STEM AMBASSADOR

Former L.A. Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will serve as California’s After School STEM ambassador, and host after-school STEM events through 2013 to speak about education. He has promoted STEM ed and careers through his Skyhook Foundation since 2009.

ANTI-BULLYING LAW

Republican Sen. Tommy Tucker of North Carolina sponsored the School Violence Prevention Act of 2012, effective Dec. 1, making it a misdemeanor for students to post something online “with the intent to intimidate or torment a school employee” to protect teachers from cyberbullying.

PRESENTATIONTUBE

Egyptian professor of educational technology Alaa Sadik developed the PresentationTube network, a nonprofit project to help teachers and students produce and share video presentations online using a desktop presentation recorder and a video sharing network.

EDUCATION CHAMPION

On Oct. 16, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo was honored for his statewide effort to reform teacher evaluation and support systems with the annual Champion of Education award from the nonprofit Teaching Matters. He is praised for working with teachers to create evaluations.

TAKEOVER LEADER

Kent Taylor, former superintendent in Kern County, Calif., was selected to lead the financially troubled Inglewood Unified School District, which the state took over in September. An Inglewood alumnus, Taylor will act as state administrator and assume control of the district.