Nebraska education groups encourage civil discourse on school safety

Three Nebraska education groups Friday issued a statement applauding students for speaking out on school safety and assuring them educators are listening. The groups said they want to encourage students to engage in productive, safe and civil discourse. The statement was issued by the Nebraska State Education Association, the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the Nebraska Association of School Boards. “We acknowledge and applaud the students of Nebraska for speaking up on this issue, and we know that we have administrators and teachers who are listening so that students feel heard,” the statement said. The groups noted that there is the potential for additional student-led activity in response to the Parkland, Florida, shooting. The groups encouraged adults, both at home and at school, to assist students by overseeing their safety during these events. Walkouts and protests centered in Florida have spread to other states, encouraged by national groups and social media. The Women’s March has scheduled a walkout for March 14. A nationwide march is planned March 24, and another walkout April 20. Nebraska schools saw some walkouts Wednesday. The groups provided the following links to online resources to help adults deal with the anxiety and trauma children may be feeling: • https://feaweb.org/ • http://www.nea.org/home/72279.htm • https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/Talking-To-Children-About-Tragedies-and-Other-News-Events.aspx • http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/terrorism • https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline/disaster-types/mass-violence • https://sharemylesson.com/collections/helping-children-cope-traumatic-events?link_id=3&can_id=8786854bcca49a87c87bdd5c2cc65e0d&source=email-inside-aftfeb-16&email_referrer=email_302403&email_subject=inside-aft-feb-16