Schools, Schools And More Schools

With all the student suicides as a result of bullying the U.S. Department of Education sent out a letter reminding schools that they must provide a space learning environment.

Dept of Ed warns schools: Tolerating ethnic, sexual bullying is violation of federal law
CHRISTINE ARMARIO Associated Press Writer
October 25, 2010

The U.S. Department of Education is warning schools: Tolerating or failing to adequately address ethnic, sexual or gender-based harassment could put them in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.

After several high-profile cases of bullying, the department is sending letters to schools, colleges and universities across the country on Tuesday, reminding them of their federal obligations.
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The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has issued similar guidance letters to educators in the past. But this is the first time the agency is addressing all statutes, not just those protecting against gender or sexual offenses, and in the context of bullying and harassment, Ali said.

The letter also clarifies protections for students of religious groups and gay and lesbian individuals.

While the laws the OCR enforces do not protect against harassment based on religious or sexual orientation, there are protections for students from religious groups that share ancestry or ethnic characteristics, as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students based on gender stereotypes.

In March the Department of Justice stepped into a bullying case in the Mohawk Central School District in New York for not protecting a student against bullying. Maybe now schools will start getting the message that it can cost them money if they don’t protect their students.

In Connecticut a report on the achievement gap in schools, what they found was an eye opener. The achievement gap does not depend upon school system, but rather on income levels. The states richest school systems have the widest gaps.

Ed group says Conn. should close performance gap
Associated Press
Associated Press Writer
October 19, 2010

HARTFORD, Conn. —
Improved early childhood education, student curricula, and accountability among educators are among a list of recommendations put forth by a state-appointed education committee Tuesday to help reduce the academic performance gap between Connecticut's low-income students and their peers.

The Connecticut Commission on Educational Achievement said the state has the highest achievement gap in the nation but maintained that if the group's proposals were implemented the state would close the gap within ten years.

"Connecticut students on a whole do quite well nationally, but if you dig below the numbers and look at how the low-income group does versus the non-low income group, there's where the most work needs to be done," said Steven Simmons, the commission chairman.

On an interview on NPR the committee chair said that they found a cycle of low achievement, low-income families produced low achievers, which resulted in lower incomes for the children. They found that children from low-income families had only a vocabulary of about 3000 words while middle and upper income children had a 40,000 to 50,000 word vocabulary.

Meanwhile out in Arkansas a Midland School Board member said this on Facebook…

"Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves," the posting reads. "The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin."

He has since resigned from the Board.