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RECENT PRESS RELEASES |
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Superintendent Cox on School Safety
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- Media Contact: Dana Tofig, Communications Director, GaDOE (404) 463-1487, dtofig@doe.k12.ga.us
- Public Contact: ASK DOE, (404) 656-2800, askdoe@doe.k12.ga.us
A MESSAGE FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS KATHY COX
Recent tragic events around the country have brought the issue of school safety into the public eye this week. At the Georgia Department of Education and in all of our schools, the safety of students is our top priority everyday.
While we cannot predict when an incident may occur, we can prepare.
There are many state and federal laws that ensure that our schools and school systems have an emergency plan in place and have policies and procedures for school visitors. You can view these policies below. Our local systems also have policies and procedures to make sure our children are safe in their schools.
We also have a hotline for students to call anonymously if they become aware of any threat of violence at their school. That hotline -- 1-877-SAY-STOP -- operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is answered either by the Georgia Department of Education or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
For parents, teachers, school employees and, most particularly, students, stories such as yesterday's tragedy in Pennsylvania can be very unsettling. As the mother of two school-age sons, I know that personally.
But, I also know that Georgia's school systems share our concern and are doing everything they can to protect our children.
Over the next several weeks and months, I look forward to working with the Georgia Office of Homeland Security, the State Legislature, state education groups and our local systems to review current school safety laws and policies and make any necessary updates.
If you have any concerns or ideas, please email me at kathycox@doe.k12.ga.us. I will make sure every email is read and responded to.
SCHOOL SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
OCGA 20-2-1185 - School Safety Plans
- Every public school shall prepare a school safety plan to help curb the growing incidence of violence in schools, to respond effectively to such incidents, and to provide a safe learning environment for Georgia’s children, teachers, and other school personnel. The plan shall address: natural disasters, hazardous materials or radiological accidents, acts of violence, and acts of terrorism.
- School safety plans shall be updated annually and submitted to the local emergency management agency.
- The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) shall provide training and technical assistance to public school systems (crisis response team development, site surveys and safety audits, crisis management planning, exercise design, safe school planning, emergency operations planning, search and seizure, bomb threat management and model school safety plans.
- Access the Georgia Office of Homeland Security (GEMA) to see if a school has an approved school safety plan at www.gema.state.ga.us. To view more information on school safety and to find out if your school has an approved school safety plan, please click here.
OCGA 20-2-1180 - School Visitors
Upon entering any school building between the official starting time and the official dismissal time, any person who is not a student at such school, an employee of the school or school system, a school board member, an approved volunteer following the established guidelines of the school, or a person who has been invited to or otherwise authorized to be at the school by a principal, teacher, counselor, or other authorized employee of the school shall check in at the designated location as stated on posted signs and provide a reason for his or her presence at the school.
School Safety Hotline 1-877-SAY-STOP (1-877-729-7867)
The Georgia School Safety Hotline is a 24 hour hotline designed for crisis prevention. If students know of an unsafe situation in school (such as weapons, bomb threats, gang activity, drugs/alcohol, bullying or other activities) they can anonymously pass on that information through the hotline, initiating immediate and appropriate action. Depending on the urgency of the call, the hotline operator will contact the appropriate law enforcement agency. Next, the local school system will be notified and will be asked to inform the Georgia Department of Education of the outcome and subsequent actions taken in conjunction with the call. The hotline is also a valuable information resource for students, parents, and educators and anyone who has questions about school safety in Georgia schools.
GDOE website: http://www.gadoe.org/askdoe.aspx?PageReq=ASKSafety
Funding - Title IV-A (Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program)
The purpose of Title IV-A funding (Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program) is to support programs that prevent violence and the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs in and around schools in order to foster a safe and drug-free learning environment that supports student achievement. In addition to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention programs, systems can use Title IV-A funds to pay for the hiring and training of School Resource Officers; acquiring and installing security equipment (metal detectors, surveillance cameras, etc.); developing and implementing school security plans and conducting locker searches for weapons, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia. |
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(404) 651-7358
(404) 656-0966
