphere of fear and reckoning must be exposed so public attention recognizes bullying tactics in the workforce.
Since when has a whistleblower been denied his right to challenge his accusers and tell his/her side? When do we take charge and demand an evaluation of such repressive litigious counsel?
Of course, we realize such tactics are not just rampant in our district. Think back to the political upheaval for state senatorial candidates whose petitions were challenged. Think currently of the bullying tactics used in political campaign ads and against protesters. Think about the decay of our future society because of irresponsible and unethical practices of the powerful 1 percent over the silent or meek 99 percent majority. It is our responsibility, as citizens, to recognize and refute abuses, even at the cost of our jobs. Our good names and dignity matter far more.
Time to fight back! Address the bullies in our midst, regardless of their subversive power, intimidating tactics and might. Might does not make right! Legal tactics do not absolve the powerful from ethical and humane treatment. Remember the words of Edmund Burke, Irish statesman, “The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.”
Jane Hayes is a Roosevelt Alternative High School teacher and a member of Watchdogs for Ethics in Education.
From the May 30-June 5, 2012, issue
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9 Comments
Ms. Hayes – your article is spot on – great job! And I would like to let your readers know that legislative efforts are underway in many states to pass what is known as the Healthy Workplace Bill. This bill is currently stalled in the Illinois House and needs the support of constituents to get the ball rolling once again.
The Healthy Workplace Bill creates a legal claim for bullying targets who can establish that they were subjected to malicious, health-harming behavior. It also provides defenses for employers who act preventively and responsively with regard to bullying and includes provisions to discourage frivolous claims.
To learn more and to get involved, readers are encouraged to visit http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/.
Do you ever write anything positive about the administration of our school district? You have written many things with some excellent points, but there are some serious flaws in this writing.
Bullying/harassment is definitely an issue in our society and should be dealt with and not tolerated, but have you ever looked at your writings and seen how you publicly lash, harass, henpeck and condemn District 205’s staff, superintendents(interim or otherwise), and administrators? You, my dear, are also a bully and have had a tendency to name-call. (Calling the Ombudsman person “Terminator” immediately comes to my mind.)Yes, you are cloaked in your free speech and I-am-a-founder-of-WEE mentality, but do not think you are less cruel and more justified.
You do have the right and should question what is being done in our schools and in our community. These quests for information and pursuits for improvements are applauded, but the more you write with such loathing, the image of WEE changes from the 3 musketeers to the 3 Graeae (Stygian witches sharing one eye.) I would hope you would hold yourself to a higher standard.
On another note, the point you touched on about whistle blowing and retribution for calling the district “out” when there is a problem is true. Look at the dismantling of all the school board committees. Have you ever seen this in the district’s history? A few select board members claim they want more input from the community, but what they and the administration are doing is systematically replacing anyone that has challenged them. Let’s see how many newcomers there are, how many of those that speak their minds are taken out, and how many come from Alignment Rockford or their sub-groups. Why is it that one very charismatic board member was removed from the Education Committee and moved? Was it by choice? I think not. The district wants people who only share their vision for Academies and who are willing to drink the Kool-Aid when necessary. It will be chock-full of business people and the average Joe/Jane community will not be represented on the committees. It would not be shocking for all the good ‘ol boys to be put on Operations and on the Budget and Finance while nice non-confrontational women that won’t oppose the chair person will be placed on Education committee. Also, how is it that the Community Input still has the same community chair people?
Your turn….
