It's simple: When students are threatened and feel unsafe, teachers have a difficult time teaching, and the learning environment is disrupted. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is taking a comprehensive look at school crime and student health, and safety at its upcoming annual conference, "Tying It All Together: Comprehensive Strategies for Safe and Drug-Free Schools," Aug. 15-17 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road N.W., Washington, D.C.

The three-day conference will cover topics such as crisis response and planning, school and environmental health issues, Internet safety, youth wellness and mental health, positive youth development, mentoring programs, truancy intervention, character and civic education, and more. Guest speakers will include U.S. Deputy Education Secretary Ray Simon, Chairman of Red Lake Indian Reservation Floyd "Buck" Jourdain and 9/11 Commission Cochairman Lee Hamilton.

"In order for our children to learn well and excel, they need to feel safe. We, as educators and parents, can play a role in ensuring that happens," Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said. "Parental involvement, one of the key elements of No Child Left Behind, is critical to the whole educational experience."

The conference has already registered more than 2,000 participants, ranging from education leaders, mental health representatives and parents to experts in the field of substance abuse and violence prevention. There are more than a dozen institutes and workshops. Although registration is now closed, those unable to attend the conference can view meeting highlights and important information on the Web at www.osdfsnationalconference.org. Several sessions also will be webcast at www.Kidzonline.org/2005OSDFSNationalconference. (Users need Windows Media Player to link to the webcast.) In addition, some sessions will be recorded and made available on compact disc to conference attendees.

"I am pleased to see that so many educators and school personnel will attend this conference," Deborah Price, assistant deputy secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, said. "We know that schools are on the front line confronting many of the issues our young people are facing, and we have designed this conference to provide the tools and strategies that educators need to help address the challenges they face everyday."

Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary William Modzeleski of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools said, "This a good opportunity to bring together our grantees and others to provide them with the best information, best science, best programming that is out there. It's also an opportunity for state and local officials, as well as parents and educators, to come together to share issues and exchange solutions."

More information about the conference and a complete list of speakers is available at www.osdfsnationalconference.org.

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