PAYINGTRIBUTE - Operation Respect

Who We Are
Message From Chair
Message From President and Founder
Year In Review
Special Thanks
Funders
Statement of Financial Position
Statement of Activities
Staff/Trainers/Board of Directors
Photo Gallery
COVER PHOTOGRAPH FROM A TRIBUTE TO THE
TEACHERS OF AMERICA, COURTESY OF ROBERT CORWIN

Operation Respect is a non-profit educational and
advocacy organization dedicated to transforming
schools, camps and other youth-serving
organizations into more compassionate, safe and
respectful environments. Founded in 1999 by
Peter Yarrow of the famed folk trio, Peter Paul and
Mary, Operation Respect advocates for educational
excellence and the healthy development of
children and youth in all areas of their growth. To
help accomplish its mission, Operation Respect
disseminates its own educational program, “Don’t
Laugh At Me,” that provides effective tools for
establishing a caring climate in which the emotional
and physical abuse children suffer because of
peer ridicule, bullying and other asocial behaviors
is far less likely to occur.
The mission of Operation Respect is to create
respectful, safe and compassionate climates of
learning, free of bullying, ridicule and violence.
Our vision is a world in which the education
of children and youth will focus equally on the
development of their character as well as academic
growth so that they evolve into productive,
compassionate and civically engaged members of
society.
We believe that children and youth must be educated
so that they honor and respect themselves
and others. They must learn to resolve conflict
peacefully. We must reach the hearts, as well as
the minds, of children, youth, their educators and
parents – and use the creative arts combined
with effective pedagogical approaches to do so.
The success of Operation Respect is measured in
attitudinal and behavioral changes on the part of
children, youth and society.

I have always said, throughout the years of Operation Respect (OR) and previously,
in my decade-long tenure as head of curriculum and instruction at the New York City
Board of Education, that if educators could “open the hearts of children, their minds,
and intellect, would follow.” It is with this perspective that I committed myself to
helping create OR in 1999, and since then I have watched as our efforts, and those
of many others, helped open hearts, then minds, across the United States and
beyond.
Last year OR continued to bolster its outreach efforts for its primary areas of focus: advocating for
improvement of school and classroom climates and the implementing of OR’s “Don’t Laugh At Me”
character development, social and emotional learning program. In many important ways we were able to
deliver on the promise of our mission to a greater number of school-age children then ever before.
Critical to our success was our ability to engage and motivate the growing consensus among educators who
supported our premise: the priority of creating a safe, caring school climate. With pride, we realized that we
had played an important part in advancing that advocacy in the educational field. Further, we realized that
we could leverage OR’s reputation to bring together like-minded educational organizations to effect
changes in educational policy – a practice that coincided with our philosophy and mission. Combining
our organizational efforts could more rapidly bring us closer to a time in which all practitioners and school
administrators, as well as elected officials, local, state, and national, would address school and classroom
climate as a top priority.
To achieve this goal, OR reached out to the many organizations that had invited Peter and me, and our
leadership, to speak and present workshops at their annual meetings. Over forty organizations agreed to
participate in a series of gatherings that soon evolved into the United Voices for Education (UVE), a coalition
of national organizations that have a strong educational advocacy agenda.
UVE emerged as a watershed for the creation of broad-based advocacy for the improvement of
education through change of policy and practice, a safe and trusted place to advance the educational
dialogue in America, and the only national coalition dedicated solely to advancing whole child education,
which focuses on providing all children a learning environment that is safe, respectful and bully-free.
OR and its sister coalition organization, UVE, are reflecting my earliest convictions as an educator, dedicated
to opening the hearts of children, knowing that their minds will follow. I feel proud and increasingly hopeful
that, as each day passes, the minds and hearts of children will become healthier, more humane and more
knowledgeable. Knowing that OR has played a meaningful role in articulating and advancing this essential
shift in educational policy has become a great source of pride to me.
With my thanks for all your help and support,
Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D.
Chair, Board of Directors, Operation Respect
Senior Vice President
Research and Development
McGraw-Hill Education

Reviewing our last year’s accomplishments, I feel inspired and rejuvenated by the
work of Operation Respect (OR). No small factor in my continued devotion to the
work is OR’s remarkable staff and Board of Directors, as well as its many legions
of grass roots supporters everywhere. Of course, The McGraw-Hill Companies who
give us a home, a place to hang our hat, and much more, top my list as well.
This past year, within the broad educational community—mirroring the combined
perspective of the 42 educational organizations of the United Voices for
Education—the consensus is that children must be educated so that all of their developmental needs are
met: social, emotional and creative, as well as academic. Conversely, the consensus is that, if such an
educational approach—a perspective commonly referred to as whole child education—is not adopted, all
of our sincerest and most well intended efforts to improve student achievement will be destined to fail.
Additionally, it is widely recognized that a school environment plagued by fear and hostility is perhaps the
greatest enemy of student achievement. In turn, a hostile environment is a full stop sign on the path to
closing the achievement gap, an imperative goal for our country. So, for whole child education to work,
we must provide students a classroom climate that is civil, respectful, free of bullying, ridicule and other
forms of emotional and physical violence. At Operation Respect, we made this connection long ago, and
designated the creation of a nurturing, safe, school environment as our primary goal.
This annual report will give you a sense of OR’s latest achievements, ones that provide us with ongoing
evidence that we were right on target when we started. Our vision has been validated by some of our
sister organizations, many of whom have generously noted that they were inspired by our programs,
presentations and our advocacies.
This report highlights the extraordinary Tribute to Teachers honoring educators for nurturing the
development of the whole child. It features our work in sparking the United Voices for Education (UVE),
a coalition advocating for whole child policies and practices, which UVE has concluded will give America
the greatest chance to close the education gap and truly foster academic achievement. It also highlights
OR’s remarkable continuing contributions to our work by presenters and performers that include Steve
Seskin, Baby Jay, Christine Evans, and Bethany Yarrow & Rufus Cappadocia. And finally, it describes
deeper work in several New York City schools, helping to turn around these schools that have been
designated “persistently dangerous”: not only removing them from the list, but helping them to truly
transform their school climate.
Let me close by expressing my deep and sincere appreciation for your support. You are the key that
makes our magic happen. Just like Puff, who needs Jackie, we need your support for OR to do its magic.
Your support unlocks our capacity to make the difference we have made, and will continue to make, for
years to come.
I send you my deepest thanks and unabated enthusiasm, as always.
Peter Yarrow
President and Founder, Operation Respect