I too am tired of the insanity in this district, and that’s precisely why I expose it to the general public. You see, I am a whistle blower who has lost her job in district 205. My insight and inside knowledge of indiviual situations must prevail. There are plenty of positives and I witnessed that personally at the Roosevelt Graduation on Tuesday for students who have been displaced and found that they could attain their goals with the caring staff at Roosevelt. Staff members from Conklin, Eisenhower, Guilford, West, Auburn, and Roosevelt are truly my heroes, as are my students. As a lifelong educator and student myself, I want the finest education that Rockford has to offer for our students. Unfortunately, too many people who are NOT educators are making short-sighted decisions. For instance, academies proposed by Alignment Rockford are nothing new to this district. They have come and gone so often over the years without much fanfare. Do we really need business moguls telling us how to run the schools where we work? We are not talking about a commercial enterprise of supply and demand, but an educational one that must meet the needs of our diverse community. Oh, as far as the most courageous and insightful education committee member being ousted from the education committee where she requested having a more pivotal influence, I am in total agreement. Perhaps Laura Powers and her courageous and informed spirit of investigation and intellect will be fodder for my next editorial. She is truly amazing, and unfortunately, a threat to backroom politics existent on the board and administration!
Mark my words…you will see a great influx of business people jockey for position on these committees. With all the estimated repairs for the buildings and contracts for educational changes to be had, what better way to get contracts for yourself than being on a committee and voting? Back room deals will happen.
We do need people with experience to be on committees, but we also need the people in the daily trenches and understand how students’ lives are and what happens in the schools. Let’s see how courageous Ms. Powers really is. Will she have the courage to say no to the people who hold the reins on big business here? That would be something to write about and she would get my vote(and she is in my district.)Will Ms. Jude do the same on her committee? I doubt it and she lost my respect some time ago. What about the rest of the board? Let’s see what the committees end up looking like and then we will have an answer. I’m not going to hold my breath.
I, too, have been in this district for quite some time. I have seen all the phases and fads implemented and then quietly removed, but at least the district isn’t sitting on it’s rear end and doing nothing. I would hope that from time-to-time you would find something decent to say about EACH person and what they are trying to accomplish. It is fairly easy to sit and pick apart a person, but it takes more courage and time to find where their heart lies.
My only comment concerns your statement that your son and daughter left their fraternity/sorority because of their “personal stance on hazing”.
One day both your son and daughter will realize that they accomplished nothing, and in the process robbed themselves of the fun and lifetime friendships that come from the College Greek System.
I was not Greek in College. I was the outsider who also had a point to make by refusing a fraternity. Like others I know, I was the GDI. I realize now that the only thing I accomplished was to cheat myself.
My little “protest”, like the “point” your children made, has already been forgotten by the Greeks.
Jane is right. Everything being proposed has been tried before. Rockford had some wonderful vocational and career programs that were axed to save money. The district had a Gates grant that feel flat. Several administators and teachers viewed high schools with the small school concept. Came back enthusiastic and it was dropped as too expensive. Most the the schools that were in the small school concept have returned for a variety of reason to a more traditional one. They never really worked for an extended time anywhere. But trying again might work if there is community support.
Way to go teachers at Roosevelt! I believe that it is the largest class to graduate in years. Graduates all the best to you!
That fact that there is such a big student population at Roosevelt should be a strong indicator that our teachers are overpaid failures. We need to get rid of the union, and hold teachers accountable for more than just their own salaries so our kids have a chance. Jane you are selfish. Prime example of what is wrong with our education system in this city.
Actually, it is more in line with parental failures. Too many of the students were raised by children who became parents at 14 and have never worked. From what I understand many are teen parents, many have other emotional issues, but the worst problem is lack of having real parents. I wish people would not only blame teachers, but would realize the lack of parental and student personal responsiblity are major contributing factors. Teachers were hired to teach not raise other people children.
Thank you for speaking to the issue of bullying. It is alive and well & some teachers who are emotional and physically abusive to children are teaching in our schools * supported by administrators. The bully is strong and often has a crew of supporters, but God bless the whistleblower. Unfortunately though too often the whistleblower goes unheard and then has to live with the repercussions that come from daring to speak up. BTW I admire your children. I stayed in the Greek system since I did not yet have the strength to go against the flow. It was a mistake and did nothing positive for my life.