Talk about timeliness. Last week's column, "Responding to a Trio of Tragedies," was followed by three more incidents this week: a principal held hostage, resulting in his school going into lockdown; a 13-year-old boy committing suicide in the Bronx; and a report that two-thirds of all middle school students say they have been bullied. In each case, there was no outlet for rage. It is incumbent on us to prevent anger from escalating to that point. This week, I will examine a number of the anti-bullying programs that are proliferating in the schools, from the elementary to even the college levels. more

They may not be making decisions about health care or how to better the economy, but members of the Wheeler Avenue School student council are still trying to make a difference. more

District 24 had surplus funds more than three times the limit allowed by law, according to the New York state comptroller’s office. A state audit was released last week recommending a dozen ways for the district to improve its financial practices. more

District 30 did not always follow its own policy when securing professional services, a New York state comptroller’s audit revealed. However, the district has taken steps to fix the problem. more

After debating the student parking policy for the past few weeks, the Central High School District Board of Education decided at its Nov. 10 meeting to change the policy and prohibit students from leaving campus in their cars. more

Saul Lerner, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District athletic director, recently resigned his post as coordinator of the Nassau County Boys' Basketball Committee because, he said, the Section VIII Athletic Council rejected a proposal of his to fine-tune the seeding process that ultimately determines teams' playing schedules. In 2006, Lerner was the architect of an ability-grouping system that determined a team's conference by its record. Previously, teams were assigned to conferences without much regard to their records. Rather, officials used what they called the "snake," in which teams were seeded and then laid out on a grid that wound back and forth in serpentine fashion. more

Planning a superintendent’s conference day is a lot like planning a wedding, says Linda Roth, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in District 13. There are many groups of people to prepare for and the planning process must start at least a year in advance. more

Several dozen parents, teachers, staff members and construction experts volunteered their time last Saturday to build a new playground at the James A. Dever School in Valley Stream District 13. more

About 50 high school students came to the Nov. 3 Valley Stream school board committee meeting to try to persuade the board to continue letting them leave campus in their cars during lunch periods. more

Willow Road School held its annual Wonderwalk on Oct. 30. Students, teachers, staff and parents walked through the neighborhood in their Halloween costumes. more