On September 6, 2007, through the efforts of
Operation Respect and the leadership of Peter Yarrow
and Dr. Charlotte Frank, the United Federation
of Teachers (UFT), America’s largest local union
of 140,000 educators, joined forces with the New
York City PBS flagship stations, WNET Channel
13, WLIW Channel 21, and Operation Respect to
produce a PBS special entitled “A Tribute to the
Teachers of America.”
Randi Weingarten, President of the UFT, saw an
opportunity to realize her vision for the production
of a special event that would honor teachers by
collaborating with Peter, who had produced many
public events for the social justice movements of
the past. With Dr. Charlotte Frank, Peter reached
out to Bill Baker, President of WNET/Thirteen, and
David Horn, senior producer at PBS’s Great Performances,
who produced the “Tribute” TV Special.
Peter rallied the participation of the performers,
who participated free of charge, and served as
Executive Producer. Jim Brown, who most recently
produced and directed the Peter Seeger “Power of
Song” documentary for PBS, became the director
of the “Tribute.”
Dr. Charlotte Frank secured New York’s iconic
Town Hall auditorium for the show’s taping before
a highly enthusiastic full house consisting of teachers
and their children. “Tribute” featured performances
by: Peter and Paul, of Peter, Paul and
Mary; Elmo, of Sesame Street fame; Odetta; Judy
Collins; Tom Paxton; Steve Seskin, co-writer of
the “Don’t Laugh At Me” song; Bethany Yarrow &
Rufus Cappadocia; and Operation Respect student
ambassadors, Baby Jay, a positive teen rapper,
and Christine Evans, a young Canadian pop singer
of songs of spirit.
Spoken presentations by celebrities, all known for
their advocacies in the educational arena, were
interspersed with the musical performances. Bill
Cosby, Cynthia Nixon, Kevin Clash, Elmo’s real-life
creator, and Tim McCarver, gave moving spoken
tributes to the special teachers who inspired them
and changed their lives in their early years. Their
testimonies, frequently greeted with emotional
and joyous ovations by the audience, reflected the
true and essential essence of the reason we honor
teachers; beyond the essential task of imparting
academic skills and knowledge, teachers impart
to students a sense of their own personal worth,
inspiring them and letting them know that they are
valued, loved, and occupy a meaningful place in
the school and larger community.
PHOTO OF RANDI WEINGARTEN AND A FORMER STUDENT, COURTESY OF ROBERT CORWIN

PHOTO FROM A TRIBUTE TO THE TEACHERS OF AMERICA, COURTESY OF MADDY MILLER
Rosie O’Donnell offered a particularly moving
tribute to her grade-school teacher, Evelyn Leiner,
whose love, concern and support gave Rosie the
strength and courage to cope with the tragically
early death of her mother. Evelyn Leiner devoted
herself to the care and shepherding of Rosie, her
sister and her brothers, enabling them to overcome
this devastatingly challenging period. Rosie
noted that all the O’Donnell children, because of
such care, went on to attend college and pursue
successful careers. Rosie closed her remarks with
a mention that what Evelyn Leiner did, even today,
never fails to bring a tear to her eye.
“Tribute” premiered in New York on WNET/Channel
13 in time for the opening of school in the Fall
of 2007 and was greeted by rave reviews from the
educational and television community. It aired in
seven major PBS markets and was slated for many
more broadcasts throughout the United States in
the following year.
Operation Respect will follow the broadcast of
“Tribute” with an in-school program that will be
offered free of charge, courtesy of The McGraw-
Hill Companies, to schools and educators in the
United States and beyond. To fulfill the vision
of “Tribute” as a TV special and an educational
tool designed to engender a spirit of appreciation
and respect in schools, OR will develop a Tribute
Teacher’s Guide for dissemination and implementation,
along with an extended school version of
the Tribute program on DVD in 2008. The Tribute
Teacher’s Guide will help practitioners further their
efforts to create a school environment that is
appreciative, not only of teachers, but of students,

administrators and other school employees and
staff. Ultimately the spirit of appreciation is
intended to extend to the community surrounding
the schools, affect attitudes and encourage civic
engagement by students with elected officials,
civic and local business leaders as well.
This project is unusual in that it will combine
public media with classroom curricula designed to
develop social and emotional skills and will constitute
a highly significant addition to the current
PHOTO OF KEVIN CLASH AND A FORMER TEACHER,
COURTESY OF ROBERT CORWIN
work of the “Don’t Laugh at Me” Program. Fundamental
to the premise of “Tribute” is the belief
that appreciation is, in many ways, correspondent
to, and can help foster, respect – which Operation
Respect regards as a main and fundamental pillar
of personal and societal health and civic strength.
To give educators the greatest flexibility in their
presentation of “Tribute,” the school version of the
Tribute DVD will be separated into program segments
to be chosen and combined in various ways
so that parents, teachers and other practitioners
can use the testimonials and songs that are appropriate
to the age, grade and subject being taught
and examined.
The Tribute Teacher Guide and DVD will be manufactured
and disseminated to educators throughout
the United States, and the world, free of
charge, through the generosity of The McGraw-Hill
Companies. Educators will be able to order and/
or download these materials through the Operation
Respect website in the Fall of 2008.
PHOTO OF PETER YARROW AND NOEL PAUL
STOOKEY,COURTESY OF ROBERT CORWIN

