Drug Informative
What Happened to “D.A.R.E.”?
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) used to be a program every school had during the 90’s and early 2000’s. This program came through elementary and middle schools making sure that children knew about the risks of drugs. They also advocated against tobacco use and even brought a smoker’s lung for children to look at. It’s mission is to have, “A world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance abuse, and other dangerous behaviors.”
Around 2007, the D.A.R.E. program lost a lot of it’s momentum and wasn’t seen in schools anymore. This left kids more vulnerable to being exposed to drugs and other influences that they might not know about. They could be much more easily informed if only there were a way…
Now There Is “Not My Child”
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Coast State College decided to put together a program called “Not My Child”. This event was held Saturday, April 28th, at 9AM to inform parents and children about the dangers of drugs. There was also be a presentation to inform about on line dangers for kids and the dangers of addiction. Gulf Coast State College is hoping to make this an annual event for the people of Bay County.
“It’s a crisis that’s facing our nation. We have more people dying from opioid abuse than car accidents and we need to strike that.” Says Ann Wing who works for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.
The opioid epidemic is widespread. There are many resources available to help people prevent addiction and to recover. Speakers discussed the effects of drugs on the brain, drug trends, and on line safety to their audience. After guest speakers, a panel of professionals were available to answer any questions.
“It can happen at any age so no matter who it happens to in your family that you may think it’s happening to, find out how you can cope better, find out how you can address it, find out how you can get them help.” Says public information officer Ruth Corely.
Homeschooling in Bay County
Many school districts have seen an increase of interest in home schooling. In Bay County, the increase hasn’t shown just in the past few months but in the last five years.
Alisa Coffey is a former teacher with 10 years of experience. Now she teaches four out of her five children in her own home. She began to home school when her oldest, Hannah, had trouble focusing in class.
“Halfway into the semester she called us crying in the bathroom. [And] She had been having some issues with teachers and they had like four math teachers that year.” Says Coffey, “Little did I know she was dealing with a lot of other things; bullying, death threats.” Coffey says. She is not the only one who has opted to begin homeschooling.
“The biggest thing for me was curriculum and having a choice over what they heard and what they read the things we taught them. We wanted to give them biblical values and that just wasn’t offered in the school.” Says Director of the Fellowship of Christian Teaching Homes.
Concerns?
According to a Department of Education study, 91% of parents list “concern about the environment” as a top reason for homeschooling. That was followed with the desire to “provide moral instruction” and “dissatisfaction with academic instruction.” Could the main reason be the recent violence at schools? With bullying and school shootings, that is an idea. But what about schools in lower poverty areas that are exposed to drugs? This could be a factor.
“There’s not a week that goes by that somebody doesn’t enroll in home school.” Says Bay Virtual School Principal and Home School Coordinator Shelly Rouse.
As of end of April 2018, 1,183 bay district school students have been enrolled in home school. Ninety-four are home schooled part-time, taking additional on line classes. 202 take on line classes full-time. Bay Virtual School Principal and Home School Coordinator for the district, Shelly Rouse, said they’ve seen a steady increase in recent years.
“The socialization piece is always a big concern for parents. They want to make sure their kids don’t feel isolated so [these] groups are a great way to try and meet that need, church groups; those sorts of things.” Says Rouse, “It really does require a lot of work and organization on the part of the parents if they are going to do right by their students.”
“…I don’t want people to feel shamed by how they mother and parent their children. [Because] It just has to work for your family and home schooling works for us.” she finalized.
Bay District Schools said they’ve seen a 25% increase in home school enrollment within the last five years. They see an increase in interest at the beginning and end of the year and between semesters.
Sources
http://www.mypanhandle.com/news/not-my-child-to-educate-parents/1146228139
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meagan Stone
Student Author - Spring 2018
Senior at GCSC pursuing a Bachelors in Applied Science in Digital Media. With over 5 years professional experience in graphic arts, I hope to someday bring my skills overseas.
