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Climate disasters are still very frequent and school leaders are trying to get ready for, and recuperate from, these crises.  

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Climate disasters are still very frequent and school leaders are trying to get ready for, and recuperate from, these crises.  

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Seventeen years ago, Hurricane Katrina left the city of New Orleans and its surrounding parishes completely underwater, destroying 110 out of the 126 public schools in the city. Eight districts were severely impacted by the storm and 187,000 public school students were displaced. At the time, the disaster was unprecedented. In the years since, the frequency of climate disasters has continued to increase. Here, principals and superintendents who have faced the loss of school buildings from wildfires and floods discuss what school leaders can do to prepare for, and recover from, these crises.

Lilia Geho is the video production intern for Education Week.

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Climate Disasters: Hear From School Leaders Who Lived Through Them

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Seventeen years ago, Hurricane Katrina left the city of New Orleans and its surrounding parishes completely underwater, destroying 110 out of the 126 public schools in the city. Eight districts were severely impacted by the storm and 187,000 public school students were displaced. At the time, the disaster was unprecedented.

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Kentucky is implementing new coping tools to help students deal with their mental health; an emotional check in survey and well space rooms that allows students to take a break when needed.

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Kentucky is implementing new coping tools to help students deal with their mental health; an emotional check in survey and well space rooms that allows students to take a break when needed.

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“Back to school” brings a focus on mental health

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Positive mental health is a serious problem that students are dealing with, so schools are wanting to implement services that students can use to manage their mental health.

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Positive mental health is a serious problem that students are dealing with, so schools are wanting to implement services that students can use to manage their mental health.

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A new poll draws attention to the importance of mental health care in schools.

The national poll released Wednesday from Effective School Solutions, an organization implementing mental health care in schools, found that the country's school administrators, parents, and students continue to battle a youth mental health crisis. Nearly all (90%) administrators and almost 60% of parents reported that the crisis is growing. Roughly 60% of administrators say young people's mental health remains the same or has worsened compared to a year ago.

"Amid the isolation and trauma of COVID-19, this degradation has only gotten worse," says Duncan Young, the CEO of Effective School Solutions. "It's very likely that the echoes and traumas of the pandemic will persist in youth mental health long after the pandemic itself is behind us, which speaks to the urgent need for better solutions for our kids."

The poll of 200 school administrators and 1,000 parents who have children in kindergarten through twelfth grade was conducted in the fall.

The poll found that addressing mental health in the early stages in schools proves difficult, and educators say they face challenges with staffing and funding. COVID relief funds have helped address school districts' mental health challenges, but they will likely expire within the next couple of years, Young says. He draws attention to the need for more sustained funding for school districts to continue to prioritize mental health care.

"Districts will soon largely be left to their own devices to sustain the additional support that is still very much needed," Young says. "We cannot afford to go backwards. Our children and their futures depend on it."

The poll further found that 40% of parents and 50% of educators are worried schools don't have enough staff to address student's needs, including mental health; over 80% of parents believe schools should play a role in addressing youth mental health; administrators that say they don't have the information on funding resources for mental health programs exceeds 50%. Forty percent of administrators report a high level of confidence that their school is adequately addressing youth mental health compared to 16% of parents.

Mental health care in schools lifts the onus off of the parents to address mental health challenges solely at the home, Young says, especially given that kids spend most of their time within the bounds of a classroom. Mental health care that works includes different behavioral interventions for people with various needs. Individual, group, and family therapy can happen during a student's school day, for example, Young says. Effective School Solutions partners with districts to integrate this programming directly into the school day.

"It serves as recurring mental health care, like an elective built into the student's schedule," he says.

Being educated on what to look out for is the place to start. Young provides the below acronym, in his own words, to help parents and administrators tell the signs and symptoms of a potential mental health issue: SIGECAPS

S= Sleep disturbance, such as a student who is falling asleep in class, excessively tired.

I= Decrease of interest in previous interests or activities.

G=Excessive feelings of guilt and hopelessness.

E=Increase or decrease in energy - lethargy, which is different from feeling tired.

C=Decrease in concentration and the ability to remain focused, which can oftentimes reflect in grades dropping.

