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A new Florida law targets bullying, particularly online.
Last week Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill targeting bullying, HB 609, into law.
The law makes three big changes: Students can be bullied publicly or privately; defines cyberbullying as harassment using electronic means, such as email or impersonating someone online; and allows schools to get involved if off-campus bullying affects the targeted student’s on-campus education.
The law does not require school districts to monitor off-campus activity. The law also requires schools to teach staff and students about how to identify bullying and what to do if they see it.
We’ve posted the new law and noted some of the key changes, after the jump.
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Neyda Borges teaches at Miami Lakes Educational Center.
Here at StateImpact Florida, we spend a lot of time investigating the policies that affect education in Florida.
This school year, we had loads to talk about: Common Core standards, changes to high school graduation requirements, the end of FCAT and the search for its replacements, expanded online education options, a one-time teacher pay raise.
But two weeks ago, we asked you: What did you really learn in school this year?
One of the responses came from Neyda Borges, a teacher at Miami Lakes Educational Center. She wrote this essay about what she learned in school this year:
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