National Council of School Safety Directors Launched to Lead the Path to Safer Schools

The new organization will unite school safety professionals nationwide to establish standards, share best practices, and advocate for holistic school safety policies to improve school safety.

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- With threats to schools at an all-time high, ZeroNow, the school safety stakeholder community, is launching the National Council of School Safety Directors to advocate for a dedicated School Safety Director in K-12 school districts nationwide. Inaugural Chair Jason Stoddard, Director of School Safety and Security for Charles County Public Schools, will make the announcement at an online media conference on Tuesday, April 30 at 3pm ET featuring remarks from Congressman Rep. Tony Gonzales (TX).

"The National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD) is the first and only organization created with the sole purpose of establishing, educating, and building a national standard and certification and a continuing education program for School Safety Directors," Stoddard said. "Our members are the professionals who are equipped to lead and implement school safety programs, ensuring every school employs a holistic approach incorporating understanding security vulnerabilities, funding, prevention programs, security technology, emergency response plans, training, plus collaboration with law enforcement and other stakeholders."

ZeroNow President Ara Bagdasarian added, "School Safety Directors are navigators in the crucial journey towards safer schools. While a multitude of valuable resources and tools exist today, it's only through the informed leadership of these professionals that we can unlock the true potential of these assets and chart a course for safer learning environments."

A 2022 report by the Education Commission of the States reported that 32 states have a school safety entity and only half require any sort of safety training for teachers and staff. Assigning school safety duties to school administrators without security training or experience sets schools up for failure, as does splitting the responsibilities between multiple staff members who are often confused and overwhelmed in an emergency. A School Safety Director (SSD) has a singular focus?developing a cohesive safety strategy and leading its integration and implementation.

Among NCSSD's immediate objectives are:

• Developing standards and certification programs for individuals aspiring to be SSDs.
• Creating a network of collaboration where school safety professionals and districts can learn and share resources, best practices and expertise.
• Advocating for federal and state legislation to provide a mandated legal framework to establish the SSD role in all school districts.
• Securing additional funding through a combination of federal and state grants or local taxes to cover the cost of hiring and supporting the SSDs.

While School Resource Officers (SROs) play a vital role, the complexity of ensuring holistic safety extends beyond their scope. There is a critical need for a dedicated School Safety Director in every school district, empowered with the resources necessary to effectively mitigate risks while championing a secure and safe educational environment.

About the National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD)

Founded in 2024 by the nonprofit ZeroNow, the National Council of School Safety Directors was created in response to the escalating number of emergencies in K-12 schools and the frustration expressed by school administrators charged with preventing them. Largely without knowledge, experience, training or background in security, school administrators are expected to manage risk assessment and mitigation, comprehensive emergency planning, coordination with first responders, security technology integration and more. NCSSD is dedicated to supporting and advocating for a qualified SSD in every school district. Find out more at www.zeronow.org/ncssd.

About ZeroNow

ZeroNow is the safety community's movement to end harmful events in our schools. As a member-based non-profit, ZeroNow facilitates collaboration between industry, associations, and education partners to foster new solutions to keep our schools safe and secure.

ZeroNow drives ideas, innovation, and investment to make school safer for good. To find out more about ZeroNow, check out its website at www.zeronow.org.

Media Contact

Ara Bagdasarian, ZeroNow, 1 7039732480, [email protected], www.zeronow.org

SOURCE ZeroNow