www.newrivervalley.com

Shortly after reading the story in today's paper about Roanoke students discussing what Barack Obama should focus on, I ran across this.

It's a report on at least one school district in Colorado that asked its teachers to stay mum on politics, and steer from supporting candidates' campaigns.

It made me think about all the times I saw Montgomery school board members Penny Franklin and Phyllis Albritton sporting Obama badges and the number of mock elections held at schools across the valley. Teachers I talked to there said the election was, and will continue to be, a teaching tool for them.

And, I suspect,  with the inaguration coming right after the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday  (as a friend pointed out) and Black History Month the following month, lessons will abound.

What do you think? Teachers, what discussions or lessons are you having in class? Parents, what does the election mean for dinner time topics?

In my inbox this morning is an e-mail from the Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension about school bullying.

This comes on the heels of a story in the Current last week about Montgomery County's approach, Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and a visit from presenter Jay Banks.

The extension's take? Talk to kids, whether they are the bullies or the bullied. And, don't encourage retaliation.

Here's what they have say:

"One of the most important things a parent can do to address bullying is to talk to their child about the issue, regardless of whether they think he or she is the victim of bullying or exhibiting bullying behavior," said Crystal Tyler-Mackey, a community viability specialist in Extension's Southeast District. "Most schools have a bullying policy, and parents need to familiarize themselves with their child's school policy on the matter."

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A program in Denver is aimed at involving parents more in their child's education.

The Mile High Parent Campaign would ask parents track the amount of time they spend helping their children, and exactly what they do

The goal is at 30 minutes a day. Lots of folks have research that shows that students perform better in school when parents help them.

What types of things do you do with your children, and how do you think the school systems here could help enhance parent involvement in and outside of school?