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Run, don't walk, to the February edition of the Phi Delta Kappan. First, there is a truly gripping interview (PDF) with Kevin Jennings, who directs the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools at the U.S. Department of Education. Jennings describes how his childhood experiences with bullying in school have shaped his life's work.

He also calls for "standards around school climate" as well as "a data system so parents know what kind of environment a kid will encounter in a school":

But I do know that what gets measured is what gets done. Over time, it will force this issue onto the agenda. There will always be a role for grassroots activism. What the government can do is to push those ideas along a little faster.

I’m hearing loud and clear from people at the grassroots that they need help with this issue. We can’t just crank out standardized tests and expect that will make our schools better. We have to look at everything that a child needs to succeed.

If they’re sitting in the classroom and they’re hungry, they’re not going to learn. If they’re sitting in that classroom and they’re terrified about what will happen when they try to walk home that afternoon, they’re not going to learn.

This month's Kappan also includes a piece on the initiative to develop a common core of state K-12 standards in mathematics and English language arts. (We at the Alliance have gone on the record to support this initiative.) In the Kappan article, Vicki Phillips and Carina Wong of the Gates Foundation give one of the most detailed reviews of the project you'll find anywhere.