1615 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-528-0700 | info@aasa.org.
We are devastated by the tragic news from Connecticut. Our hearts and prayers are with the children, families, staff and community impacted by this senseless event.
The Sandy Hook tragedy will require that all system leaders do everything possible to assure their staff, parents, and students that their schools are safe. There are many good resources available to help school districts and parents with this vital task:
National Association of School Psychologists
English: Talking with children about school violence.Spanish: Talking with children about school violence.
American Counseling Association
Resources from the association of professional counselors.
American School Counselor Association
ASCA has released a series of tips as well as resources and publications for families and communities across the nation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
AAP Offers Resources to Help Parents, Children and Others Cope in the Aftermath of School Shootings.
University of Minnesota
Talking to Kids About Violence Against Kids
Common Sense Media
Explaining the News To Our KidsNational School Safety Center
An advocate for safe, secure and peaceful schools worldwide and as a catalyst for the prevention of school crime and violence.
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
Provides current information developed by Federal agencies or with Federal support pertaining to youth violence.http://www.safeyouth.org
U.S. Department of Education
Readiness and Emergency Information for SchoolsCreating and Updating School Emergency Management PlansEmergency Planning. Office of Safe and Healthy StudentsSecretary Duncan Hails Sandy Hook Elementary Educators – and Thanks the Nation’s Teachers, School Leaders, and School Staff
Readiness and Emergency Information for Schools
Creating and Updating School Emergency Management Plans
Emergency Planning. Office of Safe and Healthy Students
Secretary Duncan Hails Sandy Hook Elementary Educators – and Thanks the Nation’s Teachers, School Leaders, and School Staff
National School Safety and Security Services
A consulting firm specializing in school security and school emergency/crisis preparedness training, school security assessments, and school safety consulting for K-12 schools and public safety providers.
NEA Health Information Network: The Crisis Guide
hard copy: http://www.neahin.org/educator-resources/school-crisis-guide.htmlonline version: http://www.neahin.org/assets/pdfs/schoolcrisisguide.pdf
Veteran Superintendent Seeks Greater Mental Illness Attention Among Youth
Morton Sherman, superintendent in Alexandria, Va., and a 24-year member of AASA, has testified before Congress on the need to serve the needs of mental illness among school-age youth. He addressed the subject in a short guest column about personal experiences for AASA’s School Administrator magazine that he composed during his previous assignment as superintendent in Tenafly, N.J. Sherman also served as superintendent in Cherry Hill, N.J.http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=8702
In the longer term, school districts will need to review and refresh their own emergency response plans. Two award-winning plans that offer good suggestions can be found at :
Fairfax County Public Schoolshttp://www.fcps.edu/emergencyplan/faq.shtml
Montgomery County Public Schoolshttp://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/preparedness/
AASA will continue to search out and provide our members with helpful crisis planning, communication and response resources.
The California Department of Education recently reviewed and accepted educator Dr. James Shaw's B.R.A.V.E. ("Be Resilient Avoid Violence Everywhere ") violence education and prevention curriculum for middle and high school. Especially praised was the curriculum's Social Content theme. Dr. Shaw has been in Education for over 25 years, with AASA-member school districts. B.R.A.V.E. can be purchased at: www.teacherspayteachers.com, under the title of "My School, My Safety...My Life!"
Please consider adding a link to the premier school safety and security training organization - The All Hazards Training Center at The University of Findlay. The web site is http://school-safety-security-training.findlay.edu