We’re talking about SB 11 all week.  Here are five more things you need to know about this comprehensive school safety bill.

1. If your district requires each educator to attend an approved school safety training course, you can get a waiver of the 75,600 minutes requirement.  The reduction in minutes is capped at 420—that’s one day.
2. The health curriculum in K-12 must emphasize physical and mental health, including instruction about mental health conditions, substance abuse, skills to manage emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, responsible decision-making and suicide prevention. 
3. SBOE will require instruction in digital citizenship, including information about the criminal consequences of cyberbullying.
4. The SHAC’s duties (School Health Advisory Council) will now include recommendations about suicide prevention and strategies to increase parental awareness of risky behaviors, signs of suicide risks and behavioral health concerns, including mental health and substance abuse disorders. SHAC will make recommendations about policy concerning these issues.
5.  All schools that commission peace officers, or employ SROs must require them to complete the education and training program required by the Occupations Code.  Previously this only applied to districts with more than 30,000 students.

DAWG BONE: TRAINING. TRAINING. TRAINING.

Tomorrow: Still more about SB 11.