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Taylor Peace Academy Offers Lessons On Beating Bullying
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Published: May 15, 2008
TAMPA - When eight Lakeland teens were charged with battery on a classmate last month, it made national news and highlighted the growing problem of bullying.
Although the incident happened off school grounds, one educator thinks a solid foundation in peace education could prevent bullying both in and out of the classroom.
The Taylor Peace Academy will open its doors in August in Tampa and offer a curriculum centered on antibullying and conflict resolution techniques. The academy is a public charter school serving grades kindergarten through third, with plans to expand to fifth.
"We believe that if you build a solid foundation with children, you can teach them the techniques that will help them handle conflicts in a positive way," said Felicia Wintons, president of the school's board.
The charter school, opening at 2304 E. Busch Blvd., grew out of a local after-school program. It will hold its first open house Saturday.
"We saw the demand for this type of education, so we knew it was time to expand it," Wintons said.
Charter schools are public sites run by private or nonprofit groups. They receive public funding but don't have some of the same state restrictions as traditional public schools.
The school's academics will follow state standards but will be interwoven with its peace curriculum. Peace education is based on a philosophy that teaches nonviolence, understanding, compassion, justice and cooperation.
Although many schools offer lessons in conflict resolution, Wintons said this is different.
"This will be a daily part of the school day," she said. "It will be part of our school culture."
Wintons said that at the end of each day, students will gather around the "peace table" to talk about the issues of the day and how to resolve differences. She also said parents will be expected to sign a contract before enrolling their children at the school, requiring them to use the same practices at home.
"We can't teach our children about conflict resolution at school and then have them go home to a completely different environment," she said.
Wintons said the school is expected to open with 162 students, with a teacher ratio of 18-to-1. The school is open to all students.
About a third of the children in the nation will be involved in a bullying incident, according the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. The prime ages for bullying are middle school students. That's why, Wintons said, such education needs to start when children are young.
"We certainly believe what we teach them now will stay with them their entire life," she said. "We teach the children, they teach their parents, the parents teach their co-workers. It's like paying it forward, and it all starts with a child."
PEACE OPEN HOUSE
WHAT: Taylor Peace Academy open house
WHEN: From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday and 4 to 7 p.m. May 27
WHERE: Temple Terrace Public Library, 202 Bullard Parkway
INFORMATION: Call (813) 514-1370 or visit www.
Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( RobKay ) on May 15, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Seems to me, most kids who are bullies, are just passing the bullying they get themselves at home, down the food chain. The boss yells at the old man, he comes home and yells at his wife who turns around and yells at the kids who either bully someone at school or kick the dog. This comes from mentally deficient loosers being allowed to breed. If you hear your kid is a bully, you'd better be looking in a mirror!
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