This morning, the Federal Commission on School Safety released its final report for improving school safety. The commission was launched by the Trump administration shortly after the Parkland, Fla. school shooting.

The 180-page report is divided into three sections: prevention, protect and mitigate, and respond and recover.   

Whether explicit or not, communication is essential in many of the recommendations found at the end of each chapter. Chapter six (page 59) details the effects of press coverage of mass shootings. In these recommendations, it notes that “…school leaders play a critical role in developing any crisis preparedness, response, and recovery plan. They should include a media plan as well.”

Many of the initial news stories are focusing on the commission’s recommendation to roll back the Obama administration’s policies that “were adopted after strong evidence emerged that minority students were receiving more suspensions and tougher punishments than white students for the same or lesser offenses (The New York Times).”

Source: NSPRA, Dec. 19, 2018.