School Board Recognition Month

Radio Commentary

        January has been proclaimed California School Board Recognition Month by the state board of education.
In extending its wholehearted appreciation to the dedicated individuals who serve on local school boards, the state board cited several aspects of service.
It acknowledged that an excellent public education system is vital to the quality of life for all California communities.
It pointed out that school board members are locally elected to provide educational leadership and respond to the needs of their communities based on local conditions.
The proclamation cited the fact that school boards are the voice of their communities, serving the interests of students and preparing them for the future.  

It acknowledged that school board members must deal with complex educational and social issues and that they are dedicated to upholding public education policies and principles.  

It also proclaimed that school board members deserve recognition and thanks for their countless hours of service to the students of California’s public schools.

The California public school system is the largest and most diverse in the nation, serving more than 6.2 million students.  

For this reason, the state board joined the entire educational community in encouraging all Californians to thank school board members for all they do for our children and their education.

I invite our community to do the same.

Stemming gun violence for the safety of our children

"Stemming gun violence for the safety of our children"
by Bill Cirone


http://horacemannleague.blogspot.com/2013/01/stemming-gun-violence-for-safety-of-our.html?utm_source=HML+Postings+for+January+7%2C+2013&utm_campaign=hml&utm_medium=email

Stemming the violence

By Bill Cirone, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools

Newspaper Column

Wounds remain raw after the horrific tragedy that struck Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. As President Obama said at the memorial service, we have been through this too many times as a nation. We have to change. We have to protect our children. 

Columnist Nicholas Kristof asked a very telling question in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy: Why can’t we regulate guns as seriously as we do cars? 

“The fundamental reason kids are dying in massacres like this one is not that we have lunatics or criminals — all countries have them — but that we suffer from a political failure to regulate guns,” he wrote.

The National Rifle Association asked for an armed guard at every school in the nation, but there was an armed guard on duty at Columbine High School during that tragedy, and the armed guards that abounded at Ford Hood were unable to avert the mass murder that occurred there a few short years ago as well.

For the sake of our children, people from all parts of our society are now asking for reasonable restrictions on assault weapons, and better controls on who has access to ownership.

Wrote former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough, an ardent gun supporter: “… The ideologies of my past career are no longer relevant to the future that I want for my children. Friday changed everything ... We all must demand that Washington's old way of doing business is no longer acceptable. Entertainment moguls don't have an absolute right to glorify murder while spreading mayhem in young minds across America. And our Bill of Rights does not guarantee gun manufacturers the absolute right to sell military-style, high-caliber, semi-automatic combat assault rifles with high-capacity magazines to whoever … they want. It is time for Congress to put children before deadly dogmas,” he said.

Kristof urged that we treat firearms as the center of a public health crisis that claims one life every 20 minutes.

He pointed out that in school buildings nationwide building codes govern stairways and windows. School buses have to pass safety standards and those who drive them need to pass tests. We regulate school cafeteria food for safety. “The only thing we seem lax about are the things most likely to kill,” he said. There are five pages of regulations regarding ladders, which kill about 300 people each year in this country. Guns kill 30,000 Americans each year.

“What do we make of the contrast between heroic teachers who stand up to a gunman and … politicians who won’t stand up to the N.R.A.?” he asked.

Kristof wrote that as a life-long gun owner he knows that guns are fun. But so are cars, and we accept that we have to wear seatbelts, use headlights at night, and fill out registration forms. Our driving backgrounds are checked when we seek a license, and we mandate air bags, child seats, and crash safety standards. We have limited licenses for young drivers and curbed the use of cell phones while driving. In doing so, we have reduced traffic fatality rates by nearly 90 percent since the 1950s.

Some argue that restrictions won’t make a difference because crazy people or criminals will always be able to get a gun. And they will. We won’t ever be able to eliminate gun deaths all together, just like laws governing cars will never eliminate car accidents. But reducing gun deaths even by one-third would mean 10,000 lives saved each year. 

Here’s another sobering statistic Kristof cites: “More Americans die in gun homicides and suicides in six months than have died in the last 25 years in every terrorist attack and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.” Read that one again.

Kristof said that many of us are alive today because of sensible auto safety laws. “If we don’t treat guns in the same serious way, some of you and some of your children will die because of our failure,” he wrote.

Now is the time to take a stand for the safety of our children and our families. We need to initiate discussions that lead to serious policy changes. As another famous quote dictates: “If not us, who? If not now, when?” As a new year begins, it is a good time to turn a new page on this wrenching problem.

Violent games can prove deadly

By Bill Cirone, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools

Newspaper Column

This time of year we often write about the harmful effects that can be caused by allowing children to play with violent video games or toys. In light of the horrific shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the need to pay attention becomes even more urgent.  

Violent games do not necessarily cause violent behavior. But they set a context and provide tacit approval for violent thoughts and actions. Also, by making such purchases we are all supporting a culture of violence that is no longer tolerable.

