Superintendent Eva Joseph and the Board of Education of the City School District of Albany have announced numerous initiatives intended to improve school safety.

Superintendent Joseph said, “we have been aggressively working on numerous initiatives to address the safety issue. We have listened to feedback from our teachers, parents, students and the community. Their concerns were heard loud and clear - and are appreciated. While we need to continue to work together to solve this challenge, the initiatives we are announcing today will jump start a comprehensive plan to tackle the safety challenge. Starting February 27, when the students return to classrooms, there will be important, visible and we hope effective changes in several of our schools and aggressive actions which will impact every school. Our goals are to reduce or eliminate safety violations and strengthen safety in every school in this district, so that the vast majority of children who are not disruptive - as well as their talented teachers and support staff - can avail themselves of the wonderful resources of this school district… without concern for their safety.”

The following initiatives will be implemented as indicated…

Albany High School

• Leadership support for the immediate and near future via the assignment of Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, Mr. Joseph Dragone, to the High School, February 27

• Leadership team support for the week of February 27

• Lunch period expansion plan to be implemented February 27

• Improve student traffic patterns beginning February 27

• Initiate hall monitor/security staff training February 28

• Immediately expand alternative education opportunities to include satellite programs

• More fully enforced random searches starting February 27

Harriet Gibbons High School

• Daily random searches starting February 27

• Improve attendance monitoring procedures via Truancy Abatement Program staff

Philip Livingston Magnet Academy

• Reinvigorate the leadership at PLMA, February 27

General

• Redefine and clarify the role School Resource Officers (Police personnel in the schools) and school security staff

• Provide uniforms for all hall monitors

District wide

• NYS Center for School Safety – Immediately begin the review and strategy implementation of the findings of their comprehensive evaluation of safety in the district, and implement tactics to address those recommendations

• Student Conduct & Discipline Policy – Begin regular meetings with principals and security staff regarding clear interpretation and reinforcing Student Conduct and Discipline Policy at their schools

• Safe Schools Principal – Safe Schools Principal, Mr. Jerry Guzik, will document and report each school’s safety plan to address and strengthen the implementation of the Student Conduct & Discipline Policy: reaffirming expectations with students/parents and ensuring consistency in implementing consequences

• Comprehensive Communication Plan – to parents, students and staff to make the Student Conduct & Discipline Policy (and it’s expectations and consequences) continually visible and understood by all

Hackett Middle School Students to remain at school until 2007, then move to Philip Schuyler Elementary School during final phases of Hackett renovation.
On Tuesday February 7, the Board of education discussed plans for students at Hackett Middle School to remain at that school until January 2007, at which time they will then be temporarily moved (over the holiday recess) to, and housed at, Philip Schuler Elementary School (PSES) for the duration of the renovation of Hackett.
The renovation is scheduled for the July 2006-September 2008 timeframe. From July 2006 through December 2006 the exterior and attic portions of the building will be worked, and thus the school can continue to function at the site, largely uninterrupted, during that period.
Look for additional information on middle school enrollment on this site over the next several days.

The first Youth Safety Task Force meeting was held Thursday, February 2, at Harriet Gibbons. 22 community leaders met to discuss ways to address the safety issue within and nearby district schools. While the meeting was largely an orientation session to get the ball rolling, there were frank discussions about numerous issues relating to safety. Several Task Force members expressed candid views of how and why safety has become an issue and there were several suggestions, which will be explored, as to how to improve safety both within the schools and in the city. The Task Force meeting led by Superintendent Joseph and Chief Tuffey, will meet again within the next month. In the interim, Task Force members will interact with one another, in a spirit of keeping momentum going, with a focus on identifying actionable ways to improve safety as soon as possible.