Arlington County Public Schools to launch new anti-bullying curriculum

APS to launch new Anti-Bullying Curriculum

Arlington County Public Schools will launch a new Anti-bullying Curriculum on October 1st, coinciding with National Bullying Prevention Month.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Arlington County Public Schools will start a new anti-bullying curriculum for K-12th grades on October 1.

New lessons begin in October

Arlington County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán announced the new curriculum at the APS September 18th School Board Meeting.

He noted wanting more education on this topic in particular, was something APS got feedback from in their "2025 Your Voice Matters Survey."

A school letter also sent out to APS families says starting October 1, APS "student services teams" made up of counselors, school psychologists and social workers will be delivering lessons on bullying prevention.

Focus on prevention and identity

They plan to focus on three main topic areas:

1. Understanding bullying behavior

2. Understanding identity

3. Practicing upstanding behavior

FOX 5 is seeking further clarification on how the lessons will be taught.

The launch of the new curriculum coincides with National Bullying Prevention Month, which also starts in October.

Dr. Durán also noted the new curriculum meets the Virginia Department of Education's Social and Emotional Learning standards.

More APS info on bullying prevention and reporting can be found online.