PAYINGTRIBUTE - Operation Respect

Operation Respect worked with the News for
Students Foundation to adapt the NIE materials for
this Colorado initiative. The dissemination of these
materials will help to mobilize a statewide conference
of educators focused on creating safe, respectful
school climates, which Operation Respect
will begin to help organize in the Fall of 2008. The
broad objective of this conference will be to promote
the adoption of the whole child educational
model in Colorado and to demonstrate the success
of this educational approach in terms of creating a
more peaceful and harmonious student and school
population.
Operation Respect continues to produce and distribute
our e-newsletter to over 70,000 supporters
in our database. This effective form of communication
provides a synopsis of news of interest to our
community, and an opportunity to alert and mobilize
our constituents to pursue their work and avail
themselves of new strategies, research and professional
development opportunities. The feedback
we receive is extremely positive.
MARK WEISS AND STUDENTS FROM MS 399, BRONX, NY
In the Spring of 2007, the Office of School Intervention
and Development at the New York City
Department of Education engaged the services
of Operation Respect to partner with a team of
community-based organizations to provide training
around violence prevention, both emotional
and physical, regarding the targeting of students
due to their gender and/or sexual orientation. The
collaborative group of organizations participating
in this initiative included Operation Respect,
Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference
Institute, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
(GLSEN), Morningside Center for Teaching
Social Responsibility, and the Youth Enrichment
Services Program from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Community Center. This “Respect
for All” initiative was launched as part of the
Department of Education’s commitment to provide
all students with a safe and supportive school
environment. Operation Respect worked with the
consortium to offer a series of two-day professional
development workshops to teams of teachers,
counselors and other school support staff from
middle and high schools throughout New York City.
In the Fall of 2007, The Office of School Intervention
and Development at the New York City
Department of Education received a federal grant
to assist in the transformation of the climate of six
elementary and middle schools that were identified
as persistently dangerous. Operation Respect
was engaged to provide program services and staff
development to aide in school climate transformation
in each of these schools. The project began
October 1, 2007 and will conclude in March 2009.
In November 2007, Operation Respect conducted
needs assessments at five of the participating
schools and provided several introductory professional
development workshops and assembly
programs featuring Operation Respect’s student
ambassador, Baby Jay.
The skills of building respect identified in the Don’t
Laugh at Me Program (DLAM)—expressing feelings;
promoting caring, cooperation, and compassion;
fostering creative conflict resolution; and
understanding and celebrating diversity—are skills