While New York is committed to providing our children with the highest quality of education possible, more needs to be done to protect our children during the school day. In response to increased school violence in the wake of the Columbine and subsequent shootings, the Assembly passed a comprehensive school violence bill entitled the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act, or Project SAVE.

To protect students and staff and ensure a safe climate for learning, this law contains new initiatives addressing student suspensions, codes of conduct and school safety plans. While this law went into effect in November 2000, schools do not have to comply with most of the requirements until July 1, 2001.

Here are some of the requirements of the new law:

* Authorizes teachers to remove students who have committed violent acts immediately from the classroom, and that the superintendent's suspension process be automatically triggered.

* Strengthens the code of conduct by setting standards and requiring minimum suspension periods for students who are violent, including those who possess weapons or items which could be used as weapons. Requires minimum suspension periods for students who repeatedly are substantially disruptive of the educational process or substantially interfere with the teacher's authority over the classroom. All school districts and BOCES are now statutorily required to adopt a code of conduct, including a dress code.

* Schools must establish safety plans addressing the security needs of students and employees. Each school must have a building-level and districtwide school safety plan that must include provisions for crisis intervention, emergency response and management.

* Schools or school districts must be notified when a student is returning from the juvenile justice system.

* Students, who are released or conditionally released from a facility, must be given a plan to ensure prompt enrollment in an educational program.

* Increases penalties for assaults by students against school employees and assaults by school employees against students that occur on school grounds.

* Schools must collect information on violent incidents in a standardized manner.

* The Board of Regents must create guidelines to implement character and civility education, and such instruction must be integrated into the K-12 curriculum.

* Creates whistle blower protection for school employees who report acts of violence and weapons possession.

* The law requires that teachers undergo training in school violence.

This comprehensive legislation will empower local communities to implement strong community standards that address violent and disruptive behavior, hold schools accountable for creating a safe learning environment, and make our schools safe havens.

As your state legislator in the 12th Assembly District, I am committed to making our schools safer. As a parent, I am extremely concerned about the rising incidence of school violence. Why is this happening? Is it a result of changing values and standards? Are these signs of moral decay of traditional societal codes? It is my hope that SAFE school law will help modify unacceptable behavior.