83 FR 26040 - Federal Commission on School Safety; Listening Sessions

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 108 (June 5, 2018)

The Department of Education (Department) is hosting listening sessions to gather information from the public on how schools, districts, institutions of higher education, and other local and State government agencies can improve school safety. In this notice, we announce the details of a listening session on June 6, 2018, at which interested parties may provide input.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26040-26041]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12171]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Federal Commission on School Safety; Listening Sessions

AGENCY: Office of the Deputy Secretary, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notification of listening session.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is hosting listening 
sessions to gather information from the public on how schools, 
districts, institutions of higher education, and other local and State 
government agencies can improve school safety. In this notice, we 
announce the details of a listening session on June 6, 2018, at which 
interested parties may provide input.

DATES: The listening sessions will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
local time on June 6, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Monica Bates, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Information Resource Center, 
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: 800-USA-LEARN. Email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 12, 2018, in the wake of the 
shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 
President Donald Trump announced his intent to establish a Federal 
Commission on School Safety (Commission). The Commission has been 
charged with quickly providing meaningful and actionable 
recommendations and best practices to keep students safe at school. The 
Commission is comprised of department heads whose agencies have 
jurisdiction over key school safety issues: Secretary of Education 
Betsy DeVos (Commission Chair), Attorney General Jeff Sessions, 
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar II, and Secretary of 
Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.
    The members of the Commission are gathering information from 
students, parents, teachers, school safety personnel, administrators, 
law enforcement officials, mental health professionals, school 
counselors, security professionals, and others.
    On March 28, 2018, the Commission held an organizational meeting to 
begin planning its work, and decided to host a series of meetings, site 
visits, and listening sessions over the next several months. Formal 
Commission meetings will provide a forum for presentations from subject 
matter experts, individuals affected by school violence, and other key 
stakeholders. Field visits will involve travel to schools and other 
sites to observe and learn first-hand about current best practices in 
school safety. Listening sessions will occur in several regions of the 
country and provide an opportunity for the general public to be heard 
and provide recommendations to the Commission.
    Commission Chair Betsy DeVos hosted a meeting and discussion on May 
17, 2018, to learn from survivors and family members affected by the 
mass shootings at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, 
Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, 
in addition to authors of official reports following incidents of 
school violence.
    The first field visit occurred on May 31, 2018, at Frank Hebron-
Harman Elementary School in Hanover, MD. Commission members and their 
representatives heard from administrators, principals, teachers, 
students, and a national expert about Positive Behavioral Interventions 
and Supports (PBIS), a framework designed to improve social, emotional, 
and academic outcomes for all students.
    Generally, as the Commission gathers information, it will focus on 
different aspects of school safety, including the prevention of school 
violence, the protection of students and teachers, and the mitigation 
of threats of school violence.
    The information received will inform the Commission's 
recommendations and best practices final report. Further information on 
meetings, site visits, and listening sessions will be posted on the 
Commission's website which will be hosted on the Department's website. 
This notice provides information about the first of four listening 
sessions.

Listening Sessions

    The Commission will hold four listening sessions. The first will 
take place on June 6, 2018, at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Building (U.S. 
Department of Education Headquarters), Barnard Auditorium, 400 Maryland 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202. The other three listening sessions 
will be held in other regions of the country, with dates and locations 
to be determined. See www.ed.gov for further details.
    The listening sessions will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
local time.
    Individuals who would like to either speak or listen/observe at the 
listening sessions must register at the following link: http://www.cvent.com/d/qgqw2w/4W. If you need reasonable accommodations, you 
will be able to identify those when registering. Speakers will be 
assigned slots within two blocks of time: Morning session (9:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.) and Afternoon session (1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.). We will 
attempt to accommodate each speaker's preference, but, if we are unable 
to do so, we will make the determination on a first-come, first-served 
basis, based on the time and date the registration was received. At 
least 24 hours prior to the meeting, we will notify you by email of 
your scheduled speaking session and the required time of arrival. Each 
speaker will be limited to five minutes. An individual may make no more 
than one presentation at the listening session. If we receive more 
registrations than we are able to accommodate, the Commission reserves 
the right to rescind the registration of an entity or individual that 
is affiliated with an entity or individual that is already scheduled to 
speak, and to select among registrants to ensure that a broad range of 
entities and individuals presents comments. The Commission will accept 
walk-in registrations for speaking or listening/observing on a first-
come, first-served basis, starting at 9:45 a.m. for the morning session 
and 1:45 p.m. for the afternoon session until capacity is reached. 
Those who have pre-registered will be given priority over a walk-in 
registration. For those who would like to submit written comments, 
please submit them to [email protected]. You may also submit them in person 
at the Department's on-site registration table. Please limit comments 
to 50 pages.
    The Commission will post transcripts of the listening sessions to 
www.ed.gov. The Commission will live-stream the listening session on 
June 6, 2018 at the following link: https://edstream.ed.gov/webcast/Play/522e37827d7a4f69a3126f428ba7bba81d.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) or register to present comments by

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contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
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    Dated: June 1, 2018.
Mitchell Zais,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-12171 Filed 6-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P