Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/107698
AT THE CAPITOL Campbell Announces Plan, cont. from page 7 "It's time that we restore funding for "I think that we can all agree that the school resource officer program," Campbell said. "Keeping trained professionals on school campuses is is a priority." one of the first things we can do to protect Arizona kids. — Chad Campbell This is a program that works and that is already in place. " resources for mental health care Andrew F. Morrill, presiservices and school counseldent of the Arizona Education ors. Mindy Willard has been Association and a former a school counselor at Sunset classroom teacher, stood with Ridge Elementary School in Campbell in support of the Glendale, Arizona since 2004. plan and said student and The American School Counselor school safety must always be Association named her the 2013 a budget and a policy priority National School Counselor of for Arizona's lawmakers. He the Year. She said school counsaid the AEA supports legislaselors provide services that can tion that promotes reasonable and compreprevent tragedies. hensive approaches to school safety, includ"School counselors help students with acaing those designed to identify, diagnose, and demic and personal skills. We provide guidance intervene in cases where patterns of violence or and support," Willard said. "We know these bullying emerge. kids; we're in every classroom. And we know "Ensuring school safety requires better soluthe warning signs. When there's a problem, we tions than extremists would offer. Expanding can help families find resources to intervene." mental health and She added that, in Arizona, there aren't counseling services problem, we can enough school counselors on campuses. reduces the likeli"Right now because there aren't enough hood that troubling school counselors in the state, it is difficult to behavior would esstay on top of everything happening on camfind resources to calate into violence," puses. The proposal to increase funding for intervene." Morrill said. "District counselors will create jobs in our communities — Mindy Willard safety plans may inand will immediately impact the safety of our clude armed security schools." or law enforcement Campbell's proposal would double the numpersonnel, but our campuses are no place for ber of school counselors in the state. guns unless carried by trained law and security The Safer Schools, Safer Communities Plan officers." includes legislation that will enhance backDetective Rob Katzaroff, on behalf of the ground checks for gun purchases and will Arizona School Resource Officers Association, restore the state's concealed weapons permit said that SROs enhance school safety and requirements. are the people best equipped to handle crisis "Gun law reform is something we have to do situations when and if they occur on a school in this state," Campbell said. "I'm a gun owner, campus. and I support the Second Amendment, but we "Properly trained SROs not only bring the need common sense reforms." knowledge and resources of the police departCampbell added that making schools and ment but also understand the school climate on communities safer is not a partisan issue. their campuses and can more effectively evalu"Everyone should be able to come together ate and respond to threats against the schools on this," Campbell said. "I think that we can all where they are assigned," Katzaroff said. agree that keeping kids safe is a priority." 2 Campbell's plan also includes funding for keeping kids safe "When there's a help families Spring.13advo.indd 16 16 Spring 2013 x AEA Advocate 1/29/13 10:53 AM