RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS
Impact
If passed, H7114 would amend Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws regarding the health and safety of pupils. The introduction of this legislation signifies a shift towards addressing bullying through a lens of restorative justice rather than purely punitive measures. This change not only aims to hold students accountable for their actions but also encourages rehabilitation and understanding, which is seen as critical in a diverse educational environment.
Summary
House Bill H7114 aims to establish a formal mechanism within the education system to address incidents of bullying that are motivated by a student’s religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. The bill seeks to implement a restorative justice approach that requires offending students to complete up to ten hours of directed community service as a consequence for their actions. This community service is intended to promote learning and insight, helping students to understand the impact of their behavior and preventing future incidents of bullying.
Contention
Notable points of contention may arise from differing views on the effectiveness of community service as a deterrent for bullying behavior, particularly regarding how it is tailored to specific instances of bullying. Critics might argue that such measures could lack the necessary disciplinary weight to dissuade students from engaging in harmful behaviors, while supporters may contend that fostering empathetic understanding through community engagement is more beneficial in the long run.
Establishes a new program where the per pupil funding, calculated annually by RIDE, would be transferred into a newly created educational funding account run by the children's scholarship fund to pay for educational expenses.
Provides that in local educational agencies when over 45% of the children have a family income that is at or below 185% of federal poverty guidelines then the student success factor will be 50% by the core instruction per-pupil amount.
Provides that in local educational agencies when over 45% of the children have a family income that is at or below 185% of federal poverty guidelines then the student success factor will be 50% by the core instruction per-pupil amount.
Requires immediate notification to the person in charge of the educational program when a child has a cardiac emergency and the head of the educational program must notify the department of education within 24 hours.
Amends the certain provisions relative to school waste recycling and refuse disposal and requires reports of waste audits by educational entities and reports of program participation by vendors.
Requires the school district of a child in the custody of the department of children, youth and families (DCYF) to pay all the educational cost of the child if the child is place in another school district.
Relieves East Providence from providing any educational/financial resources to children in the CRAFT program. Requires the school district of origin where the student was last registered to bear this responsibility.