Copyright 1999 Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.
Federal Document Clearing House Congressional Testimony
May 20, 1999
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 1382 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY May 20, 1999 MR. WILLIAM E. HALL HOUSE GOVERNMENT
REFORM AND OVERSIGHT HUMAN RESOURCES COMBATTING SCHOOL VIOLENCE
BODY:
Remarks presented by Mr. William E. Hall,
Superintendent of the Volusia Count School District Volusia County, Florida To:
The Congress of the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on
Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources Good Morning, Ladies and
Gentlemen. It is an honor and a privilege to address you this morning regarding
school violence from the perspective of a school superintendent. Much has been
said and written in light of the tragic events of past weeks. I will, therefore,
keep my comments brief and share with you only what I consider to be the
essential elements for school safety being employed by the Volusia County School
District. This fall, the Volusia County School District will open with
approximately 60,000 students in 67 schools. Although I feel that our schools
are among the safest places to be on a day-to-day basis, no school in America
has been left untouched by the recent tragedy in Colorado. We have seen the
effects on our students, teachers, parents and community. This event coupled
with other sudden acts of violence across our country remind us that no
community can be complacent in its efforts to make schools safer. Schools should
be a safe haven, free of violence and aggression, for students and teachers.
Schools have an obligation to teach citizenship and assist in developing
responsible adults. To do so, students and teachers must be provided a climate
for learning, one free of the fear of bullets and bombs. I propose to you that
this can only be accomplished with considerable effort and support from parents
and our communities. Our approach must be multifaceted. Focusing on enhanced
security and discipline, without increasing our ability to identify and support
troubled and disconnected youth, ignores our ability as adults to influence our
children and to make a change in their behavior. This is not to say that there
is no need for increased discipline and security. I am sure that school
districts across the nation are reassessing their preparedness for violent acts,
as we are in Volusia County. The Volusia County School District is currently
involved in a district-wide safety and security certification process in order
to insure that each of its schools maintain a high level of security. In this
process, schools are required to meet a set of standards divided into five
categories covering student and staff protection and emergency situations. These
standards were developed by the District Safety Committee in concert with the
Volusia County Sheriff's Department. Compliance for certification is a
three-step process. Schools must have written procedures which adequately
address the security standards, the appropriate staff must know the procedures
and the school must be observed to be in compliance with the procedures. The
certification process establishes a strong foundation on which individual
schools can build a safe and secure environment. Certification of compliance
with the safety standards begins this fall for all Volusia County Schools. In
developing security plans, it becomes obvious that schools require a close
working relationship with law enforcement agencies. To further build on those
relationships, our district staff participates in a statewide security
organization. They also maintain weekly meetings with supervisory personnel for
the School Resource Officer program. In these meetings, personnel assess the
risk individual students may pose, as well as systemic issues. Regarding school
safety, there are issues with which Congress can assist local school districts.
Districts need greater flexibility regarding the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.). Currently, we have two separate
systems of discipline for those who would disrupt and threaten the safe and
orderly school environment. Students receiving special education services pose
no less a threat than any other student when they demonstrate dangerous or
disruptive behaviors. Where a non- special education student can be expelled for
serious misconduct, consequences for special education students are greatly
restricted. Even when weapons are involved, districts are limited to a 45-day
period of exclusion from their campuses. Although technically, a special
education student can be expelled, districts cannot cease special education and
related services as defined by the student's Individual Education Plan. The cost
and method of the individual delivery of such services prohibit districts from
removing special education students who have committed serious threats to school
safety. Safe schools must also have and use a full array of appropriate support
services for students with special learning and emotional needs. These should be
available in all schools and must be supplemented with services from other
agencies, including mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and local
law enforcement. I cannot stress enough, the community and the family must be
partners in creating and maintaining safe schools. Predicting a violent event is
extremely difficult due to complex human variables. However, research has shown
us that interventions are most effective when made early on and applied in a
consistent manner, A number of professionals and publications have identified
early warning signs for troubled youth. Recognizing these signs in our students
is not a difficult task. However, most schools are not equipped to provide
complex interventions. These interventions are particularly important when
parents or guardians appear unconcerned with the child's behavior or risk
indicators. Therefore, communities must come together to form coalitions to
attack the problem of school violence. In Volusia County we are inviting
community agencies and professionals, community leaders and interested citizens
to meet with us to readdress and enhance our violence prevention plan. In our
violence prevention plan we continue to reflect the needs of teachers, students,
families and the community. The plan will continue to outline how our school's
faculty will recognize the behavioral and emotional signs that indicate a
student is in trouble and what steps will be taken to assist the student. Our
goal is to have improved access to a team of specialists, trained in evaluating
serious behavioral and academic concerns, available to all schools. A tracking
mechanism must be in place to monitor the student's progress and to insure
availability and follow-up for all identified interventions. Classroom teachers
will have the ability to consult with team members when they have concerns about
a particular student. Equally important, students must play an active role in
the school's violence prevention program. We must break the "code of silence"
which too often exists in our schools. Students should feel a sense of
responsibility to inform someone if they become aware of another student who may
carry out a violent act. They should not feel as they are telling on someone but
rather as if they have the responsibility to save others from injury or harm.
Volusia County has recently expanded its confidential telephone reporting system
in conjunction with the Sheriff's Department and the community. Our students
must be encouraged to seek assistance from parents or other trusted adults if
they are experiencing intense feelings of anger, fear, anxiety, or depression.
Appropriate behavior and respect for others must be emphasized at all times, by
all staff members. In closing, safe schools are places where there is strong
leadership, a caring faculty, student and parent participation, with community
involvement. With the absence of any one of these elements we increase our
vulnerability to school violence. Keeping our children safe is a community-wide
effort. Our common goal must be to create and preserve an environment where
students truly feel part of our schools and of the greater community. Additional
resources, not realigned resources, must be made available to achieve our goals.
We must try to keep students engaged and to reconnect with those who feel
isolated and distressed. This responsibility must be assumed by all of us.
Solutions to school violence cannot solely rest with our schools. It is a
societal problem.
LOAD-DATE: May 26, 1999