Throughout 2007, Operation Respect convened a
series of meetings of the United Voices for Education
(UVE), most frequently with UVE’s Steering
Committee in Washington, D.C., to develop
a strategic plan to guide UVE’s efforts, which are
designed to take advantage of its unique breadth
of membership and to focus on its stated purpose
to advance the “education of the whole child” in a
safe, respectful, bully-free atmosphere conducive
to learning.
The premise of whole child education is that education
needs to address all of the developmental
needs of children and youth, including their emotional
and social growth, so that academic learning
can take place in tandem with these other critical
areas. Problem solving and critical thinking as well
as essential growth in civic awareness and responsibility
are also fundamental support structures of
whole child education.
UVE’s goals, which are shared by Operation
Respect, are to:
> Affect policy change so that the educational
paradigm of America and beyond becomes
one of teaching the whole child, rather than
one of excessive focus on the academic side of
education. Policy change is pursued through
discussions and communication with policy
makers, elected officials, parents, students, the
business community, funders and educators at
all levels.
> Broaden the focus of schools, districts, and
federal and state education policymakers to
include positive accountability in regard to
schools’ obligation to foster the social and
emotional development of students and to create
and sustain a school climate that is safe,
respectful and bully-free, and thereby conducive
to learning.
> Use research, examples of best educational
practices and policies and model programs that
support the adoption of whole child education
to inform those who are engaged in the pursuit
of UVE’s agenda and who will also help UVE
serve as a clearinghouse for practitioners.
On July 30, 2007, Senator Tom Harkin addressed
the UVE general membership to lay the groundwork
for ongoing collaboration in areas of public policy
and practice that intersect with the advocacies

and objectives of UVE. Also at this meeting, Randi
Weingarten, President of the United Federation
of Teachers, addressed the membership regarding
the “Tribute to the Teachers of America” and
the national initiative being launched to elevate
the priority of education by honoring the teachers
of America for their remarkable commitment and
service to our children. UVE members expressed
their unanimous support for this initiative.
On October 31, 2007, the UVE leadership met
with Senator Edward Kennedy’s Senior Education
Policy Advisor, Roberto Rodriguez, and his staff
to discuss how UVE members may support Senator
Kennedy’s legislative agenda that intersects
with UVE’s objectives, and to create an avenue for
ongoing communication between the Senator and
the UVE Steering Committee. Roberto Rodriguez
and his colleagues were extremely open to working
with UVE and expressed interest in supporting the
Tribute to Teachers initiative as well.
As the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) will likely be postponed until after the next
national election, UVE has an extended opportunity
to influence amendments to the legislation
that will reformulate the United States education
policy. The UVE leadership is planning to reach out
to policy makers in 2008 in an effort to combat the
unintended consequences of NCLB including the
narrowing of the curriculum to exclude the arts,
the humanities, and the development of skills that
lead to the emotional and social well-being and
health of students and to shift the focus of NCLB
to reflect multiple measures of accountability beyond
literacy and numeracy.
In the Fall of 2007, Jared Polis, long-time supporter
of Operation Respect and Founder of the
Jared Polis Foundation in Boulder, Colorado,
provided funding for the licensing and adaptation
of the award winning Operation Respect Newspaper
in Education (NIE) materials to be utilized by
thousands of schools in the state of Colorado. The
Operation Respect NIE materials, developed in collaboration
with the News for Students Foundation
and The McClatchy Company, include a newspaper
supplement, student take-home materials
and a teacher guide designed to add richness to
the social and emotional development of children
in the areas of ethical awareness, independent
decision-making and civic engagement. The NIE
materials also aid in the development of literacy
skills, both in reading and writing.

Operation Respect worked with the News for
Students Foundation to adapt the NIE materials for
this Colorado initiative. The dissemination of these
materials will help to mobilize a statewide conference
of educators focused on creating safe, respectful
school climates, which Operation Respect
will begin to help organize in the Fall of 2008. The
broad objective of this conference will be to promote
the adoption of the whole child educational
model in Colorado and to demonstrate the success
of this educational approach in terms of creating a
more peaceful and harmonious student and school
population.
Operation Respect continues to produce and distribute
our e-newsletter to over 70,000 supporters
in our database. This effective form of communication
provides a synopsis of news of interest to our
community, and an opportunity to alert and mobilize
our constituents to pursue their work and avail
themselves of new strategies, research and professional
development opportunities. The feedback
we receive is extremely positive.
MARK WEISS AND STUDENTS FROM MS 399, BRONX, NY
In the Spring of 2007, the Office of School Intervention
and Development at the New York City
Department of Education engaged the services
of Operation Respect to partner with a team of
community-based organizations to provide training
around violence prevention, both emotional
and physical, regarding the targeting of students
due to their gender and/or sexual orientation. The
collaborative group of organizations participating
in this initiative included Operation Respect,
Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference
Institute, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
(GLSEN), Morningside Center for Teaching
Social Responsibility, and the Youth Enrichment
Services Program from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Community Center. This “Respect
for All” initiative was launched as part of the
Department of Education’s commitment to provide
all students with a safe and supportive school
environment. Operation Respect worked with the
consortium to offer a series of two-day professional
development workshops to teams of teachers,
counselors and other school support staff from
middle and high schools throughout New York City.
In the Fall of 2007, The Office of School Intervention
and Development at the New York City
Department of Education received a federal grant
to assist in the transformation of the climate of six
elementary and middle schools that were identified
as persistently dangerous. Operation Respect
was engaged to provide program services and staff
development to aide in school climate transformation
in each of these schools. The project began
October 1, 2007 and will conclude in March 2009.
In November 2007, Operation Respect conducted
needs assessments at five of the participating
schools and provided several introductory professional
development workshops and assembly
programs featuring Operation Respect’s student
ambassador, Baby Jay.
The skills of building respect identified in the Don’t
Laugh at Me Program (DLAM)—expressing feelings;
promoting caring, cooperation, and compassion;
fostering creative conflict resolution; and
understanding and celebrating diversity—are skills

