DASA

THE DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT

You should never feel that it is not safe to come to school and participate in all school activities. You should never be prevented from concentrating on your schoolwork because another student or a school staff member is teasing you, making fun of you, pushing you around, or threatening you in some way, because of your race, color, weight, national origin (where your family comes from), ethnic group, religion, religious practices, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex.

A student may not act toward another student in a way that reasonably might make that other student feel threatened or unsafe, or that might reasonably make that student unable to concentrate on their school work because of the other student’s your race, color, weight, national origin (where your family comes from), ethnic group, religion, religious practices, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex. It is against school rules for any student or school staff member to do this by physical actions or by verbal statements, including electronic messages.

NYS Students New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act), seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment  free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function.

This legislation, signed into law on September 13, 2010 and effective July 1, 2012 amended State Education Law by creating a new Article 2 – Dignity for All Students. The Dignity Act also amended Section 801-a of New York State Education Law regarding instruction in civility, citizenship, and character education by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others and dignity to include: an awareness and sensitivity in the relations of people, including but not limited to, different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, gender identity, and sexes. The Dignity Act further amended Section 2801 of the Education Law by requiring Boards of Education to include language addressing the Dignity Act in their codes of conduct.

For further information regarding the Dignity for All Students Act, see the links and files below. If you would like more information regarding specific Respect and Responsibility, Tolerance, and Antibullying activities and programs in your child(ren)'s school, please contact your child(ren)'s Building Principal or Dignity for All Students Act Coordinator. Each school's Principal and Social Worker are the Dignity for All Students Act Coordinators.

Reporting of bullying, harassment and discrimination - Click the document titles below for a printable PDF

Dignity for All Students Act

Dignity Act Coordinators-

Wettel Elementary

Mr. Vince Pompo 315-829-2520, ext.1001 VPompo@vvsschools.org

Mrs. Jasmine Peck 315-829-2520, ext.1055 JPeck@vvsschools.org

J.D. George Elementary

Mr. Gary Bissaillon 315-829-2520, ext. 2001 GBissaillon@vvsschools.org

Mrs. Maria McGurk-Tschaar 315-829-2520, ext. 2055 MMcGurk-Tschaar@vvsschools.org

McAllister Elementary

Mrs. Elisabeth Relyea 315-829-2520, ext. 3001 ERelyea@vvsschools.org

Mrs. Christine Bolton 315-829-2520, ext. 3055 CBolton@vvsschools.org

V.V.S. Middle School

Mrs. Carrie Hodkinson 315-829-2520, ext. 4001 CHodkinson@vvsschools.org

Mrs. Christina Ballard 315-829-2520, ext.4055 CBallard@vvsschools.org

V.V.S. High School

Mrs. Erin Sanchez 315-829-2520, ext. 5008 Esanchez@vvsschools.org

Mrs. Brandy Lee Lappin 315-829-2520, ext. 5055 BLappin@vvsschools.org