School board member: How I was bullied at school
This was written by Dana Smith, of Waddington, N.Y. ,a member of the St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services and a member of the board of directors of the New York State School Boards Association.
By Dana Smith
Bullying is, obviously, a problem in our nation’s schools. Sometimes it leads to suicides or lawsuits, and that ends up making headlines.Bullying can also coast under the radar of adults in the form of social ostracizing, taunting and catty postings on the Internet.
Bullying can and does happen in cafeterias, auditoriums, gymnasiums and school recreation areas. It can happen during chorus rehearsal, extracurricular activities and even advanced placement classes.
D.C.’s new sex ed standardized test: Fodder for a Jon Stewart skit
I can just imagine the skit Jon Stewart and his crew at The Daily Show will put together on this: D.C. schools officials have written the nation’s first statewide standardized test on sex education, drug use and health.
Yes, indeed, according to this story by my colleague Bill Turque, there will be 50 questions and the test will be given for the first time in April 2012 to kids in fifth, eighth and tenth grades, along with the regular standardized tests in math and reading and other traditional academic subjects that are part of the city’s accountability system.
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