BROOKLYN, New York — When you visit Brooklyn, you have to be amazed at the number of stoops.

They’re scenic and historical. These graceful old stairways were often built steep because they were constructed during the era when Grand Pianos thrived, and when people would gather on the stoops to gossip, smoke and drink. In his excellent ebook, “Letters from Brooklyn,” detailing a detailed, three-year exploration of New York City, retired San Diego Union-Tribune TV columnist Bob Laurence perfectly captures the vibrancy, energy and beauty of this community. But what strikes you here is the large number of stoops.

Kids bound down these stoops as they head to school as they did generations before — but today there’s a difference. Schools here and elsewhere continue to grapple with a major issue that won’t go away. From California to Chicago to New Hampshire to Alabama, the problem of bullying, how to effectively short-circuit it, how to educate kids and how to deal with it when it occurs remains an issue.

Only now there’s a new twist. A new problem:

Some parents.

Three years ago I left my home in San Diego go to on a national school tour in my non-writing incarnation as an entertainer who does programs with a strong message content in schools. The tour began on the East Coast in September. By November 1 I had already been in three school districts where students had committed suicide due to bullying.

But by January 2012 I noticed something else. Some principals and teachers were privately commenting that some parents were beginning to become a problem: if another kid looked at their kid cross-eyed, some parents would say their child was bullied and demanded the other child’s suspension. A few schools told me to address the bullying issue but to be careful not to overuse the “b” word.

By last school year, a few schools asked me to use the word “kind” and “kindness” instead of bullying. Now this year, as I do another tour, you can see still another shift:

While some schools still do use the word “bullying,” an increasing number don’t want the word to be used at all. Some schools are now using an approach where they talk about “bucket fillers” and “bucket dippers” — and a bully is a “bucket dipper.” Kids are taught that your bucket is filled (you feel good) or someone dips into your bucket (you feel bad). Not all schools are using this, but quite a few are.

There are several reason why. It’s a good way to communicate the concept to kids — and anti-bullying laws are all over the place. In some states, if a school learns about an argument but it really isn’t bullying, it almost doesn’t matter because strict process is unleashed as soon as a school is informed of an alleged bullying incident.

New Jersey’s Anti Bullying Bill of Rights Act requires schools at all grade levels (including colleges) to report ALL bullying incidents to the state. This automatically triggers paperwork, an investigation and informing all involved families. So the word “bullying” can’t be used loosely because if it is not “real” bullying, any allegation sparks a required-by-law process.

Connecticut and many other states pointedly define bullying as more than one incident in a school year. The reason: over the past few years some schools have heard from angry parents whose kids told them they were bullied when it was just one incident. Some parents were defining bullying too broadly and had gone way overboard.

It’s a pity the word “bullying” is being frivolously used and overused by some parents to the extent that some schools now have to take care how they use it. Which makes combating bullying trickier.

It’s like Brooklyn: you have to be amazed at the number of stoops.

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Copyright 2014 Joe Gandelman, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.

My name is Rance Ossenberg. I am writing this article to share a little about myself and to make you aware of my candidacy for the at large seat on the Evansville Vanderburgh Board of School Trustees in the November 4 election.

I grew up in Evansville in a family devoted to this community. My mother was a teacher and counselor at North High School and my sister was a teacher. My father was in sales and served on the City Council and as a County Commissioner. My wife and I were married in 1981 at Christ the King Church. After graduating from Harrison High School I attended the University of Evansville where I earned my Bachelor and Master Degrees in education and my certification in School Administration and Supervision.

I have a strong record of leadership with thirty-six years of experience in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. During that time I was a classroom teacher, an assistant principal, and a principal. As assistant principal for 8 years I was the primary disciplinarian, responsible for ensuring that our middle school of 500 regular and special education students was safe and orderly.As principal for 17 years my primary responsibilities were to empower faculty and staff to work together successfully, providing the best learning opportunities for the children in our school community. I worked daily with students, parents, the PTA, our school neighbors and community groups that came into our building.

During my career I served on many educational and leadership committees, helped write teacher evaluation documents and was trained and participated in collaborative bargaining with the Evansville Teacher’s Association. I met with area legislators and lobbied for more school funding. I was well respected by teachers, secretaries, custodians and others who worked in my building as well as by other administrators with whom I worked. Parents and community members knew that they were welcome in my building and that I would listen and act on their concerns.

Teachers in the EVSC are currently overwhelmed by new programs that have been dictated during recent years. In some cases programs have been changed before it was determined whether the program was or was not successful. I believe that new ideas and teaching strategies are best developed with teacher and staff input. Teacher led programs enhance successful implementation. When teachers are empowered to work together and are actively involved, student engagement increases. As a member of the Evansville Vanderburgh Board of School Trustees, I believe I have the experience and knowledge to help make these things possible.

We know that proper funding for all schools is an obvious concern for the Board. Money is critical for public education to provide a variety of learning opportunities for a diverse student body; however, while money does matter, it is not the only concern facing our Board. The U.S. Department of Education confirms that 30 percent of new teachers flee the profession after just three years, and more than 45 percent leave after five. A state-by-state analysis done in 2008-09 found that 7 percent of Indiana’s teachers left in that year and since that report numbers in the state have continued to increase. In Evansville, as in the rest of the country, teacher turnover is highest in schools where half or more of the students receive free or reduced-price lunches. What’s more, 36 percent of EVSC teachers have been teaching more than 20 years and are now approaching retirement.

We know that salary, teaching conditions, keeping up with the standards, the pressure of standardized testing, and student discipline all present challenges to teachers. We also know that additional funding from the State is going to be minimal considering the current economy. If we are going to provide the best education possible for our students, the Board will need to find better ways to address these issues in the light of budget limitations. I believe that we need to examine the current budget and determine how best to reprioritize monies so that funds are used wisely, buildings are used efficiently and excesses are eliminated. Community input and employee groups should be solicited and considered when making budget decisions.

As a board member, I would want better relationships with all union and employee groups. The perception of the public with the latest negotiations is that there was a lack of communication between the administration and the bargaining units. This opens the door to rumor and half-truths that create distrust and a negative environment. Collaboration between all parties is imperative if we are to create a positive work environment that in turn will help optimize learning conditions for students.

The Evansville Vanderburgh Board of School Trustees is charged with establishing policies and setting goals based on the corporation’s mission statement. They must also choose a superintendent who has the vision to move the EVSC forward as directed by the Board. Communication with the public is imperative. While Evansville has many excellent public, private, parochial and charter schools the majority of boys and girls attend the EVSC. All of these students represent the future of our community. They will move Evansville forward in the years to come. For this reason we must have an outstanding and vibrant public school corporation. I believe that as a member of the Board of School Trustees I can help the EVSC become a leader among school corporations in Indiana as we work to improve student achievement. I would appreciate your vote on November 4.

THIS ARTICLE IS POSTED BY CCO WITHOUT OPINON, BIAS OR EDITING.