that students need to combat bullying and build a
strong school community. In this project, Operation
Respect will work with educators in the selected
schools to make teaching social responsibility a
core practice so that young people develop the
positive attitudes, empathy and skills they need to
create respectful environments.
Operation Respect will provide the DLAM materials
along with concurrent student and staff development
sessions at each of the participating schools.
The primary venues for this project are in-school
classes and workshops with students and staff focusing
on: defining the problems; reviewing guidelines
for intervention, including teaching strategies
for targets and bystanders; implementing positive
discipline strategies; and developing a comprehensive
school-wide bullying prevention program.
Operation Respect will provide assembly programs
and parent workshops to engage the entire school
communities in this initiative.
Since its inception, Operation Respect has provided
over 150,000 copies of DLAM to educators
and administrators throughout the United States
and the world. In 2007, Operation Respect disseminated
12,000 copies of the program. Approximately
10,000 requests were processed through
the Operation Respect website and distributed free
of charge courtesy of the McGraw-Hill Companies.
The remaining 2,000 were disseminated through
the Operation Respect office, professional development
workshops, education associations and
conferences.
Operation Respect continues to offer professional
development workshops to provide educators with
the skills and confidence they need to launch
DLAM successfully in their schools and communities.
To date, over 40,000 educators have participated
in these workshops. In 2007, Operation Respect
trained over 1,000 educators in the United
States, Canada and Hong Kong to implement
DLAM in schools, summer camps and after-school
programs. Additionally, a select group of educators
in Hong Kong were chosen to participate in followup
training to give them the skills they need to
provide ongoing guidance and staff development
support for educators implementing the DLAM
program. Operation Respect also provided Respect
for All workshops for over 1,000 educators from
middle schools and high schools throughout New
York City.

Since Operation Respect’s inception, Peter Yarrow
and our team of speakers and performers
have addressed over 500,000 educators, parents,
students, policy makers and community members
throughout the world. In 2007, Operation Respect
offered 40 presentations to over 25,000 people
throughout the United States, Hong Kong, Canada,
Puerto Rico and Israel.
A highly talented and idealistically motivated
16-year-old Hispanic Houston-based “positive”
rapper, Jonathan “Baby Jay” Gutierrez, continues
to serve as a student ambassador for Operation
Respect. In 2006, Baby Jay adapted the lyrics of
“Don’t Laugh at Me” to create a hip-hop version of
the song, which has been extremely well received
by students and educators throughout the country.
In 2007, Baby Jay and Mark Weiss, Operation Respect’s
Education Director, provided a number of
assembly programs for schools in New York, Texas
and Michigan. These programs engaged students
and staff in a joint effort to create respectful school
climates.
CHRISTINE EVANS
Christine Evans, a 17-year-old Canadian recording
artist of national renown also serves as a student
ambassador for Operation Respect. In the Spring
of 2007, Christine produced a rock-and-roll version
of the “Don’t Laugh at Me” song and video.
Christine continues to share her positive messages
with young people and adults throughout the United
States and Canada. In October 2007, Christine
gave a presentation on behalf of Operation Respect
at a middle school student conference in
Sussex County, New Jersey and was extremely well
received.
BABAY JAY

In November 2007, Peter Yarrow gave a keynote
presentation at the National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference.
Educators in attendance articulated great
support and enthusiasm for incorporating the core
principles of DLAM in the education of pre-school
children. Discussions relating to pre-school education
alerted Operation Respect to the increasing
importance of creating a climate for young children
that is safe, respectful and bully-free at the earliest
ages of their development, thereby inculcating
habits and traditions of respect and civility prior to
their entry into elementary school.
To extend our reach to early childhood education,
Operation Respect is eager to do its part in addressing
the challenge of school violence, adding
its efforts to a growing movement to address the
emotional and social development of children with
the same priority that schools address and measure
students’ academic progress. Mark Ginsberg,
Executive Director of the NAEYC, expressed
interest in collaborating with Operation Respect
to develop a pre-school version of DLAM. We will
seek funding for this initiative in 2008.
In January 2007, Operation Respect’s Education
Director, Mark Weiss, and trainer, Lynne Hurdle-
Price, returned to Hong Kong for the fourth year
in a row to offer Don’t Laugh at Me professional
development workshops for hundreds of teachers
from local schools in Hong Kong. Mark and
Lynne also offered a training-of-trainers workshop,
provided follow up sessions for educators who
have been implementing the program, and gave a
presentation to educators, parents and community
members.
The Manpower Bureau of the Hong Kong Government,
the sponsor of these events, produced a
number of materials to support the ongoing implementation
of DLAM, including Chinese translations
of the DLAM elementary and middle school
program and a composite DVD that includes the
DLAM video and Operation Respect outreach
video with Chinese subtitles.
Following a request from the Israeli Ministry of
Education, Culture and Sport for permission to
translate the DLAM curricula into Hebrew and
implement the program in elementary and middle
schools in Israel, a bold vision has emerged.
Peter Yarrow has worked closely with Dr. Charlotte
Frank, Chair of the Operation Respect Board of
Directors, to lay the groundwork for the possible
dissemination and implementation of DLAM in
Israel, the West Bank and possibly Jordan and
Lebanon as well. A leadership group consisting of
key potential partners in the US and Israel, coalesced
by Peter and Charlotte, has been actively
strategizing ways to launch this effort. Doing so
involves the building of support in both the educa-

