01/16/13Obama Proposes Host of School Safety, Mental Health Programs to Curb Violence
Education Week (01/16/13) Klein, AlysonFollowing the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, President Barack Obama issued a plan that focuses not only on mental health services but also on public school safety as a way to prevent similar tragedies. The plan hails from recommendations issued by the anti-violence task force led by Vice President Joe Biden, including the requirement of background checks for all gun sales, a ban on military-style assault weapons, new money for school counselors, and training to help teachers identify students with mental illness earlier and get them the help they need. While some items require Congressional funding, others can be implemented through executive order, including greater incentives for schools to hire resource officers, giving priority to applicants that plan to use U.S. Department of Justice COPs grants for this purpose. Working collaboratively, the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security will create by May 2012 model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship, and institutions of higher education. The agencies also will outline best practices for training teachers and students on the plans, and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will launch a "national dialogue" on mental health issues. Among the programs that could require congressional funding are a $150 million Comprehensive School Safety Program to help school districts and law enforcement agencies hire 1,000 additional staff members and/or purchase or upgrade school safety equipment and train teams of staff members to assist students in a crisis. Additionally, lawmakers would allocate $30 million in one-time grants to states to help school districts develop and implement emergency management plans, and schools would need to maintain up-to-date emergency plans. The administration is also seeking $50 million in new funding to help 8,000 schools put in place new strategies to improve school climate and discipline, among other proposals.
