2012 April Advocate Homepage

Tipping point
Attitudes toward bullying are shifting, according to Kevin Jennings, who headed the Obama administration’s anti-bullying efforts. While more people no longer look on it as a rite of passage, bullying is still prevalent in schools and must be addressed, he told the inaugural gathering of the Bullying Prevention
Symposium.

Raising awareness
When it comes to bullying, one of the most victimized groups is targeted for their real or perceived sexual orientation. Attendees at one of the Bullying Prevention Symposium’s breakout sessions heard some frightening statistics for these students and about efforts to protect them.

High(er) profile
More school board members than ever have been putting their mouth where their district’s money is, actively seeking out their state legislators to lobby on education issues, particularly funding. They are KSBA’s secret weapon in Frankfort.

      Send lawmakers back to school

Psyche first, academics second
Therapeutic is a word you might associate with a medical practice or even a spa. An alternative school for middle and high schoolers does not come to mind. However, that’s the way the program at Hardin County’s Brown Alternative Center is described in a new approach that began this school year.

Traffic issues
Traffic is becoming a problem at schools around the state – in the classroom. As learning increasingly moves to the Internet and schools and students introduce more personal computing devices (smart phones, laptops and tablets) to the classroom, bandwidth is becoming a precious commodity. The Kentucky Department of Education is looking for solutions.

Operation Preparation