New group to explore safety plans at schools
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday appointed a working group comprised of leaders from the executive branch, General Assembly, safety and mental health arenas to begin reviewing school safety issues in Tennessee and make recommendations after last month’s deadly mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school.
The Republican governor wants the first of the group’s recommendations to come in advance of state lawmakers wrapping up their annual session, tentatively scheduled for sometime in mid-April.
“All children in Tennessee deserve to learn in a safe and secure environment, and I am asking this working group to move quickly in making practical recommendations that we can implement in the coming weeks and months to help increase the safety of our children,” Haslam said in a statement.
State officals say that while all Tennessee schools have safety plans in place, the working group will review the policies, procedures and process of developing and implementing those plans, as well as other school safety measures. These include communication and collaboration among law enforcement, educators and mental health professionals.
Haslam, who told reporters last week he would convene the task force, described the review group’s mission as “wide ranging” but said it would include specific agenda items including entry to and exit from schools, training and availability of school resource officers and in-school mental health resources for students.
The Governor’s School Safety Working Group will be led by state Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner David Purkey and includes state Education Commissioner Candice McQueen as well as the governor’s chief operating officer, Greg Adams.
Another member is Rep. David Byrd, R-Waynesboro, who is sponsor of a controversial bill that would allow armed, trained teachers to carry firearms in schools.
Byrd has said the bill is necessary because rural school systems cannot afford to hire school resource officers, who are members of law enforcement given additional training to handle situations in school settings.
Other work group members are:
› State Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta
› State Senate Education Committee Chairman Dolores, R-Somerville
› Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson
› Mike Herrmann, executive director of Conditions for Learning, state Department of Education
› Sgt. Jeff Hicks, school resource officer supervisor, Blount County Sheriff’s Office
› Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, U.S. Army, retired
› Abbey Kidwell, teacher, South Clinton Elementary School, Clinton City Schools
› Cindy Minnis, school psychologist, Metro Nashville Public Schools
› Sevier County Schools Superintendent Jack Parton
› Altha Stewart, University of Tennessee, incoming president of the American Psychiatric Association
› Sonia Stewart, principal, Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools
› State Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Marie Williams
› House Republican Caucus Chairman Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville.