PYLUSD rolls out district‑wide anti‑bullying campaign 'Advancing Better Choices' with focus on prevention and restorative response
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Summary
District student‑services staff presented 'Advancing Better Choices' (ABC), a prevention and intervention campaign aiming to reduce bullying through education, targeted programs (Second Step/Owus mentioned), a district support team and data monitoring; staff plan principal training this week and a district rollout next school year.
Placentia‑Yorba Linda Unified School District directors of student services presented a district‑wide anti‑bullying initiative called Advancing Better Choices (ABC) during the May 6 board meeting.
Doctor Baldwin Pedraza and Tanya Gordillo outlined ABC’s core goals: define and recognize bullying (including cyberbullying), expand prevention education for students and adults, create consistent incident documentation, provide support and restorative interventions, and collect better data through adoption of the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) next year. The presentation cited Assembly Bill "22 91" (as stated on the record) and national data showing cyberbullying as an increasing concern.
ABC will pilot evidence‑based components (district staff mentioned Second Step and Owus/Oweus as program models) and leverage elementary counselors and secondary wellness coaches for classroom delivery; staff also described a district support team for complex cases and safety planning. The plan includes principal training this week and broader staff trainings at the start of the next school year, with an offer to return to the board with quantitative and qualitative follow‑up results.
Board members asked about rollout timing, professional development differentiation for elementary versus secondary settings, and the district’s data baseline; staff said CHKS administration is planned for next year to allow county‑level comparisons and that targeted secondary strategies would be developed with County Office partners and evidence‑based trainers. Several public commenters asked for annual progress reporting; staff agreed to return with both metrics and stories about outcomes.