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Bullying has been a problem in schools for generations, but the easy access to students granted by the internet and cell phones has broadened the problem exponentially. Case in point: 15-year old Phoebe Prince committed suicide in January of this year because classmates bullied her in person, through social networking sites like Facebook, and with threatening texts sent to her cell phone.

The opportunity for cyber-bullying and traditional bullying may be getting larger, but the public outcry is also increasing as the media is bringing more of these high profile cases to attention.

The U.S. Department of Education responded to the bullying problem this year by hosting the first ever anti-bullying summit in Washington D.C. this month. According to a report at , the goal of the summit was to "engage governmental and non-governmental partners in crafting a national strategy to reduce and end bullying." The summit was headed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan and attended by many professional educators who want to put a stop to this destructive behavior once and for all.

This brief video from the Mormon Channel illustrates bullying in clear terms.

How Prevalent is Bullying?

In opening remarks at the summit, as reported by the , Duncan presented some of the following statistics:

• Just three years ago, nearly one in every three middle and high school students said they were bullied

Most kids approach summer vacation with gusto, filled with plans to enjoy the summer months without giving school a second thought. However, some parents and educators worry about what children won't be doing over the summer – such as math and reading activities that keep their minds sharp and ready to hit the ground running when school arrives again.

Summer learning loss is a very real phenomenon that has been documented by many reputable education and health care organizations. Fortunately, parents have options to prevent summer learning loss, ensuring their children are ready to hit the books again in the fall.

This video offers some ways to prevent summer learning loss.

What is Summer Learning Loss?

Summer learning loss is a phenomenon that occurs when children are out of the school environment for a significant period of time. During that absence, children can lose some of the skills they gained during the previous school year, particularly in the areas of math and reading.

According to an article on , facts about learning loss, as studied by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Summer Learning, include:

• Students suffer from learning loss when they do not participate in educational activities during the summer.
• Students lose an average of about 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in math computation skills over the summer.
• Low-income students suffer from greater learning loss than those students in higher-income

Every parent believes his child is the smartest in the class, but what happens when you really do have a kid who is head-and-shoulders above the rest academically? Most teachers and parents believe that to adequately challenge these children, there must be accelerated programs to accommodate them. Hence, the gifted and talented program was born.

Children who belonged in this upper echelon were usually identified in the schools, by the teachers who worked with them every day. However, many parents also got quite busy behind the scenes, ensuring their children met the requirements for special programs that would increase their odds of success later in life. In fact, numerous children are receiving preparation for gifted and talented programs long before their feet even touch the hallowed halls of academia.

Track for Success

According to an article in , many residents of the Big Apple are whipping their children into academic shape as early as their preschool years. The competition for the limited number of slots in selective elementary schools across the city has led parents into a frenzy of preparation shortly after children learn to walk and talk. It is not unusual for parents to hire tutors and test their children's IQs long before enrolling them in New York schools.

Because the competition at many of these stellar schools is so stiff, few will look at children who

It may seem that your child has barely graduated from cut and paste projects in school before reading and math facts take center stage in their education. Suddenly, you find yourself opening books every night, listening to your child sound out words, and helping them understand the stories they are studying. Does your effort really matter in the overall academic success of your child?

It turns out that the time you spend reading with your kids might have a much greater impact on their life success than you realize. According to a new report published by the , "Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters," your child's reading proficiency by third grade has a direct correlation to his success in high school and beyond. The study found a link between those students reading below the proficient range in third grade and the likelihood they would graduate from high school.

This webinar discusses the critical importance of developing students into proficient readers during the early years of childhood education.

Low Income = Low Proficiency

One of the most startling aspects of the study is the low proficiency rates among low-income students. Many of the children who are not able to read well by third grade end up dropping out of high school, thus directly impacting their ability to raise themselves above the poverty

Tragic bullying cases like Phoebe Prince’s story have prompted public schools to review their responsibility in preventing bullying, both on and off-campus. With the rise of social networking, cyberbullying has become a real threat, and schools are scrambling to manage the ramifications of 2.0 bullying.

According to the , cyberbullying can be defined as, "willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices." The First Amendment Center cites statistics that show one-third of teens on the Internet have experienced harassment online. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dub electronic aggression as an "emerging adolescent health issue."

This video from the PACER Center offers resources for students and teachers.

Clearly, there is no doubt that cyberbullying has become a major problem in recent years, but the question then becomes: what should public schools do about it? It does not appear to be a question with an easy answer if one considers the differing responses to the problem by public schools and the government.

On one hand, when cyberbullying affects a child's educational experience, the schools have a responsibility to put a stop to the behavior. On the other hand, much of the cyberbullying that occurs takes place outside of school, leaving schools helpless in monitoring such activity. Then, there is the first amendment guarantee of free speech. Where do we draw