The best way to deter Bullying is to increase on-campus adult participation … on a consistent basis… every day. To do this, BlockParent.org is launching a grass roots campaign to make our objectives known to schools, parents and to the community at large, business and residential, that we are hiring adults to stay on campus… “paid-volunteers”.
An increased presence of adults committed to guide our kids from the perils of bullying, in love and understanding, provides a visual element of real-life parental discipline and support. Students who habitually participate in mean or rude behavior or engage in conduct detrimental to academia, will be observed and encouraged to make positive decisions, daily. Students who display a positive attitude towards their peers, their education and problem solving will be rewarded, applauded and asked to participate in leadership roles sponsored by BlockParent. Men and women of the community who will walk the halls, sit in class, survey the grounds, and ride the buses will make the difference.
Here’s how the strategy and campaign will work…
PHASE 1 – Register Support
Think big and start small.
The strategy is to target the neighborhood of a particular school within a 5-10 mile radius, go door-to-door, pass out flyers, register as many people as we can, but primarily get the word out. Guide individuals who are interested in participating, but not quite ready to register, to our web site.
The objective in Phase 1 is to register as many people as possible for the targeted school(s) without any monetary commitment whatsoever. Let me repeat that …. register as many people as possible, for the targeted school(s), without any monetary commitment whatsoever.
When you register, you'll be able to track the momentum of our mission by logging onto the website. You'll have access to updates of the number of supporters that have signed up and how much money has been committed for your selected school.
PHASE 2 – Green Light
As we start approaching the targeted registrant and monetary volume needed to support the required number of “Intervention Specialists”, we’ll reach back out to you and give you the green light … game on. This is the moment of truth where we put our money where our mouth is and invest in our youth with your monthly commitment. BlockParent suggests individuals make small commitments in the range of $10 to $30 because the students need sustained, consistent support over a long period of time. Most people can afford a smaller investment (two less cups of coffee per month) and for the sake and safety of our kids, we’re encouraging a higher number of individuals to participate.
To stop bullying for a school of 800 students, the campus will need 8 part-time Intervention Specialists at $25 per hour. The school in this scenario would need 1,600 investors with an average monthly investment of $15.
Let’s do the math …
30hrs per week x $25 = $750 x 4 weeks = $3,000 x 8 Interventionists = $24,000 per month.
1,600 Investors x $15 per month = $24,000 per month.
1,600 supporters is roughly 2 adults per student household, and $7 per month (or ~25 cents per day), per person. Our kids deserve more than $0.25 per day and of course we’ll reach out to more than just the student households. So you see, we have a terrific opportunity to build the apparatus with your help and our strategy, to assure students a safer campus and exponential benefits in their academic journey. We mention the math scenario to point out the solution to most of our issues within our public schools is sitting right there, waiting for us to utilize it, RIGHT NOW.
PHASE 3 – Hiring Process
Job Promotion - Post and promote job openings on website, online job boards, social media, job fairs, word of mouth and industry publications. If you’re interested in the Intervention Specialist role, please click here.
Recruitment - Beyond passive recruitment via job posts, BlockParent will seek out qualified candidates via LinkedIn, social media, and industry events. This will ensure that some applications from potential candidates who are not actively searching for new jobs but who may be perfect for the role are received.
Applicant Screening - As job applications arrive, BlockParent's hiring staff reviews résumés and cover letters based on the criteria established in the planning phase. Unqualified candidates’ applications are withdrawn from the applicant pool. Qualified candidates are informed of next steps beginning with a screening interview.
Screening Interview - Initial interviews with applicants will be typically scheduled over the phone to determine if applicants have the qualifications needed to do the job and serve to further narrow the pool of candidates.
Interviews - In-person interviews are scheduled for each candidate who passes screening to discuss the applicants’ experience, skills, work history, and availability.
Background Check - One of the final steps prior to making a job offer is conducting background checks to review candidates’ criminal record and to check social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to make sure potential employees are likely to represent the company in a professional manner. Drug testing may also be warranted, depending on the nature of the job.
Decision - The hiring staff confers and evaluates applicants based on the interviews, job experience, skills and talent assessments, and all other relevant information (recommendations, e.g.). A top choice should be identified and agreed on. A backup candidate selection should be made, as well. If no candidates meet the hiring criteria, the hiring process should start over.
Job Offer
Hiring - Once the candidate accepts the job offer, he or she is hired. This kicks off a phase of filling out and filing paperwork related to employment and company specific forms.
Onboarding - A comprehensive onboarding process is a crucial step in the hiring process. This involves registering the Intervention Specialist with the local School District as a non-supervised “volunteer” and completing an online Bully Prevention Training course hosted by BlockParent.
