National Dialogue on Safe Schools

Features
Report on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy (June 2007)

"Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning. When that sanctuary is violated, the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community."
— President George W. Bush, 4/17/07

Overview

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting, President Bush called on U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt to lead a national dialogue on the ways that the nation can take steps to prevent future acts of violence.

Federal officials traveled across the country to meet with state and local leaders, educators, mental health experts, parents, students, and law enforcement officials. A total of twelve meetings were held across the nation. Upon completion of this national tour, Secretary Spellings, Secretary Leavitt and Attorney General Gonzales provided a report to President Bush that outlines how the federal government can best help states and localities keep students safe (see link above).

There were several recurring themes heard across the country. These included the need for additional guidance on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the federal law that protects the privacy of students' education records, as well as information on resources that are available to help schools and Institutions of Higher Education plan for, respond to, and recover from a serious incident.

In response to these comments, we have provided a list of resources below that include information on FERPA and key emergency management resources available from the Department.

Unfortunately, since the tragic events at Virginia Tech, there have been other incidents of school violence including a recent shooting in Cleveland, Ohio. This situation reinforces the fact that the dialogue is far from over. We must continue to work together to ensure the safety of our nation's youth in schools and universities.

Public Comments

Secretary Spellings would like to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and comments by sending an e-mail to safeschools@ed.gov. Your ideas will help Secretary Spellings and staff at the Department of Education as we develop new programs and information on school safety.

Resources

Please take advantage of the numerous school safety resources available from the U.S. Department of Education, including:

Additional resources can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/schoolsafety/, http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ and at edpubs.ed.gov

To read the Secretary's "Notes From the Road" online travel log, which includes details on the national dialogue on school safety, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/notesfromtheroad/


 
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Last Modified: 12/20/2007