tional and governmental arenas, solidifying grass
roots support in the schools and communities being
considered, as well as raising funds for various
aspects of this project to cover costs of materials,
CDs, videos, an Arabic translation of DLAM, media
support and cultural outreach and, most costly
and most essential, professional development and
ongoing technical assistance. Dr. Alex Berenstein,
a long time supporter of Operation Respect, has
made a generous contribution to Operation Respect
to provide initial funding for this project.
In February 2007, Peter traveled to Israel with the
America-Israel Friendship League (AIFL) and a
delegation of Superintendents from various major
cities throughout the United States. The delegation
was led by Dr. Charlotte Frank and Dr. Gene
Carter, President of the Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and
had multiple objectives, including the objective,
for Peter and Charlotte, to evaluate the possibility
PHOTO OF LYNNE HURDLE-PRICE WITH ETTA SCHNEIDERMAN AND STUDENTS
FROM FLORAL PARK MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, FLORAL PARK, NY
of bringing DLAM to Israel through a series of site
visits to schools, and in meetings with educational
leaders throughout Israel, as well as Rabbi Michael
Melchior, member of the Israeli Knesset, who
holds a political position equivalent to Representative
George Miller, Chair of the Education Committee
of the United States House of Representatives.
Such investigation made it very clear that, though
the road to the implementation of DLAM would be
complex and perhaps difficult due to the financial
stresses in the educational system of Israel, if the
money for such an extension of the work of Operation
Respect is raised, the project is possible. On
the basis of gradual introduction of DLAM, over a
period of years, a real opportunity of great significance
exists. Such preliminary efforts are proceeding,
including the securing of funding and the
search for proper partners in Israel and the United
States.
Upon returning from his February trip to Israel,
Peter found that many who assessed reports of
that trip felt that a program such as DLAM, that
advances education of students in acceptance,
respect and non-violent conflict resolution, would
not only be of great value in Israel, but could also
be highly meaningful among children in the Palestinian
areas as well. Such activities shared in both
populations who, for decades, have exchanged
painful hostilities, might foster greater understanding
among members of the next generation. A
vision emerged to Peter that, one day, the implementation
of DLAM in both groups might build to
exchanges between children from “both sides”
based in the tools, particularly in music and the
arts, that are inherent in the DLAM programs.
Direct exchanges between Israeli and Palestinian
youth would potentially have a meaningful, positive
impact, particularly among those who are engaged
in efforts to find ways to reach across the historically
bitter divide between Israelis and Palestinians.

Responding to this call, Peter once again
traveled to Israel in March of 2007, this
time to explore the possibilities of implementing
DLAM in the West Bank in the
Palestinian community, as a complementary
effort to the planned outreach in Israel.
Through Peter’s connections to Landrum
Bolling, long time leader of Mercy Corps
and someone who is highly regarded by
all parties in the area, Peter visited with
Zougbhi Zoughbi, a community leader in
Bethlehem, who is Founder & Director of
the Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center,
“Wi’am.” Peter also met with leaders of
The Friends School, one of the most prestigious
schools in Ramallah, to discuss the
possibilities of a DLAM implementation at
their school. In both instances, the idea of
moving forward with DLAM was seen as a
great opportunity. Further contact leading
to on the ground implementation was seen
as possible within the next two years. This
effort was set in preliminary motion with
discussions of reaching out to the Palestinian
Refugee Camps in the West Bank and
Jordan as well.
In the Fall of 2007, Operation Respect
met with David Osher and Yael Kidron
at the American Institutes for Research
(AIR) to develop a plan to evaluate the
implementation of DLAM in Israel, as well
as the United States, in conjunction with
Ripple Effects, a company that provides
effective, scaleable, social learning software
solutions to improve school, work,
and student academic performance. AIR
is working closely with Operation Respect,
and in consultation with Ripple Effects,
to develop a proposal for funding for this
evaluation, which will be submitted to various
foundations interested in this area of
study.
> Create a Tribute Teacher’s Guide to accompany
the dissemination of the Tribute to the Teachers of
America DVD.
> Expand the work of the United Voices for Education
to facilitate and broaden our advocacy initiatives.
> Strengthen the capacity of partner organizations to
be effective advocates.
> Continue our collaboration with the Office of School
in Intervention and Development at the New York
City Department of Education.
> Organize a statewide conference in Colorado on
creating safe, respectful school climates.
> Extend the use of the Newspapers in Education
materials.
> Expand professional development opportunities for
educators.
> Broaden the dissemination of DLAM.
> Explore opportunities for DLAM implementation
internationally.
> Seek funding for an evaluation of DLAM to validate
the positive impact of the programs and to ascertain
ways to improve them.
> Seek funding for the development of a pre-school
version of DLAM.
> Continue to develop an effective Board with appropriate
skills, resources and diversity.

