|
|
|
|
|
ED’s safe & supportive schools News |
|
Kevin Jennings Assistant Deputy Secretary |
|
|
In This
Issue 1 Let’s Talk
About Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools…From the Desk of Kevin
Jennings 2. U.S. ED’S OSDFS’ Awards $28.8 Million to School Districts to
Improve Readiness and Emergency Response Plans 3. U.S. ED’s
IES’ NCES Examines Attrition and Mobility 4. Latest
edition of The Whitehouse’s ONDCP Update e-newsletter now available 5. Foundation
Funding Opportunity--Ronald McDonald House Charities - Child Health and
Well-being Grants 6. PBS’ “In The
Mix” Program Highlights for September 2010 NOTE: The material The opinions expressed herein may not
always reflect the views of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools or the
US Department of NOTE: If you are experiencing
difficulty in receiving the newsletter, you may have to make some changes in
your controls. Please check your screenshot to make sure your screen
resolution is large enough to be able to properly see it. You can make
it larger by going to Start—Control Panel—Appearance and
personalization—adjust screen resolution . If there is no link to open your
web browser, you can go to the top of your e-mail to “Other Actions.”
After clicking this, you can select ‘View in Browser.’ This will allow you to
shrink it to whatever size necessary to fit your screen. If you have any questions or suggestions please
contact me at: David Quinlan Editor |
LET’S TALK ABOUT READINESS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR
SCHOOLS…FROM THE DESK OF KEVIN JENNINGS In
the classic Monty Python skit, the line “Nobody expects the Spanish
Inquisition” always gets a laugh. But in fact the British comedians are
wiser than they might appear, because they have hit upon a basic truth:
nobody thinks a disaster is going to strike them – until it does. And
believe me, then it’s not funny at all. Last week OSDFS awarded $28.8 million in Readiness and
Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) grants, which will enable 98 school
districts in 28 states to improve plans that address all four phases of
emergency management: Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and
Recovery. The problem with school life, a principal once said to me, is that
“the urgent drives out the important every day.” When it comes to emergency preparedness, we all know
it’s important but it doesn’t become urgent until it’s too late to be
prepared. I applaud these districts for not only their excellent
applications but also for having the foresight to realize that the time to
get ready to deal with emergencies is now – not when you’re in the middle of
one. As with all of our grant competitions, we had many more
applicants than we could fund. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help those who
didn’t win (or even apply for) grants. We have an excellent technical
assistance center with innumerable free resources that districts can use to
improve their preparedness at http://remstacenter.org/.
I urge you to avail yourself of the materials available there. The Scouts have it right: “Be Prepared” U.S. ED’S OSDFS’ AWARDS $28.8
MILLION TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO IMPROVE READINESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS School districts across the country will be able to
improve and strengthen their emergency management plans as a result of $28.8
million in grants awarded recently by the U.S. Department of Education’s
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. The Readiness and Emergency Management
for Schools (REMS) discretionary grant program will enable 98 school
districts in 28 states to improve plans that address all four phases of
emergency management: Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and
Recovery. “No student should feel unsafe in school,” U.S.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. “The fact is that no school can be a
great school until it is a safe school first, and these grants will support
that effort.” In addition to addressing the four phases of emergency
management, plans must commit school districts to coordinate with officials
in law enforcement, local government, public safety, public health and mental
health; train school officials in emergency management; and provide a method
for communicating emergency and reunification procedures to parents and
guardians. Projects should support the implementation of the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) and include plans designed to prepare
districts for infectious disease outbreaks and take into consideration
districts’ special needs populations. Funds may be used to coordinate with local emergency
responders, including fire, police, and health and public health agencies;
conduct drills and exercises; purchase emergency supplies and equipment; and
to train staff and students on emergency response procedures. The
grants, housed within the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, support
efforts to create safe schools, respond to crises, prevent drug and alcohol
abuse, ensure the health and well being of students, and teach students good
citizenship and character. The office also coordinates the Department’s
efforts in these areas with other federal agencies, including the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. A
complete list of the 98 grant awards can be found by visiting: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/dvpemergencyresponse/awards.html U.S. ED’s IES’ NCES EXAMINES ATTRITION AND
MOBILITY—2008-2009 Among
teachers who left teaching in 2008-09, about 5.3 percent of public school
teachers left because their contract was not renewed, compared to 13.0
percent of private school teachers whose contract was not renewed. NCES has
released the Teacher
Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2008–09 Teacher Follow-up Survey.
