MIAMI-DADE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD TAKES ON
ISSUES CAPTURING RECENT GLOBAL HEADLINES

MIAMI – Miami-Dade County School Board Members considered a number of issues Wednesday that have been in the headlines ranging from the death of Pope John Paul II to the abuse of anabolic steroids.

Board Members passed a resolution recognizing the pontiff, who was laid to rest last week, as an internationally revered spiritual leader and social reformer.  “He was the embodiment of character, leadership, and morality,” stated the resolution offered by Board Member Marta Pérez.

In other business, the Board asked the District to begin training teachers on ways to educate students about the dangers of steroid use and to pursue partnerships with local professional sports franchises to campaign against young people’s use of the performance-enhancing drugs.

The proposal authored by Board President Frank J. Bolaños quoted a National Institute of Drug Abuse report, which found that about three in 100 middle and high school students have used anabolic steroids despite health risks ranging from liver disease to depression.

The Board also endorsed April 17 through 23, 2005, as Bullying Awareness Week.  The week coincides with the anniversary of the 1999 attacks at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.  School Board Member Evelyn Langlieb Greer authored the Board agenda item.

Red ribbons again will be the order of the week from April 25 through 29, 2005, as the District once again marks HIV/AIDS Awareness Week.  The proposal offered by Board Vice Chair Robert B. Ingram calls on schools to undertake activities ranging from essay and poster contests to research into the biology and social implications of the disease.

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