On February 21, 2007, Operation Respect lost a dear friend and colleague,
Mrs. Etta Schneiderman. Etta was a remarkable, spirited and dedicated
educator whose work made a positive impact on thousands of students’ lives.
Her motto was: “Just love every child” and she did just that! Throughout
her career as a math teacher at Floral Park Memorial High School in the
Sewanhaka School District in Long Island, New York, Etta served as advisor
to the Student Council where she and her students brought joy and unity to
the entire school community.
In 2003, she initiated an Operation Respect Program at her school, engaging our Education
Director, Mark Weiss, and consultant, Lynne Hurdle-Price, to train student council members to
become leaders in making Floral Park Memorial a more respectful and caring community. In
addition to this initiative at the high school, student leaders worked with educators to implement
the “Don’t Laugh at Me” Program in local elementary and middle schools. Etta was responsible
for the expansion of Operation Respect into other district schools in Long Island and coordinated
intra-district trainings for all of the students involved in the program.
Floral Park Memorial High School now serves as the prototype for Operation Respect high
school work. Participating students formed a leadership team that carries the message of respect
far and wide. The students’ t-shirts, which say “Operation Respect” and “SWAT - Students
Working to Advance Tolerance,” have become a symbol of safety for Floral Park students and
one of compassion for all of us. This is service learning at its highest level.
Etta Schneiderman was an extraordinary educator and friend. She will be sorely missed.

Operation Respect would like to thank The McGraw-Hill Companies
and Dr. Charlotte Frank, Senior Vice President of Research and
Development for McGraw-Hill Education, the educational division of the
Corporation, for their most generous support since Operation Respect’s
inception. Operation Respect would also like to thank Sue Pearsall, art
director at McGraw-Hill Construction for donating her time and talent to
design this annual report and The McGraw-Hill Companies for
underwriting the cost of printing.

Operation Respect depends on the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations and governments.
Many donors have contributed to make it possible for us to survive and thrive and increase
our effectiveness. Our thanks go out to each and every one of them. Thousands of classrooms are evolving
into safer and more respectful learning environments because of all who help us. We appreciate and
value your support, offered in so many ways, more than we can ever express.
$50,000+
Anonymous
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Polis Schutz Family Foundation
$25,000-$49,999
Alex Berenstein, MD
State Farm Companies Foundation
$10,000-$24,999
Gayle Dendinger, Cap Air Freight
The Engleberg Foundation
John and Dolores Eyler Fund
Irving Harris Foundation
$5,000-$9,999
The Glickenhaus Foundation
Lee Howard Hess and Irene Levine
Arthur and Leslie Nemitoff
Jared Polis
$2,500-$4,999
Gary and Laura Lauder Philanthropic Fund
Kohne O’Neill, LLC
Michael P. Miller
Mary Calder Rower
Fred and Lois Tarter
Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention
Peter Yarrow
$1,000-$2,499
Thomas Brown
John Cheevers
Daniel Cohen
The Courtside Charitable Foundation
Margaret Dukore and Gary Lisman
Leslie Fausset
Susan and Pete Friedes
Paula Gamache and Serge Nivelle
Charles Touhey and Alice Green
Roy and Sandra Hoffman
The Human Rights Project
Michelle Jourdak
Daniel Kanter
Dan Kinney
Victor Kovner
Sanford and Priscilla McDonnell
The Monkey and the Rat, Inc.
Alexander Nerska
The Susan Scott Foundation
Steven Shelov, Maimonides Medical Center
Carolyn Specht, CHS Business Consultants, Inc.
Eric Vigen
Chad and Gail Wick
Howard Wolpe
Michael Wood
$500-$999
Peter Alexander
Marjorie Benton
Nicholas Binkley
Avery S. Cohen
Howard and Alexandra Cohen
Fairfield Theatre Company, Inc.
Ellen and Mark Genender
Colleen Goldsack
Karl and Anna Grom
Lesley Heller
Lawrence and Karen Heppen
Donald and Nancy Hubert
Joseph and Barbara Hunt
Imowitz Koenig & Co, LLP
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Jim Brown Productions, LLC
Linda Kurtz
Elliot and Marcia Lepler
Robert and Carol Lifton
MSR Advisors, Inc.
Nassau Tract Teacher Center
Paul and Christine Nussbaum
David and Sarah Orleans
Dr. Suzanne Pasch
Rye Presbyterian Church
Paulann Sheets
Jeffrey Silberman
Smolin, Lupin & Co.

$500-$999 cont.
Ten Speed Press
Pam and Bruce Wexler
Lloyd and Marcey Winawer
Phyllis Winstral-Miller
$250-$499
Jonathan Bridge
Joyce and Matthews Calvin
Scott and Heather Clark
Robert Corrigan
Michael Douglas
Family Management Corporation
Janet Fiorenza
Charlotte Frank
James and Melinda Gallagher
Jean and John House
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Arthur E. and Susan M. Luman
Brent A. and Sara E. Nestor
The News & Observer
Susan and Harry Newton
Rodger and Candy Popkin
Roberts & Ritholtz, LLP
Strategic Media Group, LLC
Gayle Tauber
Ann Fulk Walker
Anna and Helen Zurawinsky
$100-$249
Barbara Adolphe
Helen Avakian
Lisa Bennett
Marvin and Judy Berkowitz
Heather Booth
Herbert and Shirley Bridge
David and Susan Jo Burwen
Barbara Byrd-Bennett
W. Todd Coffin
George and Marla Coleman
Thomas Cook
Natalie Coon
Chic and Kay Dambach
Disc Graphics, Inc.
Joseph Eldridge
Floral Park Sunshine Fund
Laura Gallagher and Keith Kambourian
Milton Glaser
Walmer and Jennifer Gordon-Tennant
Nancy Haneman
Robert and Geraldine Haynes
Leon Henry, Jr.
Amy Isaacs
Wendy Jennis and Doug Mishkin
Julie Beth Jouben
Charlotte Kea
Steven Kaplan, MD
Mark and Carole R. Kaufmann
Susan Kaufmann and Alan Lewis
Nancy Kridel
Alan and Margaret Kulczewski
Dennis Larsen
Marie and Larry Lowenstein
Bea Lieberman
Frank and Jacqueline McHugh
Michael Marasco
Murugappan Murugappan
Alan Neigher, Esq.
Julia O’Keeffe
Nancy and John O’Reilly
Robert Pash
Edward and Barbara Paulinski
Sarah Pictor
Robert Porter
Harold and Marlene Richman
Suzanne and Irwin Rosenthal
Honey Sacks
Benita Sakin
David Saperstein
Teresa Scannell
Larry and Judith Sheingold
Julie Sheppard
David and Susan Shi
Jeff and Yvonne Stave
Matthew Stedman
Nancy Steed
Susan Stroud
Temple Israel of Northern Westchester Keren Ami Fund
Lisa and Edward Walsh
Warren M. Gildersleeve, Inc.
James and Lori Weddell
$50-$99
Joseph Abessinio
Margaret Barton-Ross
Marcia and Robert Becker
Carlyle and Suzanne Brakensiek
Harold and Rebecca Carlson
Carolyn Cort
Robert and Louise DeCormier
Diana Dokken
Michael Forment
Nicole Goldberg
Janet Groomer
H. Frank Carey High School, Mathematics Department
Cindy Hagg

