Philadelphia is one of seven districts nationwide to be labeled "needs improvement" in a report scheduled to be released tomorrow by the nonprofit America Prepared Campaign, a New York-based group formed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Authors of the report, titled "Preparedness in America's Schools," say Philadelphia's public schools need more emergency drills to prepare for possible attacks on the region's chemical and pharmaceutical plants and better information for parents on the district's emergency plans.
Dexter Green, director of security for the city's 185,000-student system, said the district had made major strides and is making the improvements highlighted in the report. He said that every district school already had an individual safety and crisis plan.
"As director of security, I feel pretty confident that we are on the right track and that we are moving in the right direction," Green said yesterday. "And parents can feel confident that when they send their children to school, they are in a safe environment. If there is an incident, the district is prepared to handle it."
This week's attack on the school in Beslan, Russia, reminded principals and teachers of the importance of emergency planning.
While few districts were in session yesterday, the Russian hostage situation prompted the New Jersey Department of Education to issue a two-page alert reminding officials to be vigilant about school security.
"We respond differently as different things affect us," said Dwight Pfennig, state deputy education commissioner in charge of homeland security for the schools.
Kathryn Forsyth, spokeswoman for New Jersey's Department of Education, said that issuing the alerts when incidents occur helps to heighten awareness.
"If it's tied to current events, people tend to pay more attention to it and say, 'Gee, maybe we should have that information close on hand,' " Forsyth said.
