Mr. McMartin's posting on Wednesday questioned whether school ID's could protect students from the sort of tragedy that occurred in Santee, California. We agree with Mr. McMartin when he writes that school ID's alone will not prevent a similar tragedy. Safe, secure schools are the result of a combination of factors, both human and physical. In Minneapolis we have taken several steps to make our schools safe. They include: *Developing the �Save a Friend� hotline. Students can call 1-877-537-4363 (1-877-5FRIEND), a free 24-hour hotline, when they think they or a friend may be in trouble because of possible suicide, drugs, a gun in a school, gang fears or other problems. Calls are completely anonymous and answered by trained operators. The number is printed on the back of all student and staff ID�s. *Utilizing police liaison officers *A strict, zero tolerance policy on school violence and weapons on school property. *Having clear, consistent behavior expectations, teaching conflict resolution and peace-making skills, and offering peer mediation. *Each of our high schools has been secured with magnetic locks, which immediately control access when necessary. We believe student and staff ID's play a valuable role in creating a safe school environment. ID's: *help staff get to know the names of all students *keep non-students with bad intentions out of school functions *allow staff and students to recognize who belongs in a school and who does not *can serve as identification for students who do not have a driver's license *are used to check out materials from the school media centers. Mr. McMartin raised concerns about the confidentiality of student data. Schools approved the badge design with the student ID number on the front - this makes accessing the number easier for staff and students. Student birth dates are located on the back of the card; students requested this so that their ID's could double as a valid form of identification outside of the schools. Student data is protected by the Minnesota Data Privacy Act, and our schools abide by that law. We encourage parents and the community to join us in reinforcing appropriate behavior expectations for students. By working together, we - schools, students, parents and the community - can create the sense of community and respect in our schools that contribute to a safe environment. Additional questions about the school safety in MPS can be directed to MPS Safety and Security, 612-668-0177. -- Debbie Urbanski Communications Department 612-668-0233 Minneapolis Public Schools. Expect Great Things. http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