Rebecca Harmon
Amy Hemstad
Linda Ishiguro
Robin and Laurence Kahwaty
James LaBella
Thomas and Patricia Mancuso
Mary Jo and Lewis Marggraff
Donna Martin
Brenda Mills
Everett Moore, Jr.
Jan Moser
Edward Rosenthal
Roberta Roth and Bill Newell
Melvin and Gloria Rothstein
Ruth Sarfaty-Miller
Deborah Shore
Barbara Weldon Sims
David Smith and Suzanne Bessette-Smith
Linda Titolo
Eve Wasserman
Wendy Weiler
Rita and Raymond Wolkind
$25-$49
Elysabeth Alessi
Joanne Bergbom
Walter and Marguerite Bloch
Dorothy and Stuart Blumner
Robin Bossert
Kellie and Donald Brown
Judith Cohen and Adam Wittenstein
Gerald and Beryl Cyrus
J.P. Deegan
Virginia Dinonno
Melissa Letteri Federico
Bert and Marjorie Feldstein
Carol Rubin Gardner
Susan Glatman and family
Michael and Marisa Gonzalez
H. Frank Carey High School, Foreign Languages Department
David and Barbara Halpert
Herricks Middle School Sunshine Fund
Richard and Jane Hoskins
Doris Kirsch
Marcy Laredo, Susan Porter, and Maryanna Wymbs
Long Island Network of Teachers Center
Marcia Nadler
Risa Nelson
O! Communications
Gail and Paul Rung
Karen Schulz
Marla Strich
Neville Williams
Dr. Glen and Bobbie Zelkind
Under $25
Chris Anderson
Estee Bardanashvili
Andrew and Cindy Barnes
Anne Brewer
Albert and Mindanila Chu
Thomas and Elaine Dupree
Bill Ford
Margaret Inman
Rebecca Jonas
Myron Jones
William and Jeannette Ann List
Martha and Donald Mentzer
Charles and Heather Miller
John Mitrano and Robbin Smith
Paula Newman
Vivian Petillo
Judith Shapiro
Walter and Virginia Strucinski
Joe and Marsha Tolbert
Charles and Barbara Tuson
Russell and Linda Vona
Alice Waco
The Wayne Mertes Company
Patricia White
In Kind Goods and Services
Tony Arancio
Beth Bradford
Davis Wright Tremaine
Goldstein Golub and Kessler LLP
Rachel Jackson
Charlotte Kea
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Loeb & Loeb LLP
The McGraw-Hill Companies
C.J. Prentiss
Stanley Schneider
Gloria Smith
ViewCentral
Ann Walker
Lisa Walsh
Chad Wick
Peter Yarrow
Special Thanks to:
Dr. Charlotte K. Frank
The McGraw-Hill Companies

December 31, 2007 2006
ASSETS
Cash $214,273 $207,376
Contributions Receivable $111,341 $38,607
Other Receivables $61,170 $3,490
Investments $1,061 $528
Computer Equipment, net of accumulated
depreciation of $27,103 and $23,497 respectively $4,339 $3,344
Total Assets $392,184 $253,345
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Liabilities–accounts payable and accrued expenses $30,284 $10,376
Net Assets:
Unrestricted $247,344 $166,125
Temporarily restricted $114,556 $76,844
Total Net Assets $361,900 $242,969
Total Liabilities and Net Assets $392,184 $253,345
The Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Activities on the following page were derived
from the 2007 financial statements audited by our independent accountants, West, Rhode and Roberts.
A copy of the audited financial statements and form 990 for 2007 are available upon request.

Year ended December 31, 2007 2006
REVENUES AND SUPPORT
Contributions
Summarized
Comparative
Temporarily
Information
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Individuals $75,237 $73,275 $148,512 $112,749
Foundations and corporations $272,787 $14,437 $287,224 $62,770
Contributed goods and services $410,258 — $410,258 $639,738
Total contributions $758,282 $87,712 $845,994 $815,257
Educational workshops and
performance fees $142,233 — $142,233 $161,468
License Fees — — — $8,920
Special events $14,718 $14,718 $694
Interest $5,463 — $5,463 $5,134
Net assets released from restrictions,
satisfaction of program restrictions $50,000 ($50,000) — —
Total Revenue $970,696 $37,712 $1,008,408 $991,473
EXPENSES AND LOSSES
Program services $685,121 — $685,121 $750,726
Management and general $161,120 — $161,120 $236,226
Fundraising $43,236 — $43,236 $38,348
Total Expenses $889,477 — $889,477 $1,025,300
Change in Net Assets $81,219 $37,712 $118,931 ($33,827)
Net Assets at begininning of year $166,125 $76,844 $242,969 $276,796
Net Assets at End of Year $247,344 $114,556 $361,900 $242,969