A=Decrease or increase in appetite, such as a change in eating habits

P= Psychomotor retardation is the slowing down of your mental or physical activities. Students typically see this in the form of slow thinking or slow body movements.

S= Suicidal thoughts, plans, or intent. Of course this is the most profound of all symptoms where immediate action needs to be taken.

Any of these symptoms alone or paired with another are not uncommon for students to experience, but Young says to monitor when they persist over an extended period of time. Effective School Solutions operates in 9 states to serve over 90 districts, implementing mental health care within schools so students don't need to be taken out of the classroom for care.

"The question is no longer if our students need support, but rather what are the most effective mental health services and how can districts best implement them," Young says. "In short, the conversation for school districts has shifted from 'should we offer these services' to 'how do I implement these services in an impactful way?'"

Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter examines how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today's executives. Subscribe here.

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Schools are sounding the alarm on a growing mental health crisis for America's kids

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A new poll draws attention to the importance of mental health care in schools. The national poll released Wednesday from Effective School Solutions, an organization implementing mental health care in schools, found that the country's school administrators, parents, and students continue to battle a youth mental health crisis.

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Terrible weather has destroyed many schools around the world and forces students to move to remote learning.  

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Terrible weather has destroyed many schools around the world and forces students to move to remote learning.  

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See how the climate crisis is having an extreme impact on education in the US | CNN

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CNN correspondent René Marsh reports on how the climate crisis is having an extreme impact on education in the US.

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 Government Accountability Office is hoping to provide seafood to all students because according to dietary guidelines; school age kids should eat 4-10 oz. of seafood weekly.

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 Government Accountability Office is hoping to provide seafood to all students because according to dietary guidelines; school age kids should eat 4-10 oz. of seafood weekly.

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Fast Facts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program provides healthy meals to millions of kids from low-income households. Dietary guidelines say school age kids should eat 4-10 oz. of seafood weekly. But seafood made up just 1-2% of all animal proteins that USDA purchased for the program (about 3 oz. per student per year) in FYs 2014-19.

Several factors-allergy concerns, student preferences, and cost-affected states' and school food authorities' efforts to offer seafood. USDA could support them by providing nutrition education, allergen and food safety training, and recipes.

We made recommendations to help address this issue.

Highlights

What GAO Found

From states' and school food authorities' (SFAs) orders, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchased a limited quantity of seafood compared to other animal proteins (beef, eggs, pork, and poultry) for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for fiscal years 2014 through 2019. USDA's seafood purchases were between 1 and 2 percent of all animal proteins purchased annually for the program. Nationally, the average quantity of USDA-purchased seafood per student through the NSLP over this period was about 3 ounces per year. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), school-age children should consume between 4 and 10 ounces of seafood per week.

Average Quantity of Seafood That USDA Purchased per Student Participating in the National School Lunch Program by State per Fiscal Year, 2014 through 2019

a Kansas receives cash payments in lieu of USDA-purchased foods. Because Kansas does not order USDA-purchased food, Kansas is not represented in the seafood data reported for this program.

Officials from 10 selected states and SFAs, which operate the NSLP in schools, told GAO that several factors, such as student preference, concerns about allergens, and cost, affected their efforts to provide seafood to students. However, officials from six of 10 SFAs expressed an interest in serving more seafood, including some citing it as a healthy option. USDA officials said that at least some of the factors could be addressed with nutrition education.

USDA offers limited seafood-related assistance to states and SFAs. USDA has not developed a plan to enhance its assistance that could draw on existing efforts, such as webinars or USDA's previous efforts, including lessons learned from two USDA pilot projects. Without a plan, USDA may be missing an opportunity to enhance its seafood-related assistance.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides some seafood-related assistance to USDA, but USDA has not fully leveraged its relationship with NOAA. NOAA officials told GAO that it collects and maintains what is likely the most complete list of seafood vendors in the United States, but it does not share this list with USDA. Without obtaining and sharing such information, USDA may miss an opportunity to further assist states and SFAs in providing seafood to students.

