On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the inaugural members of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board.
The group, school safety experts and education leaders, will provide recommendations on how to enhance school safety and security. Officials said the board builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s collective efforts to support schools and fulfills a key requirement of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
The board will advise the Secretary of Homeland Security through the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on the implementation of evidence-based school safety practices and propose additional best practices for publication on schoolsafety.gov, the federal government’s platform that provides schools with recommendations to create safe and supportive environments. Officials said the site serves as an information access point for school safety from the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse, an interagency effort among the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice.
“Students and educators deserve safe environments that are free from fear,” U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said. “This Board will help schools and communities create safe learning spaces amid a diverse and ever-changing threat landscape.”
The announcement comes nearly two years after legislation was passed to codify and expand the Clearinghouse and to direct the board’s establishment. The board will be chaired by Ronn Nozoe, CEO of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
“What makes this initiative truly special is the unprecedented collaboration between federal agencies, school safety and violence prevention experts, and the inclusion of voices from the frontlines of education – school leaders, educators and students,” Nozoe said. “By bringing together this diverse group of stakeholders, we’re creating a powerful team that will drive real, positive change in school safety. This is how we make a lasting difference – by working together and ensuring that those most affected by these issues have a seat at the table.”
The board’s first meeting is scheduled for Fall 2024.