Madison Elementary School Principal Arlene Roblan doesn't allow any dissing in her school.

In fact, respect and dignity to all has been the cornerstone in education for her, the staff she works with and their students for years.

It's paid off. Now Roblan personally is being recognized for her emphasis on dignity in schools. This afternoon, she is to be presented the Human Dignity Award by The Human Rights Advocates of Coos County.

"She sets the climate for respecting all people no matter what race, color, gender or religion," said Carl Siminow, a board member for the nonprofit group that has existed for about 15 years.

This is the group's first dignity award, he said, and it is to honor Roblan's many accomplishments at Madison.

The award was created to honor those in the community who may otherwise go unrecognized for the good works they do. The Human Rights Advocates of Coos County's mission is to educate the community on mainly local human rights issues, including increasing the minimum wage, implementing a bullying prevention program in local schools, and helping support PFLAG - Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - said Lilah Bidwell, a member of the group since its inception.

"She goes out of her way to help the low-income and disadvantaged students by showing them the respect they need, and empowering all the students that they can make a difference at home and in their community," Siminow said.

During a recent interview, Roblan, 56, shied away from basking in the limelight, and preferred to share the spotlight with those whom she has worked with over the years.

"It's not about me," she said. "It's about what we do at Madison. It's a concerted effort there. The staff there is amazing. Whether it's the teachers, the educational assistants, the janitors or the cooks. It's about: 'How can we help? How can we help make access to education easier?'"

Roblan's penchant for championing human rights was born during the civil rights and women's rights movements of the 1960s. She remembers people being treated unfairly based on their gender, skin color or socio-economic standing.

"I grew up in the time of Martin Luther King. So seeing the terrible things happen then was really profound for me," Roblan said. "Every person deserves respect and dignity. That's the only way to make the world better."

It stands to reason then, that one of the great evils she seeks to combat is prejudice - the stereotyping of entire groups of people, often based on a single negative experience with one member of a group.

To that end, the day begins for Madison's students with the recitation of a school creed, that serves as a constant reminder of how students should expect to be treated - and how they should treat others.

"At Madison we show respect, practice safety and act responsibly," Roblan said, reciting the creed students sometimes say multiple times each day - after the Pledge of Allegiance and before school assemblies.

Roblan called the creed the backbone of positive behavior at Madison, yet she knows students aren't always perfect, and that the creed is broken from time to time.

So, Roblan also is a disciplinarian whom, she said, tries to be approachable, honest and fair.

"When you did this, do you think that made the person feel tall, strong and important, or small, unimportant and insignificant and that what they had to say didn't even matter? If you make them feel insignificant, that diminishes all of us," Roblan said, mimicking a typical conversation in the principal's office.

When a student is ushered into her office, she said the first question she asks is whether the student broke a part of the creed.

"We need to get to the truth. They leave my office hopefully with something that they can grow from - not thinking they have created something that isn't fixable," she said. After all, "part of learning is making mistakes. They are trying to figure out how the world works - what the boundaries are ... how to interact ... how to contribute and have their needs met."

By nurturing a climate of respect and dignity for all, Roblan hopes to instill a sense of optimism within her students, so nothing stands in their way.

"It opens doors for people," Roblan said. "When you act in the opposite way, the doors are closed to you - now and in the future."

Bidwell, who retired from the Coos Bay School District in 1988, spent 21 years teaching students with special needs.

She always noticed Roblan's remarkable abilities with students and other staff members. The climate around Roblan was palpably different, Bidwell said - and to great effect.

"When you see a school with a climate of respect, you know a lot more learning is going to go on," Bidwell said.

And even though Madison is known as one of the more difficult Coos Bay schools to teach in, Bidwell said, teachers flock there anyway - to work with Roblan and her staff.

Gail Mueller, a first-grade teacher, couldn't be happier with how Roblan treats students and staff.

"She makes everyone feel like they have worth," Mueller said. "I just know that she really works hard to make the school a very caring community. She makes parents feel welcome and respected and the same with the children," Mueller said.

Roblan has been the principal at Madison for three years. Prior to that she was the principal at the former Charleston Elementary school and an assistant principal for one year at Sunset Middle School. She has taught in the Coos Bay School District for 17 years.