Contact:  Staci Maiers / NEA (202) 822-7823 or Cristi Allen / Sprint Foundation (913) 794-1155

October 22, 2007

NEA Launches Online Guide to Help Keep Schools Safe

From 9/11 and Katrina to the Virginia Tech massacre, this new crisis guide is a valuable resource to help educators prepare for the worst

WASHINGTON—As schools nationwide revamp their emergency response systems and update safety preparedness, the National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN) today launched its new School Crisis Guide: Help and Healing in a Time of Crisis. 

Developed with a generous grant from the Sprint Foundation, the easy-to-use online guide provides action steps, tips and resources to help educators prepare for emergencies; respond competently during a crisis; and assist students, staff and families in recovering after a crisis. The new, comprehensive guide focuses on school safety, provides advice on handling both man-made and natural disasters, and includes a section on violence prevention.

“While schools are among the safest places for children, crises like Columbine, 9/11, Katrina and Virginia Tech taught us our nation’s students are not immune from tragedy or suffering,” said NEA President Reg Weaver. “This guide is a comprehensive blueprint of best practices in crisis preparedness and response. Although we all wish the School Crisis Guide would rarely have to be used, today’s world demands school employees be prepared for the unexpected.”
 
NEA is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million education professionals. NEA HIN provides health information to education employees and the 43 million-plus students they serve.

“Knowing what to do can be the difference between stability and upheaval,” said Jerry Newberry, executive director, NEA HIN. “The new step-by-step guide was created by educators for educators, making it easier for educators to keep schools safe and focus on what they do best: help children learn.”

The guide is funded largely by the Sprint Foundation, which has provided more than $93 million nationwide to support school safety, K-12 education, youth development, and arts and culture.

“The new NEA Crisis Guide provides schools with the information they need to keep students safe and to deal with emergency situations when the unthinkable happens,” said Ralph Reid, vice president of Sprint Corporate Social Responsibility and president of the Sprint Foundation. “Sprint and the Sprint Foundation are committed to ensuring a physically safe school environment for our children. Our goal is to have a positive impact on school readiness by providing support through strategic partnerships and targeted grants.”
 
The free, online guide is available at www.neahin.org/schoolcrisis. It provides up-to-date information and tools wherever and whenever they’re needed. It’s easy to navigate, so users have immediate access to the information they need, whether planning for a crisis or in the midst of handling one. The guide features tools, tip sheets and links to Web-based resources for all aspects of crisis management, from planning to response to recovery.

The guide also provides comprehensive information about media relations during a crisis, such as how to develop communications protocols with the media to ensure that the needs of both the media and the school are being met. The guide offers tips for working with the media during and after the crisis, including how to handle the first anniversary of a crisis. Tools include sample press releases, frequently asked questions, media interview request forms and school fact sheets.

A print version of the new guide also is available, and includes a hands-on resource for educators preparing crisis response plans before an emergency strikes.

The new guide is a completely updated edition of NEA HIN’s earlier product created in 2000. NEA HIN will update the new online guide regularly.

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About NEA
The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

About NEA HIN
As the nonprofit health affiliate of the National Education Association, the NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) provides health and safety information, training and services to 3.2 million educational employees and the more than 43 million students they serve.

About the Sprint Foundation
Since its establishment in 1989, the Sprint Foundation has provided nearly $100 million to community organizations across the country with a special emphasis on those supporting K-12 education, positive youth development, arts and culture outreach, school safety and Internet safety. Through direct grants and a robust matching-gifts program for employees and retirees, the Sprint Foundation creatively and thoughtfully delivers Sprint’s commitment to championing the communities where Sprint customers and employees live.NEA President Reg Weaver today honored the contributions of Hispanic Americans as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated each year from September 15-October 15.