Fed grants awarded to begin addressing bullying and safe schools
The U.S. Department of Education announced Oct. 5 the awarding of $38.8 million in grants to 11 states from a new Safe and Supportive School program. The timing comes just days after a media blitz about the suicides of six teenagers, at least four of whom were bullied for being gay or being perceived as gay. But anybody who knows Washington knows Tuesday’s grants weren’t made in reaction to the recent news.
"It would be inaccurate to say we’re doing this as a response to recent events," said Kevin Jennings, Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) at the U.S. Department of Education.
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Jennings, in an interview, said Education Secretary Arne Duncan has also been long aware that "bullying and harassment are first and foremost an education issue," because he understands kids will not want to be in school if they are bullied and harassed.
Jennings points to Duncan’s hiring of him for the safe schools position as proof of the Secretary’s commitment, and notes that Duncan met with GLSEN student leaders even before that.
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