Why GAO Did This Study

USDA helps millions of children from low-income households access healthy meals by purchasing food, including seafood, for the NSLP. USDA-purchased foods represent about 15 to 20 percent of the food served in the NSLP. According to the DGA, programs, such as the NSLP, can play an essential role in providing access to healthy meals. This can help reduce the health risks children may face from consuming a poor diet. Seafood offers particular health benefits, including omega-3 fatty acids, which can aid in the prevention of heart disease.

GAO was asked to review USDA's purchases of seafood for the NSLP. This report discusses (1) USDA's purchases of seafood for the NSLP, (2) factors affecting selected states' and SFAs' efforts to provide seafood to students, and (3) USDA's efforts to help address these factors.

GAO analyzed data from USDA on food purchases, including seafood, from fiscal years 2014 through 2019; interviewed state and SFA officials from a non-generalizable sample of 10 major domestic seafood-producing states with a range of NSLP funding levels; and interviewed USDA officials. GAO excluded data for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 because of the impact of COVID-19 on NSLP participation.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected

Recommendation

Status

Department of Agriculture

The Secretary of Agriculture should develop a plan to enhance its assistance to states and school food authorities in providing seafood to students through the National School Lunch Program. Actions described in such a plan could build upon information that GAO collected regarding factors that selected states and school food authorities said have affected their efforts to provide more seafood to students through the program. The plan could also incorporate USDA's experience and lessons learned from previous efforts aimed at enhancing the variety and availability of other food products, such as dairy products and unprocessed fruits and vegetables. (Recommendation 1)

Open <label class="status-code-label">Open</label><p class="status-code-description"><p> Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.</p></p>

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should work with the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a collaborative mechanism, such as a memorandum of understanding that establishes the sharing of NOAA's list of domestic seafood vendors with USDA. (Recommendation 2)

Open <label class="status-code-label">Open</label><p class="status-code-description"><p> Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.</p></p>

Department of Agriculture

The Secretary of Agriculture should work with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a collaborative mechanism, such as a memorandum of understanding that establishes the sharing of NOAA's list of domestic seafood vendors with USDA. (Recommendation 3)

Open <label class="status-code-label">Open</label><p class="status-code-description"><p> Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.</p></p>

Full Report

GAO Contacts

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National School Lunch Program: USDA Could Enhance Assistance to States and Schools in Providing Seafood to Students

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Fast Facts The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program provides healthy meals to millions of kids from low-income households. Dietary guidelines say school age kids should eat 4-10 oz. of seafood weekly. But seafood made up just 1-2% of all animal proteins that USDA purchased for the program (about 3 oz.

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The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has 32 land-grant universities that are working together on fresh solutions for food safety and calibar.

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The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has 32 land-grant universities that are working together on fresh solutions for food safety and calibar.

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National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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With direct sales growing, strengthening the nation's food safety system to prevent foodborne illness is crucial. USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports wide-ranging efforts to provide farmers with the tools they need to ensure a safe and sustainable food supply as well as research into innovative technologies to reduce foodborne pathogens and to improve food safety processes beginning at the farm level.

Research at Work

NIFA's Food Safety Outreach Competitive Grant Program (FSOP) supports customized food safety education, training and technical assistance for operators of small to mid-size farms and food processing facilities; veteran, beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers; and small-scale vegetable and fruit merchant wholesalers.

In September 2022, NIFA announced $10 million in funding for 15 Community Outreach awards and 13 Collaborative Education and Training awards through FSOP. The program also provided five technical assistance supplements that will support grant writing training and resource development for groups not historically awarded through FSOP. Learn more about these funded programs here.

NIFA provides additional support to the nation's Land-grant Institutions through other competitive grant programs as well as capacity funding for both research and Extension.

On National Farmers Day, check out some of the work currently being done to foster improved food safety.

Researchers at 32 land-grant universities are collaborating on innovative solutions for food safety and quality. Their work is helping meet consumer demand for minimally processed, additive-free food items with longer shelf lives, higher nutrient content and less potential to cause foodborne illnesses. Working together, the team is sharing tools, labs, expertise and other resources to conduct cutting-edge food safety research on a variety of foods and food processing environments. Partnering with other universities, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the food industry further enhances research capacity and impact. With members in 30 states, the team can reach a wide audience with food safety education and training.

