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RILEY, RENO KICK OFF SCHOOL YEAR WITH ANTI-VIOLENCE MESSAGE

August 12, 1999

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley and Attorney General Janet Reno are hoping to help parents, teachers and students start the new school year with less fear after 1998-99 ended with shootings on school grounds in two states. In the wake of the violence at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., and Heritage High School near Atlanta, the education department chose to kick off its year-long satellite program series with "Safe Schools, Safe Students: What Parents Can Do". The program airs live tonight at 7:30 PM eastern via satellite and the Internet.

"Safe Schools, Safe Students" will feature practical advice from local educators, community leaders, law enforcement officials and medical and mental health professionals on what school officials and teachers can do at school, and what families can do at home, to prevent further violent outbursts. The live 90-minute program will help parents identify schools that have taken sufficient safety precautions, help parents and teachers communicate with students about school violence and help communities recognize early warning signs of "troubled or violence-prone students," according to the Department of Education. "Safe Schools, Safe Students" will also address how school counselors, pediatricians, family practitioners and psychologists can have a positive impact on schools and students.

The program will be shown live on the Internet and on TV in 24 states. Cable systems in most major cities in those states have slated it for their local access channels. Internet surfers can find it at www.connectlive.com. In addition, some schools and community organizations are displaying the program either live or taped at special events. stm.xpandcorp.com, the company that will transmit the program for the Department of Education, has posted a list of organizations displaying it. The program is partially funded by Pfizer Pediatric Health.8