CHARLOTTE – Students around Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are learning this week about how to spot bullying and stop it.

It's part of the district's new bullying prevention initiative.

According to CMS data, one in four middle school students say they've been bullied or harassed at school in the last year. In high school, it's one in five students.

"Every student has the right to come to school and focus on learning and when kids are being bullied they can't do that," CMS Superintendent Dr. Peter Gorman said.

Kiersten Hargett knows that first-hand. CMS rewarded the seventh grader for speaking up in class about a comment that could have been considered bullying.

"It's not right and you shouldn't joke about it," Hargett, a Northeast Middle School student, said.

School board members adopted the district's controversial anti-bullying policy in March, which protects students of all race, gender and sexual orientation. The policy also states that "bullying, or tolerance of bullying by teachers and administrators, is not permitted."

Mark Clucas, who said his kindergarten student has been picked on by classmates, said the policy won't do much if it isn't implemented well.

"It will only work if it gets worked," Clucas said. "Putting a plan together is wonderful, whether everyone is going to follow that plan is another story."