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Washington, D.C. - Since 1996, there have been at least 25 incidents of fatal shootings in the United States. Research indicates that school is one of the safest places for our children. However, over the last few months - even years - we have witnessed school violence and its aftermath played out on our television screens. Thankfully, our area has not had to endure one of these tragedies, but that does not mean we are immune. I believe the best way to handle a school shooting is to work together to ensure it never happens.
That is why I convened a meeting this week of more than thirty area school superintendents to address the very serious issue of safety in our schools. The meeting served as a forum to identify critical needs, exchange ideas about best practices, and identify resources available for our school administrators, faculty, teachers and students.
We also invited Jill Jackson of the Office for Safety, Health and Nutrition at the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), and Bennie Bustamante, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to share their expertise about creating safer schools. State Representative Joe Uecker joined our discussion to share his perspectives on the issue from the state-level.
I hosted this meeting for two reasons. First, I wanted to create an opportunity for our administrators and invited guests to be in the same room so we could learn from one another about how best to prevent a tragedy from happening here in our own community. I also wanted to learn how federal policies are affecting our educators' efforts on the front lines, and how I might be able to better meet their needs in Washington.
It was an extremely productive meeting with a lot of good feedback from our participants. We tackled a variety of tough issues ranging from a discussion about requiring the installation of shatterproof windows in our schools (in the event of a bomb or gunfire) to more cost-efficient, common-sense measures like keeping doors locked during school hours. This gave our administrators the opportunity to share what security measures have - or possibly have not - worked within their own school districts. Many administrators expressed their interest in making sure their schools were "user friendly" without becoming Fort Knox.
Jill Jackson of ODE stressed that prevention is key to school safety. Ms. Jackson reviewed ODE's school safety policies and implementation strategies as well as sharing information about available resources to assist administrators in making sure schools are safer across Ohio, including a toll free "threat line" (800.788.7254) that administrators, teachers and students can use to report bullying or other threatening behavior. She also distributed a free pocket-sized school crisis management guide available to all schools in Ohio. For more information, visit www.ebasedprevention.org/school_safety_planning.
Bennie Bustamante of the FBI discussed the importance of preparedness and establishing a risk assessment plan as critical components of school safety. Mr. Bustamante urged administrators to realize that our schools are considered "soft targets" and encouraged every school district to identify its vulnerabilities and implement a 'threat plan' accordingly. He also stressed the importance of communicating the plan not only to teachers but also to students.
One superintendent told a story of a teacher who, during a practice school crisis evacuation, lead students through an exit filled with smoke because she didn't know where alternate exits were located. This was just one example shared to demonstrate the critical importance of using communication as the number one key to school safety.
Perhaps the most important lesson learned was that no school should be without a crisis management plan in place, and resources are available to assist every school in Ohio in implementing a plan.
There is nothing as important as the safety of our children. I learned so much in the time I spent listening to our educators, and I admire their dedication and commitment to creating safer schools. These discussions will inform my decisions when I return to Washington, and Congress begins work on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act and other education-related bills.
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