Lawmakers would reinstate safe-schools advocate

An independent watchdog on school safety, silenced after a tumultuous relationship with state education officials, may be reinstituted in Philadelphia.

Legislation announced yesterday by state Reps. John Taylor and Bill Keller, if approved, would fund and re-establish the Office of the Safe Schools Advocate in Philadelphia.

The bill also calls for the office to be under the control of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency instead of the state Department of Education.

"It kind of reiterates what's already in law," Keller said yesterday.

"This is not a suggestion we made in statute. This is in statute that this office shall exist."

Before is was abolished during budget cuts in 2009, the advocate monitored the accuracy in reports of violent incidents by school officials, issued recommendations and served as a resource for victims of school violence.

Former advocate Harvey Rice, the first to hold such a position in the country and now a deputy city controller, said that 800 violent incidents a year were reported on average during his tenure.

"We were an advocate for those students, parents and teachers who were victims of violence," he said. "I am very hopeful that it will become more independent."

Jack Stollsteimer, who'd succeeded him, had clashed with state education officials.

Taylor and Keller - who represent the 177th and 184th Legislative Districts, respectively - assert that without an independent monitoring system, violent incidents in schools will continue to be underreported.

State education officials assured legislators that the functions of the office would be carried out. Keller said he doubted Philadelphia families were able to access an office in Susquehanna Township, Cumberland County, where officials transferred the office.

"This advocate should be right here in Philadelphia, right here in this building, a place where anybody can come and ask questions," he said inside district headquarters near Broad and Spring Garden streets.

This month, Auditor General Jack Wagner accused the school district of breaking the law by leaving the position vacant. But in a statement released after yesterday's announcement, the school district stated its support of the bipartisan legislation.

"We must leverage every local, state and federal resource available to deal with the issue of violence in our society," the statement read. "Our primary goal is to make each and every one of our schools a safe place to learn."

A state official said no one from the Education Department would comment on the bill.

The legislation, to be introduced during next month's session, calls for yearly funding of $1 million, though Keller said that amount may not be necessary.

"I think it's an investment that has to be made because you can spend a lot of money in a lot of areas and it won't get you the same bang for your buck," he said.

"It's the attitude more than anything fiscal. This is not about metal detectors or things like that. It's about attitude of folks enforcing the rules."