William Modzeleski has become acting assistant deputy secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) within the U.S. Department of Education, succeeding Kevin Jennings, who resigned in June.
Modzeleski previously served as associate assistant deputy secretary at the OSDFS, where he has been involved in the design and development of drug and alcohol prevention programs, violence prevention programs and activities, especially as they affect the school and school health–related issues. Modzeleski also 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.
Prior to this assignment, Modzeleski was detailed to the Department of Education from the Department of Justice to serve as executive director of the National Commission on Drug-Free Schools.
His predecessor, Jennings, was widely known for his anti-bullying efforts while serving at the OSFDS. He left this post to join the non-profit organization Be the Change as president and CEO in late July. In 1990 Jennings founded the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a national education organization striving to make schools safe for all students. He led the Obama administration’s anti-bullying initiative, which culminated in March with the White House conference on Bullying Prevention keynoted by the President.
Meanwhile, the OSDFS and its programs were moved into a new Office of Safe and Healthy Students within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). Congress recently eliminated several programs administered by the OSDFS.
“This change was effective on September 26, 2011, and will provide new opportunities for staff from OESE and OSDFS to work together to improve school environments and support children’s learning, health and well being. Within the next few weeks, the contents of the new OSHS (formerly OSDFS) webpages will be relocated to OESE’s homepage,” the OSDFS stated on its website.
