The nation is about to begin a new round of addressing concerns about safe and drug free schools. School psychologists and other pupil services personnel will be called upon to play major roles in new initiatives. Unfortunately, unless there are dramatic changes in prevailing policies and practices, we fear the country will experience another round of piecemeal and fragmented project activity that wastes too much of what already are too limited resources.
In the brief space assigned, we want to explore some central concerns about prevailing policies and practices related to addressing barriers to learning and factors that interfere with effective schooling (including but not limited to school violence and substance abuse). Let’s begin by looking at two major movements sweeping the country that affect all us for better or worse. Each has the potential to make things better for students, their families, schools, and society. But each has critical deficiencies that weaken their promise.