RESOURCES
Stand with Parkland is committed to advocating for practical public safety reforms focused on the safety of our children and staff at school, improved mental health support, and responsible firearms ownership.
Teachers, administrators, law enforcement, lawmakers, and concerned citizens all have a role to play to make sure solutions are implemented in our schools.
Stand with Parkland recommends the following resources to those seeking to improve school safety in their community.
For more opportunities to get involved in the fight for safer schools, join Stand with Parkland today.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
On July 1, 2021, SB 590 – School Safety became law in Florida. Stand with Parkland worked closely with elected officials to advocate for this bill, and our supporters joined in to call for specific provisions that would make schools safer for all students and staff members. This law creates a parental notification requirement to timely notifications of threats at school and ensures access to the state’s SESIR data. In addition, the law requires school safety officers to complete mental health Crisis Intervention Training (CIT).
Throughout the negotiation process for this bill, we were in DC meeting with senators from both sides of the aisle to advocate for our school safety goals. And it is through this uniquely inclusive, non-partisan approach that we did our part to help get this bill across the finish line.
Florida HB 899 – Mental Health of Students
One of our core pillars is creating and bolstering the mental health resources available to students. This law does exactly that by requiring district school boards to designate a mental health coordinator and allocates more funding and resources for mental health assistance. This issue is especially timely given the growing number of American students struggling with mental health issues.
This bill passed following testimony from our President, Tony Montalto.
Florida HB 1421
The Florida House and Senate voted unanimously to pass this bill that we were proud to advocate for. It updates the school safety law originally passed after the tragic 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This comprehensive package will enhance the mental health and safety of students and families, including requiring school resource officers to complete mental health intervention training. It also mandates that the Department of Education publish school safety data, ensuring that school safety advocates have a robust toolkit in order to improve the safety of the community.
Florida SB 590 – School Safety
On July 1, 2021, SB 590 – School Safety became law in Florida. Stand with Parkland worked closely with elected officials to advocate for this bill, and our supporters joined in to call for specific provisions that would make schools safer for all students and staff members. This law creates a parental notification requirement to timely notifications of threats at school and ensures access to the state’s SESIR data. In addition, the law requires school safety officers to complete mental health Crisis Intervention Training (CIT).
The Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center’s Analysis of Averting Targeted School Violence 2021
“Threat Assessment is the best practice for preventing targeted school violence. The averted attacks in this report confirm what the National Threat Assessment Center’s research has found on school attacks, specifically that students display a variety of observable concerning behaviors as they escalate toward violence. In order to identify, assess, and intervene with students who may pose a risk of harm to themselves or others, schools and communities should develop multidisciplinary threat assessment programs…”
Some highlights in this report:
- Targeted school violence is preventable when communities identify warning signs and intervene.
- Students are best positioned to identify and report concerning behaviors displayed by their classmates.
- School resource officers (SROs) play an important role in school violence prevention.
- The role of parents and families in recognizing concerning behavior is critical to prevention.
SchoolSafety.gov
A collaboration between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Education built with input from the Stand with Parkland families, SchoolSafety.gov provides one-stop access to federal school safety resources, programs, and actionable recommendations to create a safe and supportive learning environment where students can thrive and grow. SchoolSafety.gov aims to help schools prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from emergency situations.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission report
On March 9, 2018, Governor Rick Scott signed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act into law. This comprehensive legislation focuses on identifying and addressing issues surrounding the tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A key component of the legislation was the establishment of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission to specifically analyze information from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and other mass violence incidents and provide recommendations and system improvements to help mitigate the impacts from and prevent future school shootings.
The Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center’s Analysis of Targeted School Violence
The U.S. Secret Service has a longstanding tradition of conducting threat assessments as part of its mandate to ensure the safety of this Nation’s highest elected officials. Their National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) is dedicated to expanding the field of violence prevention by closely examining the targeted violence that affects communities across the United States. As part of this mission, NTAC has maintained a particular focus on the prevention of targeted school violence. For 20 years, the Center has studied these tragedies, and their report, titled Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence, supports past Secret Service research findings that indicate targeted school violence is preventable.
The Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety
In March 2018, President Donald Trump appointed U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to lead the Federal Commission on School Safety. The Commission was charged with providing meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school. These recommendations include a range of issues, like social-emotional support, recommendations on effective school safety infrastructure, discussion on the minimum age for firearms purchases, and the impact that video games and the media have on violence.
The Columbia Protocol
Suicide PreventionThe first step in suicide prevention is awareness — knowing when someone is in crisis. That’s often not obvious, because many people suffer in silence or give no sign that they might harm themselves. As a family member, friend, neighbor, or colleague, you can make a difference by using the Columbia Protocol — also known as Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) — to help determine when someone is at risk for suicide and how to help.
A Parent’s Guide to Raising Digitally Responsible Youth
Families must recognize technology is here to stay, whether we like it or not. The reality of today’s students is that their digital reputation or how they choose to represent themselves online is being evaluated and assessed by everyone, including college admissions departments and future employers. The team at Safer Schools Together created this parent guide to help introduce the major social media platforms and games that are either being used already or have the potential to be used by our children.
Responsible Firearms Ownership – Tips for the Safe Storage of Firearms
Please exercise responsible firearms ownership. Whether firearms have been in your family for generations or a recent addition to it, be sure to educate yourself and your entire family regarding firearm safety. Please take the time to make certain your firearms are safely stored where they are not likely to be stolen and where your children cannot access them. COVID-19 measures and the unprecedented closure of schools and daycares means children are staying home and likely feeling a little bored. Responsible firearms ownership will help prevent new tragedies from occurring while America’s students remain at home and parents return to work.
More Information on School Resource Officers
School resource officers (SROs) are an important piece of the puzzle for safe and secure schools. They help coordinate and implement safety plans, provide guidance to struggling students, serve as role models, and establish positive relationships between law enforcement and the community. They are the last line of defense for students and teachers when attacks occur.
SROs are vital, and most effective when they are part of a behavioral threat assessment team that brings school officials, mental health professions, and law enforcement together to proactively prevent tragedy and get students help before they resort to violence.
We’ve curated resources to show the positive impacts of SROs on the school community.
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If you are ready to get involved in our mission of safer schools for America’s students and staff, join Stand with Parkland today.
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