D's World

What do you do when you get the call that you have lost another student to this vicious demon called opioids?  I learned through tragedy how to move a community and share my experience with other school districts, community leaders, parents, and students.  Below is an excerpt from ASCD  Districts Vow to Not Lose One More Kid , where I shared a part of my experience. Slow-Moving Disaster If administrators "think it's not in their schools, they're foolish," warns Conley. In Fekaris's own suburban high school, two student-athletes became addicted to opioids following sports injuries.   "I always thought of myself as a rather 'with it' administrator as far as being in tune with kids," says Ember Conley, superintendent of Park City School District. Although the crisis was on her radar to some extent, she was unaware of how easy it is for students to access opioids like prescription painkillers and synthetics. Last fall, two best friends attending...