STAFF
Peter Yarrow, Founder and President
Mark Weiss, Education Director
Elizabeth Kolodny, Program Director
Debbie Benson, Office Manager (January-August)
Kristen H. Sensenig, Office Manager (September-December)
Maryam Williams, Office Assistant (June-December)
TRAINERS
Dr. Loucrecia Collins, Associate Professor,
University of Alabama
Javier Francisco Diaz, Consultant
Larry Dieringer, Executive Director,
Educators for Social Responsibility
Jane Harrison, Senior Program Associate,
Educators for Social Responsibility
Lynne Hurdle-Price, President, Hurdle-Price Professionals
Linda Lantieri, Director, Project Renewal
Barry Lee, Consultant
Dr. Janet Patti, Professor, Hunter College
PRESENTERS
Christine Evans
Jonathan “Baby Jay” Gutierrez
Steve Seskin
Bethany Yarrow and Rufus Cappadocia
Peter Yarrow

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dolores Eyler, Co-owner, Rye Record and
Marketing Director, Performance Plus
Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D., Chair, Senior Vice President,
Research and Development, McGraw-Hill Education
Charlotte Kea, Senior Consultant, The Whelan Group, Inc.
Victor Kovner, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Michael P. Miller, Treasurer, former Chair,
Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Benefit Fund
Suzanne H. Pasch, Ph.D., Founding Director,
Center for Scholarship and Research, Wheelock College
C.J. Prentiss, Special Advisor to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
for Closing the Achievement Gap
Steve Seskin, Singer/Songwriter
Gloria Smith, Philanthropist
Richard Stoff, President, Ohio Business Roundtable
Noel Paul Stookey, Peter, Paul and Mary
Ann Walker, Associate Executive Director, National
Association of Elementary School Principals, Retired
Chad Wick, President and CEO, KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Peter Yarrow, President and Founder, Operation Respect
BOARD OF ADVISORS
The Honorable Max Cleland, former (D-GA)
United States Senate
The Honorable Elton Gallegly, (R-CA) United States
House of Representatives
The Honorable James Jeffords, former (I-VT)
United States Senate
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lieutenant
Governor of Maryland, and OR President Emeritus
Vincent Lawrence, former Vice-President,
Music & Educational Technology, MacMillan/McGraw-Hill
Art Linkletter
The Honorable Howard Metzenbaum,
former (D-OH) United States Senate
The Honorable Richard Riley,
former Secretary of Education, Clinton Administration

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dolores Eyler, Co-owner, Rye Record and
Marketing Director, Performance Plus
Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D., Chair, Senior Vice President,
Research and Development, McGraw-Hill Education
Charlotte Kea, Senior Consultant, The Whelan Group, Inc.
Victor Kovner, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Michael P. Miller, Treasurer, former Chair,
Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Benefit Fund
Suzanne H. Pasch, Ph.D., Founding Director,
Center for Scholarship and Research, Wheelock College
C.J. Prentiss, Special Advisor to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
for Closing the Achievement Gap
Steve Seskin, Singer/Songwriter
Gloria Smith, Philanthropist
Richard Stoff, President, Ohio Business Roundtable
Noel Paul Stookey, Peter, Paul and Mary
Ann Walker, Associate Executive Director, National
Association of Elementary School Principals, Retired
Chad Wick, President and CEO, KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Peter Yarrow, President and Founder, Operation Respect
BOARD OF ADVISORS
The Honorable Max Cleland, former (D-GA)
United States Senate
The Honorable Elton Gallegly, (R-CA) United States
House of Representatives
The Honorable James Jeffords, former (I-VT)
United States Senate
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lieutenant
Governor of Maryland, and OR President Emeritus
Vincent Lawrence, former Vice-President,
Music & Educational Technology, MacMillan/McGraw-Hill
Art Linkletter
The Honorable Howard Metzenbaum,
former (D-OH) United States Senate
The Honorable Richard Riley,
former Secretary of Education, Clinton Administration

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dolores Eyler, Co-owner, Rye Record and
Marketing Director, Performance Plus
Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D., Chair, Senior Vice President,
Research and Development, McGraw-Hill Education
Charlotte Kea, Senior Consultant, The Whelan Group, Inc.
Victor Kovner, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Michael P. Miller, Treasurer, former Chair,
Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Benefit Fund
Suzanne H. Pasch, Ph.D., Founding Director,
Center for Scholarship and Research, Wheelock College
C.J. Prentiss, Special Advisor to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
for Closing the Achievement Gap
Steve Seskin, Singer/Songwriter
Gloria Smith, Philanthropist
Richard Stoff, President, Ohio Business Roundtable
Noel Paul Stookey, Peter, Paul and Mary
Ann Walker, Associate Executive Director, National
Association of Elementary School Principals, Retired
Chad Wick, President and CEO, KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Peter Yarrow, President and Founder, Operation Respect
BOARD OF ADVISORS
The Honorable Max Cleland, former (D-GA)
United States Senate
The Honorable Elton Gallegly, (R-CA) United States
House of Representatives
The Honorable James Jeffords, former (I-VT)
United States Senate
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lieutenant
Governor of Maryland, and OR President Emeritus
Vincent Lawrence, former Vice-President,
Music & Educational Technology, MacMillan/McGraw-Hill
Art Linkletter
The Honorable Howard Metzenbaum,
former (D-OH) United States Senate
The Honorable Richard Riley,
former Secretary of Education, Clinton Administration

Operation Respect is a public charity under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the
Internal Revenue Code. Our 2007 Form 990 is available upon request.
Operation Respect
2 Penn Plaza, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10121
212/904-5243
fax: 212/904-3618
info@operationrespect.org
www.operationrespect.org