When buying gifts for children this holiday season, then, it’s worth noting that many of today’s computer games and toys are shockingly violent and the messages sent to those who play them can make a cumulative difference over time.

We know that children learn through play and they absorb values by mirroring what they see and hear. When we give a child a violent game, computer game, or toy, we’re saying it’s OK to play that way, and that those activities are acceptable. There is a subtle message being sent — and one that is reinforced at every turn in the news — that violence is “out there,” and it’s OK to fantasize about it.

It’s absolutely not OK for children to fantasize about violence, especially at the personal level. We should make that message clear to young people as early as we can.

We live in a media-saturated world and those media messages are filled with violence. This is a big departure from earlier generations. Many of us played with violent toys, but it was easier to separate that play from reality because the movies we watched, the books and newspapers we read, were gentler and more innocent than the current fare. Play and fantasy were clearly separated from reality.

That’s not true today. Cartoons, reality shows, and computer games seem to blend with informational shows or news. We have become numbed to tragedy and suffering. Sometimes it has even been glorified. We hope that the tragedy in Connecticut begins to change that culture, but we all need to do our part.

We know the pressures our children exert on us when there’s a game or toy they really want. Especially around holiday time, we want to give children gifts that will make them happy.

But when movies, computer games, television programs, DVDs, and even the morning newspaper and evening news are filled with messages of violence, it becomes more difficult to separate the fantasy messages from those of the real world. Our children can become numb to human suffering simply because news of it surrounds them at every turn.

As parents and relatives, we send messages to our children through everything we do, and —whether we mean to or not — through the games and toys we give. If we really hope to achieve a safer, more civil world, we must start small and early, acting on the values we wish to reinforce. Actions always speak louder than words, and giving violent toys and games can counteract what we say to our children about kindness and compassion.

There are plenty of great games and toys available. When it comes to the violent ones, it’s really best for our children if we simply look for something else. That conclusion is becoming more and more self-evident. Let’s all do our part to start counteracting the culture of violence.

Eating stress in children

Radio Commentary

Here are some good tips for lessening stress in your family.

First, show affection! Let your children know you love them. Hug them often.

Build your children’s self-esteem. Listen to their needs and help them develop their own problem-solving skills.

Encourage their interests and abilities. Treat them as individuals with their own special qualities.

Give your children some of your undivided attention every day.

Give them a chance to talk about both the happy AND the stressful events in their lives.

Some every-day concerns that can cause stress for children are school pressures, alienation, and the demands that they succeed at everything — school, sports, music, dancing, or other lessons.

Show your children you understand their concerns and take them seriously.

Have weekly family meetings to discuss family activities, routines, and problems.

Give everyone a chance to speak and don’t allow angry or negative feedback. Work at problem-solving rather than confrontation.

Use humor or empathy — not orders, anger, or sarcasm — when asking your children to do something for you.

These seem like small steps but they can really make a big difference.

Wipe the slate clean

Radio Commentary

Here's a great tip for parents who want to help their children do better with school starting back up: begin the new year with a clean slate.

Simply erase anything bad that has happened up to this point.

If your children have faced challenges with studying or doing schoolwork, and if that has been a source of conflict, take time out to sign a “peace treaty” or at least a “cease fire.”

Have both parties agree to allow those memories to fade away into the past and start fresh.

It might make sense to meet your child's teacher and ask him or her to do the same thing.

Coming at a challenge from a different perspective, or without a lot of baggage, can lead to better performance and increased motivation.

Children, like adults, must learn to let go of negative thoughts or experiences and start over with new enthusiasm and a can-do attitude.

There is a feeling of renewal that comes from letting go of previous difficulties, and making peace with the challenges that have to be faced. 

It helps create an attitude that makes real progress possible in the future. 

Post holiday stress

Radio Commentary

            Few times of the year match the winter holidays for the sheer joy and excitement felt by young people. 

            Children tend to get excited by the special presents, food, and even the change of schedule from the everyday routine.

            Then it’s all over. The post-holiday letdown can sometimes escalate into post-holiday stress among young and old alike. 

If this seems to be the case with your own children, encourage them to talk about their feelings. Give them a chance to draw or write about what might be troubling them.

            Reassure them that these feelings are normal for everyone. 

            You should not be surprised if children exhibit some regressive or aggressive behavior. Try not to get alarmed or overly critical if it does appear.

            Remember that this type of behavior is a normal reaction following periods of great excitement. 

            With your love and support your children will do just fine.

            In fact, it is often a very important lesson to learn that life has peaks and valleys in terms of excitement and happiness. Things can’t always be perfect or thrilling.

            It’s both the ups and the downs that lend texture to life, and ultimate wisdom. It’s a hard lesson for children to learn, but an important one.

Scholarship Series

Colette Hadley