As part of this multi-state effort, University of Minnesota researchers developed processes that do not rely on heat to kill bacteria, which means these processes require less energy and do not damage the nutritional and sensory qualities of the food. Texas A&M University scientists are studying ways to use food-grade nanoparticles to reach areas in food that are difficult to access using conventional sanitization methods, while researchers at the University of Hawaii are working on nanoparticle coatings that inhibit microbial growth on aluminum surfaces of food processing equipment. At the University of California, University of Delaware, University of Maryland and Rutgers University, work is underway to identify effective alternatives to chlorine washes for sanitizing fresh produce.

Extension at Work

Extension professionals across the country are providing farmers and producers with the latest information and tools. Improved on-farm measures offers many benefits:

Expanding markets can reduce market risk and improve farm economic sustainability.

Developing a cold chain can reduce losses due to spoilage.

Using sanitizers can improve quality and shelf life.

Ensuring produce is as safe as possible benefits the local community.

Building consumers' trust can boost the sales of local produce.

Virginia Cooperative Extension's Fresh Produce Food Safety team is spearheading statewide efforts to support the implementation of practical and effective on-farm food safety practices through comprehensive, interdisciplinary fresh produce food safety education.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System offers multiple training options to meet the needs of specialty crop growers including courses that focus on good agricultural practices as well as training to ensure growers are in compliance with Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

The University of Vermont Extension Service, the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets created a voluntary food safety program to inform and recognize small- and medium-sized farms that adopt best practices for produce safety, prepare customized produce safety plans, and comply with the intent of the FSMA Product Safety Rule.

Led by the University of New Hampshire, a new joint state initiative helps farmers in Maine and New Hampshire improve food safety on their farms. Called Jumpstart to Farm Food Safety with Extension, the project offers farmers the chance to work individually with an Extension educator who is well trained in produce safety. Educators help farmers take important steps to address food safety concerns on the farm. The planning process includes individualized farm risk analysis, followed by the development of a risk reduction plan of action specific to a farm's needs.

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More than ever, consumers are going to the source for their food. In 2020, farmers produced and sold $9 billion of local edible food commodities directly to consumers, retailers, institutions and intermediaries. Direct farm sales of food increased by 3% from 2015, and direct-to-consumer sales accounted for more than a third of the total.

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Climate change is not a topic most schools will teach in their class but a school in Massachusetts has decided to do just that by bringing hands-on lessons that teach that very subject. 

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Climate change is not a topic most schools will teach in their class but a school in Massachusetts has decided to do just that by bringing hands-on lessons that teach that very subject. 

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Most teachers in the U.S. agree that climate change should be taught in schools, with some advocates saying it should start in lower grades. But in Massachusetts, climate change topics are not part of the state's elementary learning standards, leaving schools on their own to find extra resources.

In public schools, elementary students are expected to learn about topics like the weather and energy - but not necessarily how to connect that information to the climate crisis that will inevitably shape their future.

In fact, climate change topics are not included in much of Massachusetts' curriculum materials or learning standards, according to a recent report co-authored by the nonprofit North American Association for Environmental Education.

The study analyzed publicly available documents from boards of education and state education departments across the U.S. and ranked Massachusetts in the lowest tier - along with most of the country- with "very low" inclusion of climate change-related content in state requirements.

The research does not take into account efforts by individual districts or teachers to go above and beyond what states ask, and some schools are doing just that.

One recent fall morning at Paul Revere Elementary in Revere, a chorus of first graders are on their feet, ribbitting like spadefoot toads over the sounds of honking horns and highway traffic.

Then the students begin experimenting with building sound barriers to protect the threatened species, layering different materials and testing how well their walls block noise using decibel meters.

The interactive lesson is led by Change is Simple, an environmental education nonprofit in Beverly that partners with elementary schools to provide climate and sustainability education.

The nonprofit was founded 11 years ago with the idea that climate education needs to be introduced early, when kids' minds are open to new ideas.