This First Look presents findings about teacher mobility and attrition among
elementary and secondary school teachers in grades K–12 in the 50 states and
the District of Columbia. LATEST EDITION OF THE WHITEHOUSE’s “ONDCP
UPDATE” E-NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE Volume
1, Issue 6 of ONDCP Update announces
the appointment of Benjamin B. Tucker as Office of National Drug Control
Policy’s (ONDCP's) Deputy Director of State, Local, and Tribal Affairs, and
of David K. Mineta as Deputy Director of Demand Reduction. Other articles in
the newsletter highlight findings from a recent report showing a dramatic
increase in substance abuse treatment admissions for prescription pain
relievers, the effectiveness of prescription drug take-back programs, the
signing of a new Delaware State law targeting prescription drug abuse, and release
of the United Nations' 2010 World Drug Report. View
the July issue of
the ONDCP Update newsletter. Feel
free to share this newsletter with your colleagues or others who would like
to catch up on the latest news and developments at ONDCP. If you have
questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Intergovernmental and
Public Liaison through the Drug Policy Information
Clearinghouse.
FOUNDATION FUNDING
OPPORTUNITY Ronald McDonald House Charities - Child
Health and Well-being Grants SOURCE: The Center
for Health and Health Care in School’s Weekly Insider, August 20, 2010
PBS’ “IN THE MIX” PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS FOR
SEPTEMBER 2010 Week
of… Sep
4 #439 DEALING WITH DEATH (Guide)--We’re constantly surrounded by death
in the media, in the news, and in our own lives. Yet it’s often a taboo
subject in families, schools, and communities; teens who lose loved
ones—whether to illness, suicide, or violence—are left to face their pain
alone. With this special, In the Mix breaks the silence and encourages
young people to express their thoughts and experiences surrounding the issue.
We meet young video makers, writers, and photographers who are using artistic
resources and creativity to help themselves and their peers confront issues
of dying. Laura, a teen surviving under the shadow of cystic fibrosis, talks
about how it feels to outlive her friends, and one young man shares his
heartbreak over his father’s suicide. The program also visits a bereavement
support group where teens participate in frank discussion and creative
activities, empowering them to cope with loss. The message from all these
young people is loud and clear: It’s not only OK to talk about death, it’s
essential. Sep
11 #423 SPORTS: GET ON THE GAME (Guide)--How
valuable is sports participation to a teenager? In the Mix helps teens
understand the positive role that athletics can play in every aspect of their
lives. Co-hosted by NBA superstar Stephon Marbury, we profile a group of
teens who invented their own sport, and visit with a group of girls who formed
a softball league that turned their lives around. The special also includes
an interview with Olympic Gold Medalist Amy Van Dyken, who explains why she
started swimming, what keeps her going, and how she deals with the physical
challenges of asthma. We meet a teacher who created an after-school running
club to show her students that sports is not always about winning, but also
about learning how to set and meet their goals. Sep 18 #426 SMOKING:
THE TRUTH UNFILTERED (Guide) DVD w/ Spanish Subtitles--Co-Hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks, In the Mix tackles smoking
prevention in a high energy, in-depth program that dispels common
misconceptions among teens. Featured segments include a hard look at the
addictive aspects of tobacco as well as the wide range of physical effects;
profiles of teens who are kicking the habit; a profile of a young woman
suffering from emphysema; and an ex-Lucky Strike cigarette model who has
cancer. Interviews with Bill Novelli, marketing expert and past president of
the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and teen activists are aimed at raising
awareness of how cigarette companies target teens and manipulate them into
thinking smoking is OK. The goal is to convince teens that smoking is
detrimental to their health in the present and in the near future—not just 30
or 40 years down the line.
Sep 25 #431 TEEN
IMMIGRANTS--A
record number of immigrants are being naturalized in America, especially
Hispanic and Asian groups. However, animosity towards immigrants and tensions
over race and customs are often sources of violent confrontations. As one
young immigrant described it, America is less of a melting pot and more of a
"salad bowl with lots of little chunks." In the Mix profiles five
teen immigrants of different races and countries, including the Dominican
Republic, China, Russia, Africa and India/Tanzania, to convey a deeper
understanding of their motivation in coming to America. We learn about the
experiences and challenges they face, as well as their aspirations for the future.
In addition to breaking down stereotypes, the program is also supportive and
of high interest to teen immigrants. Please
visit www.inthemix.org for transcripts,
discussion guides, video clips, how to get a copy, etc. for these and other
programs. |
