The new organization will unite school safety professionals
nationwide to establish standards, share best practices, and
advocate for holistic school safety policies to improve school
safety.
WASHINGTON, April 25,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- With threats to
schools at an all-time high, ZeroNow, the school safety stakeholder
community, is launching the National Council of School Safety
Directors to advocate for a dedicated School Safety Director in
K-12 school districts nationwide. Inaugural Chair Jason Stoddard, Director of School Safety and
Security for Charles County Public Schools, will make the
announcement at an online media conference on Tuesday, April 30 at 3pm
ET featuring remarks from Congressman Rep. Tony Gonzales (TX).
"The National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD) is the
first and only organization created with the sole purpose of
establishing, educating, and building a national standard and
certification and a continuing education program for School Safety
Directors," Stoddard said. "Our members are the professionals who
are equipped to lead and implement school safety programs, ensuring
every school employs a holistic approach incorporating
understanding security vulnerabilities, funding, prevention
programs, security technology, emergency response plans, training,
plus collaboration with law enforcement and other
stakeholders."
ZeroNow President Ara Bagdasarian
added, "School Safety Directors are navigators in the crucial
journey towards safer schools. While a multitude of valuable
resources and tools exist today, it's only through the informed
leadership of these professionals that we can unlock the true
potential of these assets and chart a course for safer learning
environments."
A 2022 report by the Education Commission of the States reported
that 32 states have a school safety entity and only half require
any sort of safety training for teachers and staff. Assigning
school safety duties to school administrators without security
training or experience sets schools up for failure, as does
splitting the responsibilities between multiple staff members who
are often confused and overwhelmed in an emergency. A School Safety
Director (SSD) has a singular focus—developing a cohesive safety
strategy and leading its integration and implementation.
Among NCSSD's immediate objectives are:
- Developing standards and certification programs for individuals
aspiring to be SSDs.
- Creating a network of collaboration where school safety
professionals and districts can learn and share resources, best
practices and expertise.
- Advocating for federal and state legislation to provide a
mandated legal framework to establish the SSD role in all school
districts.
- Securing additional funding through a combination of federal
and state grants or local taxes to cover the cost of hiring and
supporting the SSDs.
While School Resource Officers (SROs) play a vital role, the
complexity of ensuring holistic safety extends beyond their scope.
There is a critical need for a dedicated School Safety Director in
every school district, empowered with the resources necessary to
effectively mitigate risks while championing a secure and safe
educational environment.
About the National Council of School Safety Directors
(NCSSD)
Founded in 2024 by the nonprofit ZeroNow, the National Council
of School Safety Directors was created in response to the
escalating number of emergencies in K-12 schools and the
frustration expressed by school administrators charged with
preventing them. Largely without knowledge, experience, training or
background in security, school administrators are expected to
manage risk assessment and mitigation, comprehensive emergency
planning, coordination with first responders, security technology
integration and more. NCSSD is dedicated to supporting and
advocating for a qualified SSD in every school district. Find out
more at www.zeronow.org/ncssd.
About ZeroNow
ZeroNow is the safety community's movement to end harmful events
in our schools. As a member-based non-profit, ZeroNow facilitates
collaboration between industry, associations, and education
partners to foster new solutions to keep our schools safe and
secure.
ZeroNow drives ideas, innovation, and investment to make school
safer for good. To find out more about ZeroNow, check out its
website at www.zeronow.org.
Media Contact
Ara Bagdasarian, ZeroNow, 1
7039732480, ara@zeronow.org, www.zeronow.org
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content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/national-council-of-school-safety-directors-launched-to-lead-the-path-to-safer-schools-302127214.html
SOURCE ZeroNow