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Skriven 2006-10-10 23:31:06 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061010) for Tue, 2006 Oct 10
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Fact Sheet: Conference on School Safety
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 10, 2006

Fact Sheet: Conference on School Safety


ÿÿÿÿÿ Conference on School Safety ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Education

"Our schoolchildren should never fear [for] their safety when they enter
into a classroom."

- President George W. Bush, 10/3/06

Today's Conference On School Safety Will Help Empower Communities To Keep
Our Children Safe. Recently, America experienced tragic school shootings in
Colorado, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and threats of violence that locked
down or closed schools in many other States. In response, President Bush
asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Education Secretary Margaret
Spellings to convene a meeting of leading experts and stakeholders to
discuss how Federal, State, and local governments can work together with
schools, communities, and families to help ensure our schools are safe
places for students to learn. The conference is taking place at the
National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

The Conference Will Bring Together Experts, Law Enforcement Officials,
Schools, Communities, And Families To:
  þ Highlight best practices for making schools safe;
  þ Share lessons learned from prior incidents of school violence; and
  þ Bring together resources and experts on how to make schools safer and
    help communities and families recover from school tragedies.

Panel I: Preventing Violence In Schools

Moderated By Attorney General Gonzales, Panel I Will Focus On Examining The
Scope Of The School Violence Problem And Discussing Concrete Steps To
Prevent Crime And Violence. Law enforcement has already learned many
lessons from prior instances of school violence, such as the tragic
Columbine shootings. The goal of this "best practices" session is to share
practical ideas and solutions from law enforcement and security experts to
help safeguard our schools from external and internal threats. The panel
discussion will focus specifically on facility security, threat
assessments, specialized enforcement expertise, and law enforcement
community outreach.
  þ Panel I Participants: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Moderator
      þ Jeffery Dawsy, Sheriff, Citrus County Sheriff's Office (Beverly
        Hills, FL)
      þ Delbert S. Elliott, Ph.D., Director of the Center for the Study and
        Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado (Boulder, CO)
      þ Thomas Kube, Executive Director and CEO, Council of Educational
        Facility Planners (Scottsdale, AZ)
      þ Georgeann C. Rooney, Threat Assessment Specialist, U.S. Secret
        Service National Threat Assessment Center (Arlington, VA)
      þ Fred Wegener, Sherriff (Park County, CO)
      þ Gregory A. White, U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Ohio (North
        Ridgeville, OH)

Panel II: Prepared Schools And Communities Are Safer

Moderated By Secretary Spellings, Panel II Will Focus On Steps Schools And
Communities Can Take To Help Prevent Future Tragedies. Schools are
generally safe places, but they can be made safer. The panel will discuss
how school administrators and teachers, parents, students, law enforcement,
and community groups can best coordinate their efforts to ensure their
schools are prepared and safe. The panel will highlight effective
prevention and intervention practices, model programs, and crisis plans
that could be adapted by communities and districts.
  þ Panel II Participants: Education Secretary Margaret Spellings,
    Moderator
      þ Frederick Ellis, Director, Office of Safety _
      þ James Moore, Founder and President, WatchDOGS (Springhill, AR)
      þ The Honorable Jane Norton, Lieutenant Governor, CO (Denver, CO)
      þ Chiarasay E. "Chiara" Perkins, Student, Walton Senior High School
        and President, Youth Crime Watch of Walton County (DeFuniak
        Springs, FL)
      þ Dr. George Sugai, Professor and Neag Endowed Chair, Neag School of
        Education University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
      þ Patrick D. Weil, Principal, Valparaiso High School (Valparaiso, IN)

Panel III: Helping Communities Heal And Recover

Moderated By Secretary Spellings, Panel III Will Focus On The Short- And
Long-Term Needs Of Schools And Communities Following Traumatic Events. The
immediate goal in helping schools and communities recover from trauma is
returning to a normal routine, but schools must also focus on long-term
planning, including addressing post-traumatic stress and preparing for
high-stress events such as anniversaries. This panel will highlight
effective strategies, organizations, and resources that schools and
communities can use for additional help in recovering from traumatic
events. Mrs. Laura Bush will deliver brief remarks prior to the start of
this panel discussion.
  þ Panel III Participants: Secretary Spellings, Moderator
      þ Jamie B. Baggett, Teacher, Stewart County High School (Dover, TN)
      þ Betty Alvarez Ham, Founder and President, City Impact (Ventura, CA)
      þ Dr. Larry Macaluso, Superintendent, Red Lion School District (Red
        Lion, PA)
      þ Cathy Paine, Special Programs Administrator, Springfield School
        District (Springfield, OR)
      þ Craig Scott, Columbine High School Survivor (Aurora, CO)
      þ Marleen Wong, Ph.D., Director of Crisis Counseling and Intervention
        Services, Los Angeles Unified School District and Director of the
        Trauma Services Adaptation Center for Schools and Communities (Los
        Angeles, CA)

Closing Discussion: Working Together To Make Our Schools Safe

Moderated By Attorney General Gonzales And Secretary Spellings, The Closing
Discussion Will Be A Summary Discussion Between President Bush And A
Representative Group Of Panel Participants Who Will Share Lessons Learned
And Concrete Ways Schools And Communities Can Work Together After The
Conference.

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