Feds Offer Guidance on School Safety
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/26/20
The
federal government has launched a "clearinghouse" website
to help schools prepare for threats. A joint venture of
the four agencies, the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security,
Education, Justice and Health and Human Services, SchoolSafety.gov
will provide recommendations for helping schools "prevent,
protect, mitigate, respond to and recover from emergency situations."
Currently,
SchoolSafety.gov includes links to about 255 resources, including
videos; virtual training; guidance; reports; tools; fact sheets;
podcasts; surveys and assessments; and links to grants, programs and
events. Content can be filtered and searched on by education level
(primary, secondary or post-secondary), audience (such as principals,
emergency managers or parents and students) and intended application
(classroom, school building, campus, etc.).
"School
safety is the number one priority of parents across the country,"
said Chad Wolf, acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland
Security, in a statement. "The Department provided expertise and
resources on a range of school safety issues including threat
assessments, physical security, emergency planning, and trainings and
exercises designed to help schools and local law enforcement prepare
for incidents. With these resources, schools and law enforcement will
be better equipped to handle a crisis."
"All
students deserve a safe learning environment, and the Federal School
Safety Clearinghouse is an essential resource for information and
best practices," added U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,
who also chairs the Federal
Commission on School Safety.
"Because every school community has its own unique needs,
SchoolSafety.gov equips decision makers with resources for
developing, customizing and implementing actionable school safety
plans."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.