Back to School: A Nation Needing to Find its ConscienceSep 14 2010By Rick Phillips, Founder and Executive Director Here we are again, living out a very familiar scenario; summer is almost gone and school has begun for millions of K-12 students across the country. So what’s newsworthy about that? Well, for far too many children they will be attending schools where the physical and the social-emotional climate will be different and potentially less safe. This is the 3rd year of the economic earthquake that hit our country and landed on our public schools. There are fewer adults at most school sites, and those who are there are being asked to do more with less. They are operating with a shrinking revenue base, a reduction in support personnel, and less services. Perhaps most concerning is the palpable sense of anxiety and despair that lives in so many adults. These developments require that educational leaders don’t lose site of their primary mission: ensuring that all the children are safe, emotionally and physically, and that they are surrounded by caring and trusted adults. We can’t assume this is a guarantee, and therefore it must be spoken and affirmed as a number one priority by school leaders, parents, staff, and the community. Our children are mirrors, and as such, they reflect back what they see and experience. And as adults who are distracted, worried, and fearful about the economy and our future, the young ones feel our pain and they internalize and externalize their emotions in a whole host of ways. Some act out at school, on the playground, exhibiting poor impulse control and bullying behavior. Others withdraw and isolate, leaving themselves vulnerable to become targets of aggressive acting-out peers. In spite of the economic limitations, schools must recognize that a safe school climate is the foundation for students attending, participating, achieving and thriving. The staff of every school must recognize the importance of building and maintaining relationships with and among students. And that connectedness and belonging are the pre-requisites for successful and safe schools. At Community Matters, we invite you to join us in celebrating the power of young people to be active contributors and peacemakers in their schools and communities. We wish to collaborate with others who like us are “champions” of all children. 
Recent Posts10 Ways You Can Help To Stop BullyingWe have a choice. We can be overwhelmed by the size and scope of the issue and do nothing, or we can wake up our courage and do something that contributes to making things better. ‘Bully’ movie opens Friday, March 30th - Waking Up Courage is the Solution to Stopping BullyingThe new movie “Bully” opens March 30th in major cities nationwide. The film documents bullying between real kids and outlines the extent of the bullying epidemic. But solutions do exist – in the form of programs like Safe School Ambassadors that awaken the courage of bystanders to speak up when they see bullying occur. Rick Phillips Speaks On Bullying at the Clinton School of Public ServiceThe Clinton School of Public Service invited Rick Phillips, Executive Director of Community Matters as one of their Distinguished Speakers for their series of public lectures in Little Rock, Arkansas. Safe School Ambassadors school nationally recognized for its tolerance effortsMesa Linda Middle School in Victorville, CA was recognized as a “Mix It Up” Model School by the Teaching Tolerance Project. Straight Talk TNT - Teens ‘n Twenties Publishes Article Praising Safe School Ambassadors ProgramLauren Forcella, founder and editor of the website Straight Talk TNT: Teens ‘n Twenties, has written and published an article on her site praising the effectiveness of the Safe School Ambassadors program. |