New DJJ Commissioner Talks To Lawmakers About Budget

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The harsh realities of the new year’s budget woes continue to sink in for Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) brass. Newly appointed Commissioner Amy Howell has formally shared the governor’s budget recommendations with members of the House and Senate appropriations committee. In a 20-minute budget hearings presentation Wednesday Howell, a former DJJ deputy commissioner, outlined the agency’s structure, highlighted challenges that further revenue slashes could impose and emphasized the critical role that legislative support would play in helping the agency continue to fulfill its mission. In his first state-of the-state address last week, new Governor Nathan Deal proposed cutting all agency budgets by four percent on average during the rest of the fiscal year ending in June and another seven percent during fiscal 2012. “We’re very cognizant of the incredible difficult economic times that the state is facing and we know that these difficulties are across the board for all agencies,” says DJJ spokeswoman Scheree Moore.

Homeless in Georgia: New Plan to Count Homeless Young People

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More people in Georgia are homeless, including families and young people. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports 20,360 people in Georgia had no home in 2009, up 7% from the year before.  Even more alarming is the number of people doubling up, or living with friends or family because of economic hardship:  272,305 people. That’s right- more than a quarter million of your friends and neighbors have doubled up in Georgia, and that number is 10% higher than the year before. The Alliance reports there are also 728 homeless young people who’ve aged out of foster care and are on the streets alone.

Random Drug Testing for 6th Graders

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Children as young as 11 face random drug testing in Belvidere, New Jersey, and the news has people talking across the country. The Board of Education approved the plan for Oxford Street School on Wednesday, and apparently many parents support the idea, even though no drug or alcohol abuse has ever been reported there. The program is voluntary  - both parents and children must sign up.  If a child tests positive for drugs, he or she will get counseling.  School officials promise no suspensions and no police reports.  Principal Sandra Szabocsik  thinks it will be a deterrent, telling WCBS-TV, "We're hoping that the students, if they're at a party or someone's house or just hanging out somewhere, that they'll say 'I don't want to get involved in drinking or using any drug because tomorrow could be a drug testing day,”

Random drug testing in schools is nothing new.

DJJ Escapes Draconian Budget Cuts, But Still Faces New Belt Tightening

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Governor Nathan Deal’s first State of the State address is making headlines for his promise to end teacher furloughs, prioritize K-12 education, and rescue HOPE scholarships.  A close reading of his new budget plans should also give the 4,200 employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice a little breathing room, but not much. As we reported last week, the agency has already lost more than 20% of its funding in the last 3 years, and doing more with less.  While the cutting continues, it won’t be as severe as it might have been.  Here are the numbers for both the amended 2011 budget and the 2012 budget:

The amended FY2011 budget calls for 4% in reductions, totaling $10.5 Million. Eleven full time positions will be sliced agency wide, but nine of those are currently vacant. Youth Detention Centers face about $3.3Million in cuts, including:

Hiring freeze to save $1.25 Million.

Blueprint for Turning Schools Around Fast

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Dramatic and comprehensive change is the key to improving school performance, according to a new research paper. The School Turnaround Group at Mass Insight Education says bold strategies are the only way to narrow the achievement gap for low-income and minority students. This advice comes as school systems across the country are applying for the next round of Title 1 School Improvement Grants this year.  Researchers recommend that money should only fund bold and truly different programs. They discourage funding for schools that are using the same old strategies that contributed to their decline in the first place.  Some other recommendations:

Think Big
Relentlessly enforce accountability for student achievement
Encourage school districts to use partners in bold and innovative ways
Create district level strategies
Communicate with families

Teen Sex and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Truth or Consequences

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What teens say about their sex lives may not always be true and could jeopardize their health. Researchers have found inconsistencies between self-reported behaviors and laboratory-confirmed STD results. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health surveyed more than 14,000 young people about their sexual activity. After completing the survey, they all submitted a urine sample to researchers. The results are astounding.

Need Help Getting Your Message Out to Kids? Enter This Contest

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Child advocacy groups are always looking for new ways to make it clear to kids how laws and public policies affect them. A unique effort debuted last fall called I Got Arrested, Now What?, which explains the workings of the juvenile justice system by following a fictional teen through his experience. It’s in comic book form and unfolds like a poster. The Center for Urban Pedagogy is ready to help other organizations that work with kids to create and produce their own messages. The Center’s Making Policy Public project wants to match advocates with graphic designers who will help them create illustrative posters to simplify complicated policies for kids.

Red Flags Point to Heaping Trouble for Teen School Shooter

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New details are coming out about the 17-year-old high school senior who shot his principal and vice-principal yesterday in Omaha. A number of red flags apparently point to trouble brewing in Robert Butler, Jr.'s life, beginning with his transfer to a large city high school.  He had recently moved in with his father, an Omaha police officer, after living for years with his mother, according to the Omaha World-Herald.  Butler was unhappy with the move and struggled to find a place in his new school. A sequence of events yesterday morning led to the shooting.

If You’re A Social Justice Change-Maker Check Out This Grant

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If you’re a change-maker in your community and under 40 years old, there’s a $100,000 prize that may have your name on it. Grinnell College, a private liberal arts school in Iowa (yes, Iowa…keep reading), is offering $100,000 to people who’ve shown “creativity, commitment and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change.”

What’s the prize? You could win $50,000 and another $50,000 for the organization of your choice. As many as three people a year can win the Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize. As long as you were under 40 on January 1, you can apply.