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10/6/2023
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Media Advisory: Study commission on school safety protocols will hear from leaders in education, children’s health
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STATE HOUSE – Special Legislative Study Commission to Evaluate and Provide Recommendations on Mandated Safety Protocols for Rhode Island Schools is scheduled to meet Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 4 p.m. in the House Lounge on the second floor of the State House for a meeting featuring leaders in education and children’s health.
The meeting will include a review of current policies, followed by presentations by commission member Mike Hassell of the Rhode Island Association of School Principals, commission member Amy Mullen of the National Education Association of Rhode Island and Dr. Peter Pogacar of the American Academy of Pediatrics Rhode Island Chapter.
No public testimony is scheduled at this meeting. The meeting will be televised live by Capitol Television on Cox Communications Channels 15 and 61 for high definition; i3Broadband (formerly Full Channel) on Channel 15; and Verizon on Channel 34. Livestreaming sill be available at https://www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx.
The commission is led by Rep. Jennifer Boylan (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence), a longtime firearms safety advocate and sponsor of the legislation (2023-H 6422) creating it. Its purpose is to study school lockdowns and fire drills and the associated mental health impacts on students. The commission will also study protocols and impacts of actual lockdown events, to include swatting events like those that recently occurred in school districts across the state. The commission brings together experts and stakeholders from across the state to answer complex questions such as whether and when students should be encouraged to evacuate during lockdown events, whether advanced notice should be provided to students and/or parents prior to a lockdown drill and whether the frequency of drills should be changed.
In addition to Chairwoman Boylan, Hassell and Mullen, the commission includes Rep. Joseph McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston), Rep. Jennifer A. Stewart (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket), Andy Andrade of the Rhode Island Department of Education, Lawrence Filippelli of the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association, Francis J. Flynn of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Federation of Teachers; Sherrie Monaco of the Rhode Island Association of School Psychologists; Chief Scott Kettelle of the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs, Katelyn Medeiros of the Office of the Rhode Island Child Advocate, high school student Millie Piper, special needs educator Amanda Soave-Curi, Chief Kevin M. Lynch of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association, Corporal Nicholas Rivello of the Rhode Island State Police, high school teacher Glenn Valentine, Edward Troiano of the Office of the Attorney General, high school student Dexter Vincent and Jennifer Ahlijanian of the Rhode Island Association of Social Workers.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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