Lloyd Jackson II
Chairman, Education Committee
West Virginia State Senate

Thank you, Doctor.  Thank you very much, Senator. 

President Hardesty, all the things that Dr. D'Alessandri said about your leadership on these issues on the WVU campus are well known across the state of West Virginia and are becoming more well know across this country.  The programs you and your wife Susan have developed are becoming known nationally for the leadership you are providing and I compliment you very much on that here today. 

It is my pleasure to work with people like Cleo Matthews and Lt. Col. Blankenship and Senator Hunter and Senator John Unger from the Eastern Panhandle, who is in the audience with us today, on these issues surrounding safe schools and healthy communities.  They have several dimensions, many of which you have already heard. 

My job is to talk to you about legislative responsibilities in these areas.  They have been touched on somewhat, but I would like to go into a little more detail and, as Senator Byrd said, they transcend the schoolyard and affect the whole community, and that is how the biggest difference will be made. 

What has the legislature done?  As President Matthews told you, in 1995 we passed, and in 1996, amended the Safe Schools Act.  That act sets absolute standards in three areas: 1) no weapons in our schools at the direction of Congress, Senator Byrd; 2) no battery on our school employees, no physical assault of any type on our school employees; and 3) no selling narcotics on our school grounds.  Mandatory one year expulsions were to result in violations of these policies. 

This may seem obvious to us today in the light of many of the incidents that have occurred, but I have to tell you that in 1995 there were still students who believed that a reasonable reply to violence or threats on them was to bring a weapon to school.  We had to set those absolute standards and, frankly, those standards are working. 

We set additional standards involving the empowerment of teachers in our classrooms to remove students who are disruptive and the ability of principals to remove students from the schools who are disruptive, and also in the area of alternative education. 

These policies are working.  As Cleo told you, incidents of violence are down by 36%.  Incidences of guns are down by two-thirds.  One is too many.  Only 11% of the incidences we have deal with guns and, frankly, most of these incidents were not malicious in nature; they involved people who just didn't understand that there would be no tolerance for this type of activity in our schools. 

But all of this really just focuses on one dimension of the problem and, frankly, although it is an important dimension, probably wouldn't have prevented some of the disasters we have seen across this country.  So, there is more that has to be done. 

The Safe Schools Act as we initially passed did more than just expel kids from school.  It required that every local school improvement council develop guidelines for the instruction and rehabilitation of students who were excluded from the classroom.  It provided a system of coordination between schools and local emergencies service agencies, as Lt. Blankenship pointed out, which is just now coming into fruition.  It provided for the identification and implementation of preventive discipline programs.  It also provided for the identification and implementation of student involvement in programs and things like peer mediation, which was talked about earlier in the responsible student program.

I can tell you on a personal note that I have two children in the public schools of West Virginia.  They are ages 11 and 13.  As a parent, I can tell you that if I told you I wasn't concerned about violence in schools, I wouldn't be telling you the truth.  I'm not alarmed about it, I'm not panicked about it, but I am concerned about it for my children, and for all of the children in West Virginia. 

My wife and I have taken the usual precautions.  After Columbine I went through and looked at all my children's Nintendo games and I got rid of all the ones I didn't think should be there.

We don't go to R rated movies and frankly we try to be involved with our kids as much as we can.  

I notice Jim Lees is here today.  He tells us that he coaches Little League every summer.  He ought to be proud of that.  There are kids where he lives who are benefiting from what he does in that activity. 

I think what is most important when I talk with parents in our school system is that parents find the time to discuss these problems with their own children.  I'm surprised at the parents who admit, when I talk to them, that they don't discuss just day- to-day problems at school with their children. 

Children know more than you think.  My kids know a whole lot more than I wish they knew sometimes.  I can tell you it makes a difference to discuss those problems with them. 

Where government can encourage those things, we should, but frankly we can only go so far.  The State Board has responded and, as Cleo pointed out to you, with their alternative education program, which the Legislature funds at a little more than two million dollars a year, they probably can do more.  Many people are working in that program like the senator from here, Senator Roman Presiozo, who runs a program in Marion County. 

The discipline of our students with disabilities is a constant focus of the State Board.  The issue of violence and harassment is addressed in the State Board policy and the student code of conduct, and has been implemented by the State Board.  This past year the Legislature passed and required the State Board to draft a rule dealing with hazing in our student organizations -- another source of irritation in some schools that needs to stop.  These are just a few of the dimensions and, again, some of these dimensions won't address some of our future problems. 

This year the Legislature commissioned an interim committee which is being chaired by West Virginia Senator Jon Hunter, who is from here in Monongalia County.  This committee is working tirelessly to see that we come with the solutions that we need, and I know we senators will learn as much here today as you will to take back for our interim committee process. 

Judy Sjostedt is correct.  Spending money in the wrong places won't help.  I'm convinced that trying to make fortresses out of our schools will waste money that ought to be spent in other areas. 

I have to tell you there is also positive news about what is going on.  The incidents of violence and weapons and drugs in our schools are down.  We believe the policies that we put in place are beginning to work.  We still need to improve prevention and we need to prepare for disaster if it occurs. 

Let me tell you one other thing -- student performance is improving in West Virginia as well.  You may know that our ACT scores and others this year are the highest they have been in the history of the state.  I want to tell you why. 

It is because our teachers and administrators are some of the best, the most qualified, and the most dedicated people in the country.  They care about our kids.  As we implement policies to deal with this very issue, I can also tell you that we will target our resources to the same people and they will help us solve this problem.  That is what this Legislature and, I know, our teaching staffs are committed to.