This Newsbrief gives our sense of important and timely federal educational news within the following process and protest context:
Federal Update
School Safety Commission Nears End
August 31, 2018
The Issue
This week, in Montgomery, Ala., the Federal Commission on School Safety held its fourth and final public listening session. It is now expected to move quickly to issue its final report. The commission has the task of “quickly providing meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school,” and “examining the repeal of the Obama Administration’s ‘Rethink School Discipline’” policies.
What is the Commission Considering?
The commission has held 14 meetings to date. Not all of its meetings have been open to the public. Among the topics considered by the commission are:
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Meeting with experts and survivors of mass shootings
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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
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The ecology of schools: fostering a culture of human flourishing and developing character
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Curating a healthier and safer approach: issues of mental health and counseling for our young
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Transforming school climate and culture to meet the behavioral needs of students
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Proactively protecting our schools
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Creating a “Citadel of Learning”: new tools to secure our schools, inside and out
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Best practices for school building safety
What are the Rethink School Discipline policies?
In 2011, under direction from the Obama Administration, US ED and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) began an effort to analyze school discipline practices with the intention of improving school climates and discipline practices and “reducing unnecessary out of school suspensions and expulsions.” These efforts resulted in a series of meetings, policy documents, official guidance letters from US ED and DOJ, and the creation of several new programs and initiatives.
The “Rethink School Discipline” efforts were intended to clarify the responsibility of states, districts, and schools to not discriminate unlawfully in the administration of school discipline. Among the guidance and policy documents issued by US ED and DOJ during this time are two that have attracted significant attention, and that the Trump administration is actively considering repealing:
- Policy guidance on school climate and discipline that identifies best practices and offers resources to ensure that school climates are welcoming and that responses to misbehavior are fair, non-discriminatory and effective
- A “Dear Colleague” letter to clarify that schools, charter schools, and educational programs in juvenile correctional facilities must provide appropriate behavioral supports to children with disabilities who require such supports.
The Process
In the wake of the mass shooting earlier this year at Parkland High School in Florida, President Trump created the Federal Commission on School Safety and designated United States Department of Education (US ED) Secretary Betsy DeVos as its leader. The decision to create a commission focused on school safety was replicated in a number of states, including Pennsylvania, Indiana, Arkansas, and Utah.
The Federal Commission on School Safety met for the first time on March 28, 2018, in a session that was closed to press and to the public. The entire membership of the commission is comprised of current members of the President’s cabinet: Secretary DeVos, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The commission has no members that represent parents, teachers, schools, states, or civil rights groups. The timeline for the issuance of the commission’s findings and final report are at this time unclear, but the commission is expected to move quickly to finish its work after hosting its final public listening session this week.
ESSA Funds to Buy Guns for Teachers?
Reports surfaced last week that US ED, as part of its efforts around school safety, is also considering whether to allow states to use federal funds to purchase guns for teachers. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) contains a grant program called the “Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program,” that, unlike other grant programs in the law, does not expressly prohibit the purchase of firearms. President Trump has been vocal in recent months about his belief that arming teachers would increase school safety. It is unclear at this time whether the Federal Commission on School Safety will consider this proposal in its final report.
Learn More
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Federal Commission on School Safety (United States Department of Education)
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SPLC Questions U.S. Department of Education’s Policies on School Safety Ahead of Listening Session in Alabama (Southern Poverty Law Center, August 27)
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Letter to Secretary DeVos: Preserve the School Discipline Guidance (The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, March 22)
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What the DeVos-Led School Safety Commission Did This Summer (Education Week, August 16)
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Education Department Considers Allowing Schools to Use Federal Money to Buy Guns (U.S. News and World Report, August 23)
Be a Part of the Process
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Get Informed
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Review materials from the previous meetings of the Federal Commission on School Safety.
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Track the status of school safety efforts in your state on the School Safety website of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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Take Action
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Make your opinions about school safety and school discipline known by contacting US ED at safety@ed.gov.
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Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-2311 to speak with your members of Congress about school safety, US ED’s approach to school discipline, and how US ED should handle school discipline reform and the Obama administration’s “Rethink School Discipline” policies.
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Take Local Action
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Contact members of your state’s legislature about school safety and non-discrimination in school discipline.
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Contact your state educational agency (SEA) and/or your state board of education and your local school board about these matters.
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Convene a meeting in your school or district around school safety and school discipline.
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