Idaho No. 1 in notorious category

As another school year gets close, the financial site WalletHub examined school systems nationwide. Why would a finance group care about school quality? According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned 68 percent more in 2015 than those with only a high school diploma. As education grows, risk of unemployment shrinks, which boosts the economy as well as workers and family income.

Using national statistics in 17 categories — ranging from student-teacher ratios and test scores to bullying and dropout rates — WalletHub found states with the best school systems are mostly concentrated in the East. The top 10 in order are Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont (lowest pupil-teacher ratio; the worst is in California), Wisconsin (safest; fewest threats with weapons), New Hampshire, Virginia, Maine, Delaware, and Minnesota.

The 10 worst are Alabama, Oregon, Nevada, West Virginia, Mississippi, D.C., Arizona, Alaska, New Mexico, and in last place, Louisiana. Idaho generally ranked close to middle: 33 overall out of 51, similar to its “school system quality” (mostly performance-based) rank of 34, and “school system safety” (incidence of discipline, threats, incarcerations, and bullying) rank of 31. Neighboring Washington did a bit better; 26 overall, 30 for quality, and a high 12 for safety.

One area stood out for Idaho: cyber bullying. We lead the nation in this shameful category. Despite its overall low ranking, the District of Columbia has the lowest percentage of electronic bullying at 7.9 percent. That’s about 270 percent lower than the highest rate — Idaho’s — which is 21.1 percent.

Electronic bullying, or cyber bullying, is essentially social cruelty by electronic means, such as email, instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Bullying can be threats, humiliation, harassment, or embarrassment. It’s so much easier to bully someone through a computer than face-to-face, but it hurts no less. It’s also easier to get away with it, and hide behind a screen name. The National Institutes of Health calls e-bullying “a problem of significant magnitude,” especially given the increasingly electronic nature of the world in which young people live.

Local districts have been working on bullying in general and perhaps with some success, but it’s difficult for schools to combat what happens out of sight, and what happens at home, where some learn such behaviors. Experts at the U.S. Department of Health have suggestions, beginning with assessment and awareness campaigns which involve parents as much as students and staff. School computers are not private, and can be monitored or checked. Clearly posted and expressed rules of civility in classrooms, lunchrooms, and gyms; official policies and a code of conduct, such as those adopted by local districts, are recommended.

Perhaps most important for prevention is building a culture of safety, an environment of trust and inclusion. Rewarding those who model inclusive behavior, respect for others of all varieties, and kindness; monitoring “hot spots” and areas where currently no supervision exists. A tone of mutual respect — not only in the classroom, but among staff and administration from the top down.

At school and at home, it’ll take a society-wide culture shift to turn what’s increasingly common and harmful into a taboo. Courtesy and civility benefit all.

For more information see WalletHub.com and Cyberbullying.gov.

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.