Superintendent Jones Appointed to New Federal School Safety Advisory Board 

School safety experts and leaders will advise on interagency school safety practices to better support K-12 communities 

The Department of Homeland Security announced Superintendent Brent Jones as one of the inaugural members of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board, a group of school safety experts and education leaders who will provide advice and recommendations on practical ways to enhance K-12 school safety and security.  

The advisory board builds upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s collective efforts to support K-12 communities in creating safer, more supportive learning environments and fulfills a key requirement of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 

The board will advise the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through the director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency on the implementation of evidence-based school safety practices. It will propose additional best practices for publication on the collaborative, interagency website for School Safety.  This website is the federal government’s platform that provides a one-stop access point for information, resources, and guidance for schools and districts with actionable recommendations to create safe and supportive environments for students and educators.  

“Students and educators deserve safe environments that are free from fear. This Board will help schools and communities create safe learning spaces amid a diverse and ever-changing threat landscape,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “I thank these distinguished leaders and experts for dedicating their time and expertise to the worthiest of causes: identifying actions that will help keep our schools safe.” 

The newly appointed members represent a diverse set of perspectives and experiences and have expertise in education, developmental psychology, child and adolescent health, public safety, law enforcement, cybersecurity and emerging technologies, social work, and civil and human rights. They represent state, local, tribal and territorial governments; parents, legal guardians and students; law enforcement; school safety and non-profit organizations; educators and faculty associations; disability rights organizations; and the private sector. The board’s work will help the federal government identify and execute actions that will better support schools across the country. 

The board will convene in Fall 2024 for its first meeting. 

To learn more about this work, visit CISA.gov.