my 1st grader is having a horrible time at her school

I'm glad to hear that things are better!

UPDATE****Switching her to the other school did a major difference,the school really followed through on their own no tolerance policy,and she brought home good behavior and good problem solving certificates weekly.Her teacher was absolutly amazing.My daughter is back to who she was....I also have filed a complaint with the Longview school district regarding what happened at the other school,and other parents who had children in the same class followed me,and not only filed complaints because their kids too were being teased,but 4 of them switched their children to the same school as I did my daughter.

I hear what you are saying -- but, I have taught in an at risk community for 10 years & I've taken training classes on how to prevent bullying.

You don't get rid of bullies by rewarding them for good behavior -- truthfully their good behavior is never really good behavior -- its simply rated as being better than normal behavior -- most teachers are trying to reward improvement in choices. Teacher's are trying to get students to make better choices when they reward students for ANY behavior.

You don't get rid of bullies, by confronting them on the playground -- that only intimidates them and creates a bigger problem.

Bullies (according to research) tend to come from extremely permissive homes or extremely punitive homes with most of them coming from extremely punitive homes. Bullying is about power & control and can only be solved by a group of students STANDING UP TO THAT BULLY! I know scary right, but if KIDS will speak up in groups it would shatter a bully's power & control. If you want to change the trajectory of bullying in your school you have to empower the student body.

Bullying occurs because large groups of kids socially put their stamp of approval on it by laughing at it and letting it happen. Kids can change that by standing up to it. If you want to change it -- teach your child and her classmates to stand-up to the bully.

Suomi0304 I agree whole heartedly.
Thank You for sharing your professional opinion. It's nice to hear someone in the field recognizing what is really going on or not going on. People didn't like that I was direc. I wasn't rude, mean or threatening. I just was like, "What is going on here? Who started it?" And I would address both sides.
The thing that got to me most was that the playground ladies had prime opportunities to teach life lessons and they'd just seperate them with no words at all.
Anyway- Good post!
CDLTNLA