"It's really a unique time period to educate them about environmental science and climate change so that this becomes something that they value and are committed to over a lifetime," says Sara Ewell, a Northeastern University professor and a third-party researcher studying the effectiveness of the nonprofit's work in elementary grades.

She says giving young kids this knowledge earlier will make a difference in a future generation of environmental stewards.

"While this is a global problem, it can also be a problem where they can take steps to make changes within their own life," says Ewell.

Co-founder Patrick Belmonte says Change is Simple teaches lessons on everything from biodiversity to renewable energy with an approach that aims to give students a sense of agency.

"We just took a really different approach from the start, which was all about hope and empowerment with students," said Belmonte.

The work is especially relevant in coastal communities like Revere that are disproportionately exposed to environmental risks, such as sea-level rise and air pollution.

Dorrie Shupe, a second grade teacher at Paul Revere Elementary, says her students love the hands-on lessons from Change is Simple.

"They're learning other things that maybe I don't necessarily know how to teach them at this point," says Shupe. "Or I could teach them, it just takes me a lot more work."

Elementary school teachers are often responsible for teaching across all subjects in their grade, juggling dozens of learning standards from the state. The standards outline what students are expected to know each year, and individual districts, schools and teachers are responsible for meeting those expectations.

Currently, state guidance specifically notes in a third grade standard on weather and a fifth grade standard on natural resources that an understanding of climate change is not expected.

"Right now, it's just sort of like we have to teach about the world, but we don't have to teach about what happens if we don't take care of it," says Shupe.

Through grants and active fundraising, Paul Revere Elementary has been able to bring in Change is Simple for the past six years. This year, the partnership expanded to all five elementary schools in the district.

But not all schools have the time or resources. Some teachers have called for more support at the state level to provide climate education to all students.

"We want to make sure that everybody, every public school student has a chance to be exposed to this," says Justin Brown, a fourth grader teacher in Brookline who organizes with other teachers for climate justice. "That's why bills and standards are so important."

Brown wants more climate resources and professional development for teachers, as well as state legislation that would create a climate change curriculum.

"Educators need to know the content and they need to know the pedagogy. Like what's the best way to teach this and how to do it in a way that's developmentally appropriate," said Brown.

A pair of bills in the Massachusetts House and Senate that would have implemented statewide climate education failed this past session. Advocates plan to submit a new draft in the next cycle.

Some youth activists are taking the lead in a more comprehensive approach to climate education, and schools are welcoming them to get younger kids engaged.

Spring Forward is a student-run organization of high schoolers across the state that brings climate education to schools and summer camps. The group, like many climate education advocates, believe the topic goes beyond science and touches subjects like English language arts, social studies, math, and more.

"We didn't have this education in middle and elementary school," said Alice Fan, a senior at Phillips Academy in Andover and one of the group's leaders. "And we really felt that every person should be learning about climate change because it's so relevant to our future."

Fan leads weekly climate lessons with third to fifth grade students from an after school program in neighboring Lawrence.

"If you look at an environmental justice map of Massachusetts, you can see a very clear line between Andover and Lawrence," says Fan.

Lawrence is home to mostly immigrant and low-income families, and a decades-long effort to clean up pollution left over from abandoned industrial sites. Fan says her access to climate education is a privilege, and hopes she can use it to make a difference.

For a recent Wednesday evening, she's come prepared with a crowd favorite: Climate Justice Monopoly.

The game is designed to be unfair, she advises at the start. Players begin with unequal pots of money and move their pieces across a reimagined Monopoly board, with color-coded neighborhoods based on environmental risks. The players pay fees for living near pollution or in housing that's vulnerable to extreme weather.

"If you live in the brown area, the factory pollution has induced an asthma attack for your family member," Fan reads. "Pay hospital costs of seven dollars." A student gasps as she checks her balance.

Spring Forward created an entire climate curriculum with lessons like this one, teaching kids how the climate crisis overlaps with race, gender and economic disparities. This includes more complex topics like redlining, social inequality and how students can fight for institutional change.

Fan says the message rings differently coming from a fellow student, delivered in a casual setting with no grades attached.

The lesson pauses for a Taylor Swift dance break and winds down with a discussion on how climate change impacts certain communities more than others.

