The U.S. Department of Education wants your feedback on how to best respond to educational and
technical assistance needs in your region! Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona is
establishing Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) and seeks nominations to serve on
the RACs. The new RACs will be instrumental in identifying and implementing the
technical assistance, professional development, training, and research needs and priorities
for improving academic achievement, closing achievement gaps, and encouraging
and sustaining school improvement.
You are invited to nominate yourself or a colleague to serve on an RAC. Membership of each RAC
will be diverse and may include local education agency representatives (rural and urban); state
education agency representatives; institution of higher education (IHE) representatives; practicing
educators (classroom teachers, principals, administrators, school board members, school officials);
parents; business representatives; and researchers. Find details on the nomination process in the
Federal Register and
submit your nomination to OESE.RAC@ed.gov by Thursday, May 11, 2023.
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Building Safety and Emergency Preparedness Go Hand in Hand
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Preparing for emergencies and ensuring the well-being of the whole school or campus
community involves assessing, maintaining, and improving the safety and security of
buildings on campuses and school grounds. According to a 2020 report by the U.S.
Government Accountability Office, K-12 school districts identified two of their
highest priorities for school facility renovations and updates as improving
security and addressing health hazards. May is Building Safety Month, which is
an opportunity for schools, school districts, and IHEs to conduct site assessments, implement Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design (CPTED) principles, prepare for emergencies that may impact school and
campus buildings, and improve the design and construction of buildings and grounds
to deter or mitigate potential hazards or threats. The REMS TA Center has several
resources and training opportunities to help schools and IHEs maximize their
participation in this month-long stakeholder event.
This month, consider convening your core planning teams to engage in the above
activities to improve your school’s or IHE’s safety, security, and preparedness.
Share your activities with the REMS TA Center
via Twitter or email; we want to
hear what you’re doing at your site!
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Upcoming Webinar: Role of Athletic Directors in School Safety Efforts
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School EOPs must address a wide range of threats and hazards and
account for incidents that may occur during and outside the school
day as well as on and off campus (e.g., sporting events, field trips). Often,
athletic directors serve in dual roles in educational settings, teaching
and overseeing all aspects of athletic programs, including safety. Join
the REMS TA Center on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET, for
our Webinar, The Role of Athletic Directors in School Safety Efforts, to
learn how athletic directors contribute to the development of EOPs and
ensure safety for students, coaches, and visitors at on-campus
and off-campus athletic events.
This Webinar will feature members from the National Interscholastic Athletic
Administrators Association and is intended for administrators, educators,
extracurricular staff, athletic directors, coaches, and EOP planning team
members at school districts and all K-12 schools. For more information and
to attend the live event, visit the REMS TA Center Website and register online
to secure your space. Archived Webinars highlighting the critical role of school
nurses, school facility managers, information technology specialists, and
other practitioners in supporting school safety can be found on our Website.
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Showing Appreciation and Gratitude to Teachers
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As schools and school districts end or near the end of their school year, there is an essential action that students and staff need to take to finish the year strong — show appreciation to teachers and educators. Every day teachers ensure the well-being and safety of students individually and collectively. They also are a great gauge of the school’s climate and preparedness, observing various areas and people within the school building. Teachers have a wealth of knowledge about the perceptions of safety from students, their colleagues, families and caregivers, and other members of the whole school community. In addition, teachers have critical insight into the safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness of their classrooms and other spaces around the school.
During this Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8-12, show your teachers how grateful you are for all they do to keep students and staff safe and supported. Consider inviting them to participate on your core planning team, encourage youth preparedness in the classroom, and/or share ideas on how to integrate emergency management into curricula. You can spread the word and learn more about teachers’ contributions to and impact in school safety efforts by watching The Role of Teachers in School Safety Efforts Webinar. This Webinar shares critical information about the teacher’s role in supporting school safety efforts at the local level.
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Emergency Management Planning for Private Schools
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Around 10 percent of U.S. K-12 students are enrolled in private schools, making it equally important as public schools for private schools to develop high-quality school EOPs. As private schools engage in this preparedness work, it is critical that they collaborate with community partners (including nearby school districts) to prevent, prepare for, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards in their communities. While the six-step planning process and planning principles are applicable to all schools, there are some emergency management planning considerations and challenges — both internal and external — that are unique to private schools.
To learn more about specific considerations and challenges for private schools, explore the REMS TA Center’s NEW fact sheet, Private Schools: Emergency Management Planning for All Settings. This fact sheet offers private school leaders and core planning teams points to consider when developing a school EOP, a walk-through of the planning process, methods for engaging the community and promoting partnerships, and additional resources to support emergency management planning efforts.
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Maine School Safety Center’s School Safety Specialist Program
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Using funds from the Grants to States for School Emergency Management, the Maine Department of Education established the Maine School Safety Center (Center) in 2019. Their mission is to develop a safe school infrastructure by delivering high-quality and up-to-date best practices, procedures, training, technical assistance, and support to Maine schools. One of their major efforts has been developing curriculum for, planning, and launching a School Safety Specialist Program in the fall of 2022. The program aims to increase the preparedness capacity of local education agencies and develop safety leaders within schools.
The Maine School Safety Specialist Program is credentialed and offers badges to participants through the community college system with which the Center partners. Courses include fundamentals of school emergency management, behavioral threat assessment, and restorative practices; food insecurity and school climate and culture; EOPs, the planning process, and important themes in emergency management planning; and the Incident Command System. Program completion takes approximately 25 hours across 6 weeks and is an asynchronous training with one virtual synchronous meeting. Eligible participants include school district and school (public, private, and charter) administrators, educators, and staff in Maine. Learn more about the program and the Center online.
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