Giannini: Protecting Our Children In School

Giannini: Protecting Our Children In School

The responsibility of protecting our children while they are in school not only bears down on the school administration and teachers but encompasses on all of us.

We all know that feeling, the one we get when we drop off our children or relatives to school.  We want them to get the best education possible but first and foremost are our concerns that they are safe.  We hope and trust that when we leave them in school, they are protected from any harm.  There are several issues facing the General Assembly this year which certainly will be considered hot topics on Smith Hill.

Narcan 

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Legislation introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives (2015-H 5047) requires that public schools that educate students in grades 6 through 12 be equipped with kits to treat opioid overdoses.  Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a medication that reverses  the effects of overdoses of opiates, including heroin and many abused painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin.  The sponsor of the legislation, Representative Dave Bennett, states that "Unfortunately teens are not immune to the overdose epidemic, and this is a step to save lives."

I couldn't agree more.  This preventative measure will save lives.  I liken it to the laws we passed to have a preventative policy in schools for epinephrine for children with severe allergic reactions to peanut butter, bee stings, shellfish etc.  As the sponsor of the so called "Epi-pen Bill," which created a policy in every school to protect children from anaphylactic shock back in 1995, I can tell you that these are not easy bills to get through.

Although passing such bills seems like a "no brainer," we have to remember we are asking school nurses or school personnel to administer this medication, and they definitely should have input on any implementation of these policies.

The legislation also provides immunity from penalty or civil action even though there is immunity under the state's "Good Samaritan Law." Generally, this drug has no adverse effects even if given to someone who is not overdosing, and can be administered in a nasal spray or an injection that can be administered even through clothing.

The Rhode Island Department of Health announced recently that Narcan was administered on youth under the age of 18, over 50 times in 2014. Statistics show there were 200 overdose deaths in Rhode Island in 2014. Some may say that is not as bad as Massachusetts with 1,000 deaths but we can all agree that anything we can do to prevent any death is certainly worth a try.

Measles And Vaccinations 

When California was hit with a measles outbreak, Dr. Charles Goodman posted a distinct notice in his waiting room and on Facebook stating that his practice will no longer see children whose parents won't get them vaccinated. He told the Associated Press that "parents who choose not to give measles shots, they're not just putting their kids at risk, but they're also putting other kids at risk - especially in my waiting room."

In my humble opinion, this pediatrician is right.  This is a growing sentiment amongst doctors throughout the country who believe science has debunked research that vaccinations are linked to autism.  Most of the measles cases have been traced in some way to Disneyland in Southern California and it is the nation's second largest measles outbreak in 15 years.  Recently, NBC News reported a measles outbreak in Chicago stemming from a daycare facility where  5 children under one years old are sick and many more are at risk for having been in contact.

Imagine taking your little ones to a beautiful Disney theme park and returning to home with a sick child or bringing them to daycare only to learn they were exposed to a dangerous disease.

The debate over vaccinations is getting more attention since the measles outbreak, but it has been around a long time.  Our children are in close contact with each other in school, daycare, doctors offices, and recreational facilities.  

Vaccinations help prevent measles, meningitis, whooping cough and other preventable diseases which are potentially very harmful to our children.  Many parents will no longer take their child to a doctor that doesn't have a policy requiring vaccination.  

Schools and daycare centers seem to have the most danger of spreading these diseases because our children are together on a daily basis.  Parents should vaccinate their children to protect them and the other children around them.  And parents do not always have immunity themselves from these diseases. We can have a million policies for school safety and health, but if we don't follow the first  policy of vaccination, the rest means nothing.  Doctors recommend vaccinations starting when a child is one year old.  So children under one who cannot get vaccinated are at special risk.  Listen to the experts and doctors who know best and protect your most precious asset, your child.

School Construction Funds

There is also an important bill in the State Senate.  With the moratorium on state aid to school construction set to end in May, legislation has been filed in the Senate to reform the process in the way school construction programs are approved and to provide a funding stream to meet the needs of modern public education facilities. We all know how much school renovations are needed, especially in Providence.  I look at my own neighborhood, where Mt. Pleasant High School is located.  While Mt. Pleasant has always been considered a beautiful architectural building, it is in need of severe repair.  It's no secret that it is one of the poorest performing schools in the state.

How can we expect our children to learn in schools that are in disrepair, have dim surroundings and low esteem?  It's time to invest more in the school construction programs to provide our school children with a healthy, safe and clean environment.  It can be done and it should also be a priority of all School committee members, the Commissioner of Education, and the State Board of Education.

We can all help to protect our children in schools.  We can support legislation that protects them by contacting our legislators and other elected officials.  We can speak up about things that we feel are not right in our school districts by attending PTA meetings, meeting with teachers and school administrators. We can and need to be involved in their school system.

We also need to have a steady dialogue with our children to find out what goes on in their school and if they are truly happy in their environment.  We need to stay informed and vigilant in our desire to have our children get a good education in a clean and safe environment.
They deserve no less.

Joanne Giannini served as a RI State Representative from Providence from 1994 to 2010. She has previously written commentaries for the Providence Journal and the Federal Hill Gazette. During her tenure in the General Assembly, she made appearances on CNN, Primetime News, and American Morning regarding legislation she filed in Rhode Island.