Every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and confident when they walk into school. Not just academically supported—but emotionally protected. Yet for too many young people, school can become a place of fear instead of possibility, shaped by bullying, exclusion, and cruelty that leaves lasting scars.
It does not have to be this way.
Bullying thrives when kindness is ignored, when silence replaces action, and when we accept harm as “just part of growing up.” But hate is not inevitable—and kindness is not naïve. Kindness is powerful. It changes cultures. It saves lives.
Real progress begins when we choose to rise above hate and actively reward compassion.
That is why I believe it is time to flip the script.
Instead of only reacting after harm is done, we should celebrate and invest in schools that get it right—schools that foster empathy, inclusion, respect, and emotional well-being. Schools that prove that when kindness leads, bullying fades.
A New Vision: Rewarding Kindness in Our Schools
Each year, the top three schools in New York that demonstrate the strongest commitment to anti-bullying, kindness, and student well-being will receive a $1 million grant—not as a punishment for others, but as a beacon of what is possible.
These schools will be free to invest those funds in the ways they believe best serve their students:
- New playgrounds that encourage connection and joy
- Additional mental-health counselors and support staff
- Peer-mentoring and kindness initiatives
- Arts, athletics, and programs that bring students together
This is not about bureaucracy. It is about trust. Trusting educators. Trusting communities. Trusting students to help shape environments where cruelty has no place.
Why This Matters
When we reward kindness, we send a powerful message to every child in the state:
Who you are matters.
How you treat others matters.
Doing the right thing matters.
Research consistently shows that schools with strong social-emotional cultures experience fewer disciplinary issues, better academic outcomes, and healthier students overall. When children feel safe, they learn better. When they feel valued, they thrive.
But beyond the data is something even more important: human dignity.
No child should carry the weight of bullying into adulthood. No family should fear what their child faces at school. No student should feel invisible.
Building a Culture That Lifts Everyone Up
This vision is not about politics—it is about values. It is about choosing unity over division, compassion over cruelty, and courage over indifference. It is about teaching children that strength is found in kindness, and leadership begins with empathy.
When schools lead with compassion, communities follow. When children learn to lift one another up, the future becomes brighter for all of us.
If we want a New York where people treat each other with respect, we must start by nurturing that spirit in our classrooms. We must show—through action—that kindness is not just encouraged, but honored.
Let’s build a future where it pays to be kind.
Where doing the right thing is recognized.
Where every child knows they belong.
Because when we rise above hate together, we don’t just change schools—we change lives.
And that is the kind of progress worth fighting for.