February 19, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Busch 952-838-9000, [email protected]
PACER Center to Encourage Passage of the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act
Minneapolis: Minnesota’s 37-word law on bullying prevention is one of the shortest in the nation. The proposed Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act would help protect Minnesota students from intentional negative and aggressive behavior, as well as provide resources for schools, parents and students. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center is actively working toward the passage of the Safe and Supportive Schools Act in the 2014 legislative session.
More than 13 million American children are bullied each year – that’s one of every three students – and bullying significantly impacts the emotional and physical well-being of those involved. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center receives calls from students, parents, and educators on a daily basis. Through workshops, online tools, and events last year, the center assisted thousands of individuals, and more than 3 million web visitors utilized PACER’s bullying prevention resources.
The Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act will:
- Outline protective policies for Minnesota students, including those with disabilities, to learn in a safe school environment
- Provide Minnesota educators, parents and students with the resources they need for bullying prevention and intervention
- Deliver the message that the Minnesota community takes bullying seriously
The legislative session begins Feb. 25. Families, educators, and community members can take action by letting their state senators and representatives know their position on bullying prevention. For information on how to contact legislators in Minnesota, visit http://tinyurl.com/3fgwjnm. To get involved with PACER on bullying prevention, supporters can:
- Sign the petition “The End of Bullying Begins With Me” at http://www.pacer.org/bullying/digitalpetition/
- Join the WE WILL GENERATION for students at http://www.pacer.org/bullying/wewillgen/join-wwg.asp
- Share their story about bullying on PACER’s story page by visiting http://www.pacer.org/bullying/stories/
According to Julie Hertzog, Director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, “This must be Minnesota’s year to put safeguards in place and protect its students from the devastating effects of bullying. We are asking families to do everything they can to encourage legislators to support this bill.”
About PACER Center
PACER Center is a parent center that provides programs for families of children and young adults with any disability. PACER provides individual assistance, workshops, publications, and other resources to help families make decisions about education and other services for their child or young adult with disabilities. For more information, visit PACER.org.
About PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center takes action to change the paradigm so that bullying is no longer considered a rite of passage. PACER provides innovative resources for students, parents, educators, and others, and recognizes bullying as a serious community issue that impacts education, physical and emotional health, and the safety and well-being of everyone involved.For more information, visit PACER.org/bullying.
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