On May 31 and June 1, MI hosted a School Safety Summit in partnership with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Student Support Services. Nearly 650 school administrators and staff, school resource officers, and safety team members attended the two-day event at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.
From left: Dr. Job Thomas, MI; Kathleen DeCataldo, NYSED Assistant Commissioner of Student Support Services; Aleece Behr, MI; Dr. Halley Eacker, MI; Dr. Betty Rosa, NYSED Commissioner of Education; Michele Shahen, NYSED Office of Student Support Services; Jim Dillon, MI; Kathy Oboyski-Butler, MI; and Tina Tierney, MI
The Summit provided training, information, and resources on topics related to Emergency Response Plan development and implementation, and sessions designed to help create safe and supportive learning environments for school communities.
Highlights of the Summit included:
- Opening remarks from Commissioner Rosa followed by a keynote presentation by Christina Pate, Deputy Director of the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd
- General sessions on Trauma-Informed Lockdown Drills with Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut & Dr. Amanda Nickerson and Solving Disproportionality in Suspension Requires Addressing System Gaps and Bias-Based Beliefs with Dr. Edward Fergus
- Fifteen breakout sessions on a diverse array of school safety, positive school climate, and mental health topics, including a session on Functional Annexes and Tabletop Exercises led by Kathy Oboyski-Butler and Tina Tierney of MI’s New York State Center for School Safety (NYS CFSS) team
The Summit also featured a “Meet the Technical Assistance Centers” gallery which allowed attendees to engage with experts from various New York State agencies and contracted providers and receive free, quality resources to foster safe and supportive schools.
MI’s role in coordinating the Summit is part of our long-standing contract with NYSED to operate the NYS CFSS which provides professional development and technical assistance to districts, schools, parents, and other stakeholders across the state. For more information, visit nyscfss.org.
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