Blog

Mental Health and School Shootings

It is always a tragedy when there is a school shooting, even in the most recent case in Dekalb County where no one was injured. There are a few things that strike me about the incident. One is that there was a history of violence and mental health issues in Michael Brandon Hill’s past. And secondly, the security measures that had been implemented in the school since the Sandy Hook incident were completely ineffective.

The gunman in this case, like the one at Sandy Hook, was not a student at the school and this incident was not about retribution against teachers or fellow students as in the incident at Columbine. But that does not change the fact that the mental health of these individuals was not identified or treated effectively by the system that they both participated in growing up. At Pride Surveys, some of our time is spent working closely with institutions of mental health and education to gauge substance abuse, violence and many other elements that contribute to overall mental health and student achievement through student surveys. These type of services may or may not have had any effect on Hill, but I assume if there had been a system in place to identify and provide treatment for him in the first place, this incident may have never happened. The same goes for the incidents at Sandy Hook and Columbine.

$120 Million in New Funding for School Districts

Aug. 9, 2013 Another round of funding is making its way from the feds to districts around the country. The USDE has released another round of funding for districts interested in Race to the Top Funding. There is $120 million in funding that will be awarded in grants ranging from $4m to $30m dollars depending […]

Seattle trip recap NCJFCJ

Some of the highlights of the conference included getting to learn about the issues surrounding military families and the trauma associated with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as getting a clearer picture of the need for systematic data collection to inform Judges of the circumstances surrounding each child, which can vary greatly from one to the next.

Students Behind Bars, Juvenile Justice

July 12, 2013 Hello again, I’m headed out to Seattle this week for the NCJFCJ (National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges) conference to get a closer look at some of the challenges that law enforcement and youth are facing together. In honor of the conference I would like to talk about some research […]

Why Anonymous Surveys?

July 5, 2013 Hi, Everyone: Happy 4th of July weekend! I hope you are all planning on having a safe and enjoyable weekend! I would like to comment this week on the importance of anonymous student surveys. I bring this up is because I read a story recently about a teacher that was disciplined for […]

Positive School Climate is Key

Testimony from David Osher on February 27, 2013, at the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee Hearing on “Protecting Students and Teachers: A Discussion on School Safety” offers insight into some of the issues that are important to school safety and the creation of positive learning environments.

3 Education Bills, Take your pick

“Education is the key to success in this country. It has the ability to transform an individual’s life and give them opportunities above and beyond the generations that came before them. Every American should have a chance at an outstanding, well-rounded education.” – Senator Tom Harkin Jun 14, 2013 Hi Folks, Ed week came out […]

Cyber-Bullying Victims are at a Higher Risk

Jun 7, 2013 Hi Everyone, I missed my post last week but this is my chance to make it up a bit. There are a few new trends in problem behaviors that seem to be more damaging than others. One that is of particular interest to me, because of it’s relation to technology and […]

Capitol Hill Briefing

May 23, 2013 Hi, Everyone – Last week was a busy one for us up in Bowling Green, KY. You may or may not know that we are located in 2 places, Bowling Green and Atlanta, GA. Here in Atlanta we love our time up in Bowling Green, there’s just a bit of culture shock […]

Prev 1 … 17 18 19 20 Next