July 15, 2007

ParentInfo, July 15, 2007

Last Updated on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 at 5:01 AM

In this issue:

*Education Commissioner Update

*The Harry Potter Phenomenon

*What’s in a (School) Name?

*Kids Are Worth It! Conference

The Kentucky Board of Education has reopened the search for a new Kentucky education commissioner. The decision came during a special-called board meeting on Saturday.

The board agreed to ask Deputy Commissioner Kevin Noland to continue serving as interim education commissioner on a temporary basis. The board will seek another, more long-term interim commissioner to serve while the search for an individual to fill the permanent position is in progress. A call for applicants for the permanent position will be posted on the Kentucky Department of Education’s Web site.

The board’s action came one day after Illinois educator Barbara Erwin declined the position of education commissioner. She cited overwhelming and acute scrutiny as the reason for withdrawing. The board named Erwin its top candidate for the job in April. Today was to have been her first official day on the job.

The Harry Potter Phenomenon

Love it or hate it, say what you will about the Harry Potter phenomenon: It is being credited, at least in part, with more kids reading and more teenagers buying books than they have in decades.

Another factor contributing to bigger teen book sales is simple demographics. Today’s teens are right in the middle of the generation known as the Millennials. It’s a group with numbers even larger than the 78-million people of the Baby Boomer generation.

Fordham University Marketing Professor and Industry Analyst Albert Greco says United States book sales aimed at those ages 12 to 18 increased 23 percent between 1999 and 2005. Publishers are finally recognizing the spending power of teens and their influence in the marketplace.

But with the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, on July 21, the question is, will kids keep reading?

According to those in the know, the answer is YES!

While Harry and his magical ways might have triggered the latest reading craze among youngsters, those kids are growing up, and now they’re taking on new genres. Spencer Holley, past president of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), says, “Teens are going to want their books to kick it up a notch — fantasy is here to stay, but teen readers want romance and a more supernatural element.”

In the event you would like to check out popular teen books or guide your son or daughter to do so, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) provides an online resource page listing award-winning books and recommended reading for teens.

What’s in a (School) Name?

Move over Abraham Lincoln Elementary…make way for Windy Hill Primary.

A new report by the Manhattan Institute shows that across America fewer new schools are being named after historical leaders. Instead, more school boards are choosing geographic or nature-based names. Take Florida for example. Of almost 3,000 schools there, five honor George Washington, while 11 are named after manatees, 54 after palm trees and 91 after wooded areas.

Nationwide, fewer than five percent of public schools are named after a president. Lincoln is the most popular (674) followed by Washington (558) and Jefferson (480).

It was originally thought naming a school after a historical figure not only honored that person but also connected students to civic ideals and institutions.

Just in case you’re curious, last year ten Kentucky schools bore the moniker of our 16th president. That seems only fitting since Kentucky is the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. In 2006, six Kentucky schools carried the name “Jefferson” and three were named “Washington.”

“What we name our schools reflects and shapes our values—and part of the civic mission of public education is to provide future citizens with models of civic behavior they can imitate and learn from,” says lead study author Jay Greene.

Just a little food for thought and fodder for water-cooler conversations.

Kids Are Worth It! Conference

Individuals interested in preventing the abuse and neglect of children and improving the safety, well-being and permanency for children and families are invited to attend the 11^th annual Kids Are Worth It! Conference. The conference will be held September 5-7 at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel in Lexington. Among the topics for discussion are: Internet crimes against children, the challenges of work and life in general and resiliency in children.

For more information and to register, contact Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky. The phone number is: (859) 225-8879 or 800-CHILDREN.

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Website links in this issue:

Education Commissioner Update

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/HomePageRepository/News+Room/Current+Press+Releases+and+Advisories/07-056.htm

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/HomePageRepository/News+Room/Current+Press+Releases+and+Advisories/07-054.htm

The Harry Potter Phenomenon