Governor Signs the Kentucky Safe Schools Week Proclamation

Governor Steve Beshear signed the Kentucky Safe Schools Proclamation today and officially proclaimed October 18-24, 2009, Kentucky Safe Schools Week. Witnesses to this auspicious event were students from Woodford County Schools representing over 670,000 students from across the Commonwealth.  Jon Akers, Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) said, “Kentucky teachers and administrators make every effort to create caring environments for their students throughout the Commonwealth, but there is much that can still be done.”

The theme for Kentucky Safe Schools Week (October 18-24) will be “Follow the Golden Rule, Be Safe Online and at School”, coinciding with last year’s passing of House Bill 91 or “The Golden Rule Act”, a prohibition against bullying, harassment and other forms of intimidation--including cyber bullying via the Internet.  The use of the current legislation and data derived from our web analysis tools, Kentucky Safe Schools Week 2009-2010 will focus on Strategies to Combat Bullying with an emphasis on Cyber Bullying.

This week long observance will be used, in part, to bring together all Kentuckians in a concerted effort to improve school climate and thus the educational process. “The KCSS offers our support as a collaborative partner to the schools and citizens of the Commonwealth,” said Akers, “to come together to create community-wide events that focus on bullying and cyberbullying awareness and  prevention during Kentucky Safe Schools Week.”

Involving youth in prevention efforts is vital to changing culture and managing bullying and cyberbullying in our schools and communities. The KCSS continues to provide an interactive “Online Pledge Against Bullying” and this year will introduce our new “Online Pledge Against Cyberbullying”.  An array of resources focused on school safety, with lesson plans and activities for students, parents, educators and the whole community are available on line at  www.kysafeschools.org. 

This state observance complements the national campaign. The Kentucky “Follow the Golden Rule, Be Safe Online and at School!” campaign is sponsored by the KCSS. America’s Safe Schools Week is sponsored by the National School Safety Center. “People realize now is the time to join together to insure the safety and well-being of our children, and to provide quality education for the future leaders of our country,” said Akers.