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U.S. hoping to quell school violence
By Ben Feller, AP Education Writer | October 10, 2006
WASHINGTON --Compelled to respond to a spike in school violence, the Bush administration is hoping that a high-profile summit will get the word out about safety.
President Bush called for Tuesday's conference after three shooting rampages in two weeks unnerved the nation. Communities in Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are still grieving.
Bush is expected to offer sympathy at the event and to encourage people to ask questions at home about whether their schools are prepared for emergencies.
Four weeks before the midterm elections, the event allows Bush to return to the politically safe issue of education and child safety. But the federal role in making schools safer is limited because education remains mainly a local matter. The White House chose to host a national sharing of ideas, hoping to seize a moment when people are focused on preventing violence.
Two Cabinet members, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, will lead panel discussions. First lady Laura Bush is also scheduled to speak.
No new policies are expected; strategies for keeping schools safe are widely known. But experts say schools often don't get serious about safety until shootings make headlines.
