By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Buffalo's School District has launched a new learning environment program to stop violence and create safer public schools. The district is teaming with Erie-One Boces and Cornell University to pinpoint problems that lead to violence.
Buffalo Schools Superintendent Dr. James Williams said he doesn't believe public school kids are "bad." Instead he said their behavior needs to be modified.
And like a puzzle, he said there are many pieces that the district needs to put together in order to ensure a safe school environment.
But Williams said improving academics is key to beginning behavior modification.
Over the next several days, more than 500-people will come together for District Dialogue Days.
Parents, district staffers, community leaders and students will work together to pinpoint school issues. Williams said students must be engaged in their early years to prevent school violence.
"Little ones don't know how to play together. You go to an elementary school and see them on the playground kicking and knocking each other down, then it turns into a fight and they grew up that way," said Williams. "So, you have to engage youngsters in some of the activities that we grew up with."
Students will be named "asset ambassadors" in their school buildings, taking an active role with adults.
"We as adults have a tendency to direct kids from the top down. I'm not going to do that. I'm going to engage them into some of the solutions that we must implement in our school district," said Williams. "They have great ideas on how to work together to address some of these issues."
Williams said he has received a commitment from Buffalo mayor-elect Byron Brown to address some of the social and emotional issues in the community that could aide in the district's effort against violence.
As part of the three-year initiative, Cornell is creating an assessment tool. That will be completed by the Spring of 2006. Twelve schools will then be the test pilots.