U.S. Department of Education launches Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website
The U.S. Department of Education launched the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on Feb. 10.
The website is a one-stop-shop of resources for K-12 administrators, educators, parents and law enforcement to use to prepare for and address various threats related to safety, security and support in schools, according to a press release.
President Donald Trump established the Federal Commission on School Safety to review safety practices and make meaningful and actionable recommendations of best practices to keep students safe following the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.
"School safety is the number one priority of parents across the country, which is why the President directed DHS and other federal agencies to form a task force and provide schools, teachers, parents, and law enforcement with resources to identify, prepare for, respond to, and mitigate threats," said Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in a press release. "The Department provided expertise and resources on a range of school safety issues including threat assessments, physical security, emergency planning, and trainings and exercises designed to help schools and local law enforcement prepare for incidents. With these resources, schools and law enforcement will be better equipped to handle a crisis."
The website includes resources like the school safety readiness tool that allows users to evaluate their school's safety plans, a secure information sharing platform for school personnel and other resources.
For more information, visit the website at SchoolSafety.gov.
Cleveland State celebrates 30th anniversary of Law Enforcement Training Academy
Cleveland State Community College recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the school's Law Enforcement Training Academy.
This year marks 30 years and the 79th class of cadets since the academy opened its doors in the fall of 1990, according to a press release. Approximately 2,000 students have been graduated from the academy and gone on to public service careers in the region and beyond, including current City of Cleveland Chief of Police Mark Gibson, who graduated in the spring of 1997.
"For the last 30 years, the Cleveland State Law Enforcement Training Academy has trained some of the greatest men and women to serve the great State of Tennessee," Gibson said in a press release. "Law enforcement and the City of Cleveland are fortunate to have a training center of this caliber in our community."
Each class is made up of 25-35 cadets and, unlike other training academies, Cleveland State's academy allows anyone interested in law enforcement to undergo training. This allows officers-in-training from local agencies to learn alongside students who might not have applied for a law enforcement-related position. Once students successfully complete the 12-week program, they are ready for the workforce.
Cleveland State is always actively recruiting for the program. The next class begins on May 18. The application deadline is April 22.
For more information, call 423-473-2439 or visit clevelandstatecc.edu.
Cleveland Boys and Girls Club benefits from $15K Spectrum grant
Last month, Spectrum announced that it had awarded the Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee a $15,000 Spectrum Digital Education Grant for their Digital Connect Program, as part of a $5 million national commitment to digital education in Spectrum communities across the country.
The George R. Johnson Teen Center in Cleveland was one of six recipients of funding through the grant.
"Many times, Club youth need access to computers to complete homework assignments and may not have access to a computer in their homes," said T. Ryan Hughes, executive director of Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee, in a statement. "Additionally, family members need the access to work on resumes, apply for jobs, as well as gain jobs skills and may not have access to a computer outside one of our Clubs. With this grant, Spectrum has helped to remove these barriers for our families."
Cleveland's program joins programs in Maryville, Sevierville, Kingsport, Union City and Jackson as recipients of the grant.
If you have news about local schools you'd like included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.