School Leaders from Across the Nation Attend First-Ever Indiana Hosted State Education Chief Roundtable on School Safety

INDIANAPOLIS – School leaders from districts across the nation today attended Indiana’s first-ever State Education Chief Roundtable on school safety. Held during the 2018 Indiana Advanced School Safety Specialist Academy, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) invited representatives from all 50 states and U.S. territories in an effort to extend the national discussion on school safety and share best practices.

“Indiana is not alone in making school safety a top priority for students and staff,” said Dr. Jennifer McCormick, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Schools nationally are committed to student safety. Through our Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy, we continue to train school leaders to plan, prepare, and partner. We are honored to share oursuccessful efforts and best practices with state leaders from across the United States. We recognize the importance of collaboration and hold a commitment to providing the resources and guidance schools need to keep our children safe.”

For nearly 20 years, the Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy has provided ongoing, certified training surrounding state and national best practices. In addition, the Academy offers resources for school safety, security, intervention/prevention, and emergency preparedness planning. Safety specialists are trained to lead the development and implementation of a school safety plan which aims to provide a safe educational environment for Indiana students.

Looking to further safety discussions through collaboration and partnership, this State Education Chief Roundtable is anticipated to be the first of many national collaborative discussions on school safety.

For more information on Indiana’s commitment to school safety or to learn more about the Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/safety.