Center for Schools and Communities Director Shileste Morris has been invited to participate in the Governor’s Safety and Security Taskforce, School Safety Survey and Assessment Workgroup. This summer, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 44 of 2018 into law, creating a School Safety and Security Committee within Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The Committee is tasked with developing the criteria school entities are to use in performing school safety and security assessments, issuing a survey to school entities to measure school safety and security preparedness, and administering grants.
For more than two decades, Center for Safe Schools at Center for Schools and Communities has been committed to providing training and consulting to help schools identify and implement effective programs and practices and maintain safe, productive learning environments; and it serves as a statewide clearinghouse for educators, parents, law enforcement and others on school safety and youth violence prevention. The Center for Safe Schools supports schools and local agencies in developing and reviewing emergency management and crisis response plans; creating positive school environments; implementing evidence-based programs; and institutionalizing proactive safety measures in partnership with law enforcement and other community entities to address local needs. In her leadership role with Center for Safe Schools, Overton Morris will participate in the workgroup to help develop a school safety survey that identifies a baseline for districts around school safety practices.