In response to public comment, including Assembly Member O’Donnell’s letter of March 5, 2012 calling for this change, the New York State Education Department has included charter schools in proposed new regulations intended to combat bullying in all New York State schools. As the Assembly Sponsor of the Dignity for All Students Act, which mandates that all public schools implement anti-bullying policies, O’Donnell believes that charters, too, must be protected. He notes,

The Dignity Act was written to apply to all public schools in the state. I thank Regent Tisch and the Board of Regents for including charter schools and ensuring that all our public school students receive the increased protection from bullying that they need and deserve.

Amending the previous version, section 100.2(c) of the Commissioner’s Regulations now includes charter schools in the requirement to provide instruction that supports the development of a school environment free from discrimination and harassment. The proposed new regulation will be voted on later today.