A Message from the Chancellor
by Joel Klein
The New York City Department of Education is fully committed to ensuring that our public schools are places where students, teachers and the entire school community are safe and secure. During this period when our nation is at war, our commitment to the safety and security of your children is unwavering.
To ensure that every public school in the City is ready to respond to emergency situations, my office has been in constant communication with the superintendents, principals and School Safety Committees that are responsible for safety and security at our schools. We also remain in around- the- clock communication with the New York City Police Department and the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management.
Each school in the City has a School Safety Plan and stands ready to implement emergency procedures should they become necessary. I have asked principals to be sure that information about evacuation routes and outside evacuation locations is available to all parents. School Safety Committees will be meeting regularly to review safety procedures and to ensure that all school staff are prepared and ready to respond to any potential emergencies.
The potential impact of the ongoing war effort on New York City is of serious concern to all of us. We will be vigilant in providing support to our children during this difficult period. Principals and teachers will be carefully monitoring children to address concerns and to facilitate appropriate classroom conversations about the war. I know that you will be doing the same with your children at home. To assist you in supporting your children, I have posted on the DOE website guidelines for parents that have been published by the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence. We have provided your children’s schools with similar guidelines for teachers.
In the days and weeks ahead, the Department of Education and the principals and teachers at your child’s school will be doing everything possible to prepare for potential emergency situations while at the same time maintaining the daily routines of educating and caring for your children.#
