Mental health and wellness experts, education leaders, law and drug-enforcement officials, a criminal judge and juvenile justice advocates from around the country came together Monday and Tuesday, June 12-13, in Washington, D.C., for their first meeting as members of the newly formed Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee.

The committee, appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, is charged with evaluating three areas: the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities: State Grants program, Persistently Dangerous Schools and the Unsafe School Choice Option, and requirements for data under No Child Left Behind.

"Students need a safe place to learn, and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee will play a vital role as we move forward in ensuring that our students have safe and drug-free schools," Secretary Spellings said.

The committee, chaired by David Long, superintendent of Riverside County Public Schools in Riverside, Calif., consists of 11 expert panelists from across the country and eight ex-officio members. Members serve staggered terms, ranging from one to three years, in order to retain an experienced core of members. Approximately 12 additional meetings will take place between now and June 30, 2007, when the committee is to submit a written report of its findings to the Secretary. Once the report is completed, members will continue to meet to discuss issues relating to safe and drug-free schools.

"This committee, which is made up of passionate citizens from across the country who have high levels of expertise and years of experience in safe schools and crisis planning and mental health research, will address questions, have lively discussions and ultimately submit a report to the Secretary with our findings," Chairman Long said. "And we are excited about the process."

While Monday's meeting included an overview of the various programs within the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, on Tuesday, the committee also voted on the dates for its next two meetings and discussed prioritizing and streamlining issues within the three major categories on which they are to report to the Secretary. Members also decided to solicit the help of focus groups, which would consist of experts in the field, to assist with recommendations to the Secretary.

No Child Left Behind authorizes the committee and the Federal Advisory Committee Act governs it. As mandated by its charter, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee will announce all of its meetings, which are open to the public, in the Federal Register.

Deputy Secretary Ray Simon swore in committee members on Monday, and they are as follows:

• Deborah Price, assistant deputy secretary, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
• David Long, superintendent, Riverside County Public Schools, Riverside, Calif.
• Kim Dude, assistant director, Wellness Resource Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
• Fredrick Ellis, director, Office of Safety and Security, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Va.
• Montean Jackson, coordinator, Safe and Drug- Free Schools, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Fairbanks, Alaska
• Russell Jones, professor, Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.
• Sheppard Kellam, director, Center for Integration Education and Prevention Research in Schools, American Institute for Research, Baltimore, Md.
• Tommy Ledbetter, principal, Buckhorn High School, New Market, Ala.
• James McDonough, interim secretary, Florida Department of Corrections, Tallahassee, Fla.
• The Honorable Seth Norman, judge, Division IV Criminal Court, Nashville, Tenn.
• Michael Pimentel, chief, San Antonio Independent School District Police, San Antonio, Texas
• Hope Taft, Ohio First Lady and cofounder, Ohio Parents for Drug-Free Youth and Ohio Alcohol and Drug Policy Alliance, Columbus, Ohio
• J. Robert Flores, administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
• Howell Wechsler, director, Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.
• Ralph Hingson, director, Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Md.
• Susan Keys, branch chief, Division of Prevention, Traumatic Stress and Specialty Programs, Center for Mental Health Services, Rockville, Md.
• Dennis Romero, acting director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, Md.
• Belinda Sims, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md.
• Mary Ann Solberg, deputy director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C.

###

Top

Back to June 2006