Over the weekend, Fairfax, Va. County Public Schools, the 10th largest school district in the country, was hit by Maze ransomware, resulting in an apparent leak of student and faculty data, just days after previous attacks on these two other school systems.
As businesses and schools seek to bring people back to brick and mortar establishments, it’s going to be important to make customers, students and teachers feel comfortable, in addition to simply following guidelines. Customers are going to have to feel that it’s worth going out, versus shopping on-line. For retailers, that comfort might in part be derived from visible occupancy monitoring efforts and automated voice-down messages when people aren’t wearing masks or keeping their distance.
The Indiana Secured School Board has approved more than $19 million in matching state grant funds. The $19.4 million in awards allows the Board to fully fund all eligible, top-priority projects identified by 418 schools in their applications to the Secured School Safety Grant program (SSSG). In addition, the Board fully funded all school threat assessment projects, as well as eligible projects geared toward implementing health and wellness support services for parents and students.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced a multi-pronged approach to addressing, monitoring, and reporting air quality and ventilation in every building by the first day of school.
During an emergency special meeting, members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) voted to authorize a potential safety strike aimed at pressing the Detroit, Mich. Public Schools Community District to implement basic science-based safety protocols before schools reopen during the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad F. Wolf, introduced three new members to the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC): John Clark, Dr. Sharon Cooper, and Daniel Kaniewski.
A new joint report by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. In addition, the report covers topics such as victimization, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, the presence of security staff at school, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions.
Evacuations and lockdowns are two events no organization wants to face, but every organization should be prepared for. Here are some solutions to help your organization be prepared for lockdowns or evacuations.
A new document, Planning for on-campus K-12 education during COVID-19, developed by the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition, provides guidance to be used as a resource by school leaders to develop and implement plans for returning to on-campus learning.
As coronavirus cases surge throughout the country, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, says the union would support "safety strikes" by teachers if safety measures are not met when schools are set to reopen in the fall.
