Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Families and Communities |
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I am concerned about my child's safety. How does this law help secure safer schools?
What is the "Unsafe School Choice Option" in the No Child Left Behind Act?
How will this law help teachers keep the classroom safe?
I am concerned about my child's safety. How does this law help secure safer schools?
No child can learn in a climate of fear. President Bush believes the first job of government is to protect its citizens—whether the threat is terrorists abroad or criminals at home.
Under No Child Left Behind, the Administration is working with the states to better protect children, to define a "persistently dangerous school," and to provide families with an alternative when in danger of being trapped in an unsafe and threatening environment.
What is the "Unsafe School Choice Option" in the No Child Left Behind Act?
States receiving any funds under the Act must establish and implement a statewide policy requiring that a student be allowed to attend a safe public elementary or secondary school within the local education agency, including a public charter school, if he or she:
- attends a persistently dangerous public elementary and secondary school, as determined by the state in consultation with a representative sample of local educational agencies, or
- becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense, as determined by state law, while in or on the grounds of a public elementary or secondary school that the student attends.
States must certify in writing to the Secretary of Education that they are in compliance with this provision as a condition of receiving funds under No Child Left Behind.
How will this law help teachers keep the classroom safe?
No Child Left Behind ensures that teachers, principals, and other school professionals can undertake reasonable actions to maintain order and discipline in the classroom without fear of litigation.
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Official U.S. Department of Education web site.