Gov. Rick Scott Appoints BPS Superintendent Desmond Blackburn To New School-Safety Commission

By  //  March 20, 2018

Blackburn only school superintendent chosen

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Desmond Blackburn to the newly established Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Desmond Blackburn to the newly established Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.

The 16-member panel is charged with investigating past failures to identify and stop the perpetrators of mass-violence incidents. It will evaluate policies for preventing and responding to school shootings and recommend improvements.

The commission includes three parents of students killed in the March 14 Parkland school shooting as well as sheriffs, police chiefs, school board members, a veteran prosecutor, and a mental health expert. It will report its first findings and recommendations to the governor, Senate president, and speaker of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2019.

“Since the shooting in Parkland, our No. 1 focus has been to make our schools safer while doing everything possible to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again,” said Gov. Rick Scott.

“I’m confident that these appointees will continue the work that has already started in our state to keep our students safe.”

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Blackburn participated in the governor’s emergency meetings to help develop the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. He previously served as a teacher, principal, district trainer, director of school improvement, area superintendent, and as the chief school performance and accountability officer for the Broward County School District.

Gov. Scott, Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran each chose five members of the commission. Blackburn is the only school superintendent chosen for the panel.

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