In all, Spring Forward volunteers have reached about 2,000 students since it began two years ago. Fan says it's a small operation doing meaningful work for her generation.

"We're all in this together, as young people," says Fan.

She graduates next spring and hopes to find someone to take her place teaching after school.

Barring a change at the state level, schools will continue leaning on volunteers like Fan - or the individual efforts of dedicated teachers and nonprofits - to teach elementary students about climate change. Until then, climate educators of all forms will continue in their work to equip the next generation for the consequences of the climate crisis.

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There's a hole in the state's climate efforts: elementary education

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Most teachers in the U.S. agree that climate change should be taught in schools, with some advocates saying it should start in lower grades. But in Massachusetts, climate change topics are not part of the state's elementary learning standards, leaving schools on their own to find extra resources.

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Climate change is not mentioned in Florida's middle or elementary school education standards but more than 40 states have added standards that include one reference to climate change. 

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Climate change is not mentioned in Florida's middle or elementary school education standards but more than 40 states have added standards that include one reference to climate change. 

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The Teachers Trying to Fill the Gap in Climate Education: The Week in Reporter Reads

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Five articles from around The Times, narrated just for you.

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Texas spends millions on new safety tool called iWatchTexas but finds that the data it brings is slightly dragging compared to STOPit another safety tool. 

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Texas spends millions on new safety tool called iWatchTexas but finds that the data it brings is slightly dragging compared to STOPit another safety tool. 

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Texas spends millions on unproven school safety tool few use

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Texas has spent $2.2 million on a largely unused and unproven safety tool intended to thwart school shootings like the Uvalde massacre.

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Massachusetts School Safety Initiatives and New Funding will feature many safety proposals that will support students of all ages. 

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Massachusetts School Safety Initiatives and New Funding will feature many safety proposals that will support students of all ages. 

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BOSTON - Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, joined by Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeff Riley, Acting Commissioner of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw and public safety officials, announced plans to file legislation proposing significant investments in school safety initiatives to support programming, training and resources for schools and districts throughout the Commonwealth. The administration's proposed investments will expand its ongoing commitment to deliver a safe and secure learning environment for all Massachusetts students.

Governor Baker signed a supplemental budget with $15 million for school safety initiatives in October 2018.

To date, as part of the Safe and Supportive Schools Initiative, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded $15 million in grant funding, including $7.5 million awarded to more than 150 districts statewide to invest in security-related infrastructure upgrades and $7.5 million in grant funding to increase mental health support and to support schools' hiring of additional mental health and behavioral health specialists. Additionally, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and the Department of Early and Secondary Education (DESE) actively and frequently collaborate on training and best practices for emergency and active shooter responses in school settings. District superintendents are required each year to attest to that they have a multi-hazard evacuation plan in place, as well as that there is training provided to support that plan.

Public safety officials today also highlighted the Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program, an internationally recognized standard adopted by the Commonwealth as part of its ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness and community resilience to promote a statewide model for an integrated active shooter and hostile event response. Through cross-discipline collaboration among first responders and emergency personnel, ASHER is designed to protect communities and help them prepare, respond and recover from crisis events. The ASHER framework has already been implemented in state-run police and fire training academies, and parallel training is being finalized for current state police and fire personnel.

The Baker-Polito Administration will file a supplemental budget request in the coming weeks totaling nearly $40 million to support critical school safety initiatives and equip students, staff and emergency responders with the training necessary to respond to better respond to threats within schools.

The proposal will include:

Matching grants for security and communications upgrades in K-12 schools and public higher education institutes

Grant funding for child care providers to support safety measures and multi-hazard emergency planning

Grant funding to support districts pilot an anonymous "tip line" to report potential threats

Funding for a statewide "Say Something" public awareness campaign and corresponding training

Support for ongoing emergency response training for school officials

Creation of a comprehensive school safety website

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Baker-Polito Administration Highlights School Safety Initiatives and Announces New Funding

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BOSTON - Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, joined by Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeff Riley, Acting Commissioner of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw and public safety officials, announced plans to file legislation proposing significant investments in school safety initiatives to support programming, training and resources for schools and districts throughout the Commonwealth.