00                        HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 7 am                                                                       
01 Recognizing the importance of safe school environments for students, staff, and their                                   
02 families; and supporting improvement of school safety measures.                                                         
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:                                                                         
04       WHEREAS students and staff have the right to attend schools that are safe and free                              
05 from violence and harassment, and their families deserve to send them to school without fear                            
06 they will be harmed; and                                                                                                
07       WHEREAS a safe school environment that ensures the physical and emotional safety                                
08 of students and staff creates the conditions necessary to foster academic achievement; and                              
09       WHEREAS a school environment that is free from bullying, harassment,                                            
10 discrimination, and violence is most conducive to learning and academic success; and                                    
11 WHEREAS, according to a 2015 study conducted by the Center for Benefit-Cost                                           
12 Studies of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, social and emotional learning                            
13 and competency reduces high risk and problematic behaviors, including drug use and                                      
14 violence, and, for every $1 spent teaching social and emotional skills in the classroom, there                          
15 can be a return equivalent to $11 in long-term benefit; and                                                             

01       WHEREAS Alaska is a diverse state with different financial, cultural, emotional, and                            
02 safety needs in each school district; and                                                                               
03       WHEREAS the responsibility of keeping students and staff safe is a shared                                       
04 responsibility that cannot be borne by public schools alone; and                                                        
05       WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2014, the legislature appropriated $21,000,000 for school                               
06 safety upgrades for school districts; and                                                                               
07 WHEREAS the Department of Education and Early Development plans to conduct an                                         
08 analysis of school safety efforts and gaps in school safety to create a statewide profile of                            
09 current school safety and emergency response preparedness that will be instrumental in                                  
10 informing future expansion of school safety efforts; and                                                                
11 WHEREAS the Department of Education and Early Development is in the initial                                           
12 stages of planning a statewide school safety convention in the fall of 2018 for key                                     
13 stakeholders, with representatives of all 54 school districts planning to attend; and                                   
14 WHEREAS the most effective approach to creating a safe school environment will                                        
15 involve a comprehensive, coordinated effort that incorporates school-wide, district-wide,                               
16 community-wide, and statewide strategies; and                                                                           
17 WHEREAS a support network of educators and support staff, students and their                                          
18 families, public health care providers, public safety officers, and tribal and community leaders                        
19 is required to develop, implement, and monitor policies and programs that foster and support                            
20 a positive school climate that is free from harassment and violence;                                                    
21 BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives recognizes the importance of a                                     
22 safe school environment for students, staff, and their families; and be it                                              
23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives supports local schools,                                            
24 districts, students, teachers, support staff, and communities working together to implement                             
25 culturally appropriate measures that prioritize student safety and school environments where                            
26 students have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive; and be it                                                     
27       FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives supports                                                     
28 (1)  increased training for school employees and enhanced coordination with                                             
29 law enforcement agencies and first responders to ensure appropriate responses to incidents of                           
30 violence in schools;                                                                                                    
31 (2)  enhanced mental health and support services, including nurses, counselors,                                         

01 school psychologists, and public safety officers, to help create the positive and nurturing                             
02 social and emotional school environment that is key to keeping our schools as safe as                                   
03 possible; and                                                                                                           
04            (3)  increased access to school safety measures, including school safety                                     
05 infrastructure, public safety officers, emergency planning, and other security measures                                 
06 designed to protect students and staff at school and allow students to focus on learning.