Safe and Drug Free Schools official
to speak at Byron-Bergen meeting

The keynote address at one of Byron-Bergen Central School District's two school improvement days this month will feature William Modzeleski, a top-ranking official with the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

Modzeleski is the Associate Deputy Under Secretary of Safe and Drug Free Schools. The office provides funds and assistance to Governors, State Education Agencies, and local school districts to develop strategies and programs to meet the goal that all schools will be safe, disciplined, and drug-free. Modzeleski's office also oversees the administration of a number of federal grants, including the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant. Byron-Bergen is a 2003-2004 recipient of a PEP grant.

In his role as Associate Deputy Under Secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, Modzeleski is involved in the design and development of drug and alcohol prevention programs, violence prevention programs, and activities especially as they affect the school and in school health-related issues. He assisted in the design of the Safe Schools Act of 1994, a bill developed to provide assistance to local educational agencies for violence prevention activities, and in the reauthorization of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.

Modzeleski has represented the Department of Education on several interagency committees including: the White House Conference on Youth, Drugs, and Violence; Conference on Youth Violence Prevention; Mexican/American High Level Contact Group for the Fight Against Drug Trafficking; Violence Against Women Interagency Working Group; and the Interdepartmental, Working Group on Violence. He also formed and led a delegation of counselors, psychologists, and mental health providers to Oklahoma City to assist the Oklahoma Public Schools cope with the psychological effects of the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building.

Modzeleski will speak to the Byron-Bergen faculty and invited guests from around the area on the challenge of change. Members of the audience will have the opportunity to discuss Modzeleski's remarks following his address.