students head back to the
classroom in just weeks
and along with books and
backpacks, they bring renewed
concerns about safety.
That's often left to individual
school districts, but there is
some federal money to help.
After the massacre this spring
at an elementary school in
uvalde, Texas, congress passed
the bipartisan safer communities
act.
The gun provisions in that bill
are one part of the issue, but
let's take a look at the
security piece.
That law funds billions for new
mental health and safety
measures in schools, an
expansion of current federal
funding.
In December, the department of
justice awarded nearly $126
million in security grants to
schools.
That included money for violence
prevention training in 29
states.
But overall, that money went to
just a few dozen of the nation's
13,000 school districts.
So, how are schools tackling
this and what is working?
To learn more, I'm joined by
Lori alhadeff, who founded "Make
our schools safe" after her
daughter was killed in the 2018
parkland school shooting, and
Amy Klinger from the educator's
school safety network.
Lori and Amy, thank you so much
for joining us for this
important conversation.
Lori, I want to start with you.
Your state, Florida, has a law
now named after your daughter,
Alyssa's law, that would provide
panic buttons to teachers.
But you're also focused on
mental health as a key part of
the safety needed.
What do you think is needed
there and what is working so far
in that area?
Lori: So we passed the Marjory
Stoneman Douglas act and
Alyssa's law, and Alyssa's law
is panic buttons in school, so
if there is a life threatening
emergency situation, we want to
empower our teachers to push a
button on the phone or something
to wear around their neck.
And it's directly linked to law
enforcement, geofence the area
so that they can get on the
scene as quickly as possible.
So we believe that in that life
threatening emergency, time
equals life, and to get help
there as quickly as possible
will save lives.
And of course, mental health is
a huge part of the conversation.
You know, especially after
covid, we really need to provide
services for our students to be
able to get the help that they
need.
Lisa: Is that a case of looking
at the trauma on students who
may be worried about violence or
what about mental health in
terms of dealing with students
who may become violent?
Lori: So we definitely want to
be very proactive about making
sure that students know how to
access their mental health
services.
Here in Broward county, we have
a talk app on every student
computer so they can be able to
access that information if they
need help and that we will then
provide that help for every
student.
Also, see something, say
something.
It's so important that students
be able to reach out for help as
themselves or anonymously.
We had someone that wanted to
commit suicide and told me and I
was able to report it through
the app and they were able to
find that person and get them
the help before they committed
suicide.
Lisa: Amy, there's a good
example, but this is still an
area with a lot of stigma.
Are schools nationwide doing
enough to look at mental health
as a component in potential
violence?
Amy: Well, I think we always
need to do more.
I think we need to look at a
continuum of options and
services and tools.
And that's been part of the
problem is we have only looked
at school safety through a very
narrow viewpoint and we have not
expanded and broadened.
We need to look at a
comprehensive approach that is
all hazards that takes into
account mental health and all
kinds of both prevention and
response activities.
And that's how we really solve
these problems, is to go at them
from a variety of means, rather
than just taking one thing and
saying that's enough because
it's not enough.
Lisa: And then also in that mix,
I know a lot of your educators
and schools are looking at the
physical plan.
You know, we've seen metal
detectors, we've seen changes in
the school structure.
What have you learned about
what's working and are there
things that are just sort of
adding to the sense of fear and
what's good, what's bad in that
area?
Amy: It's a very delicate
balance because we're not
running prisons, we're running
schools, but yet we need to have
appropriate access control.
We need to have some of those
hardware mechanisms in place,
but that can't be the only thing
we have.
We know that relationship based
cultures, that a positive
culture, students who are able
to make disclosures.
We know that all of those
relationship activities that are
not law enforcement based, but
they are education based.
Those are the things that really
make a difference.
So it is easier, it may seem
easier to just buy something or
to put a piece of hardware into
a school, but that can't be the
only tool in the toolbox.
And I think that's the big
takeaway from all of these
events is we have to do an array
of things.
Because frankly, I don't know
what else we're doing in schools
that is more important than
saving kids' lives.
It is literally the most
important thing we should be
doing as educators and law
enforcement and mental health.
Lisa: Lori, I see you nodding.
What do you think is most
important right now?
What's needed most?
Lori: So I think it is -- you
know, it's going to be layers
and layers of school safety
protection.
I think it's very important that
we give professional development
to our teachers for mental
health first aid.
So they are able to see if a
child is having issues in their
class, be able to identify it
and then connect them to the
resources that that student will
need.
And it's especially important
that we provide mental health
services for students starting
in the elementary school level
so that they don't grow up and
become teenagers and commit
violent acts.
Lisa: This is something on so
many parents' minds, including
my mind as well.
Thank you both so much, Lori
alhadeff and Amy Klinger.