Relates to the frequency and implementation of lock-down drills in schools

• Democratic26

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Andrew Gounardes says this is needed

In 2016, following several horrific nationwide school shootings, New York passed a revamping of district-wide school safety plans and build- ing-level emergency response plans, including a requirement for four lockdown drills per year, as part of the annual budget - more than 45 other states in the nation (Ch. 54 of 2016, § 2 Part B).There are few other states in the country that mandate lockdown drills, during which students rehearse for the possibility of an active shooter entering their school buildings, at such a high frequency. While an important component of a school safety plan regime, these lock- down drills are not without their detriments - the drills typically run the gamut from simple crouch-and-cover routines to actual simulations with teachers shooting plastic pellets and rattling door handles, trau- matizing many a young child and teen. Parents report stories of their children texting them goodbye messages or writing out their wills, imag- ining the drills are real, or having nightmares for weeks afterward. One study on the aftereffects of the drills shows that they led to a 39% spike in depression, a 42% increase in stress and anxiety, and a 23% increase in overall physiological health problems. In addition to this induced trauma, experts at Everytown for Gun Safety, the American Feder- ation of Teachers, and the National Education Association also cite the feasibility of children retaining the information they are supposed to learn from the drills and the increased risk of harm associated with fighting back against an active shooter. Darkly, in an era where many assailants are current or former students of the schools they target, the drills also run the extremely counterproductive risk of sharing critical information that can then later be used in an attack. Compounding matters is the inconsistent and scattershot training that teachers and school officials receive on how they are to manage their classrooms during the drills. As reported by Chalkbeat New York, many teachers never receive any formal training on how to conduct the drills and instead learn by trial-and-error. They are not taught how to handle potential technical issues, such as classrooms with physical limitations like windowed walls, or prepared for students' emotional responses. The drills vary widely across classrooms and schools, with some teachers receiving no prior notice that a drill is going to occur or instructions on how to explain the drill to students (Marcela Rodrigues-Sherley. "NYC teachers get little to no training on lockdown drills." Chalkbeat New York, 13 Jul 2022.). The Governor herself has acknowledged the potential drawbacks to these drills when she partnered with the State Education Department and New York State Police to issue a recent letter to school leaders that read "In the aftermath of a traumatizing event like the Nashville shooting and subsequent false threats of violence, school officials may wish to postpone any scheduled drills to reduce the risk of additional trauma to students and staff while maintaining awareness of processes and proce- dures to keep students and staff safe. Schools that conduct drills should do so with the utmost care and caution and always by informing all participants that it is a drill. After the conclusion, it is best practice to leave time to debrief with students and staff." (Governor Kathy Hochul. Letter to School Leaders. 31 March 2023.). The State Education Department then took the step of updating their regulation to ensure that lockdown drills are done in a trauma-informed, develop- mentally, and age-appropriate manner, do not include props, actors, simulations, or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting or other act of violence, and are clearly announced as a drill. Clearly, there is broad consensus from stakeholders and observers that the drills are in need of reform. This bill makes a number of improvements to the lockdown drill mandate by: reducing the minimum number o

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.