HEALTHY
SCHOOLS GUIDES
ACCESS TO DECISION MAKING: Open Meetings and
Freedom of Information Laws, 3 pp, outlines why public
school meetings must be open and accessible to parents,
school personnel, and any other members of the public.
ASTHMA AND ENVIRONMENT FACT SHEET FOR PARENTS
AND SCHOOLS, 2 pp, facts about eliminating asthma
triggers and the side effects of asthma medications.
CHILDREN, LEARNING, AND POISONS DON'T MIX:
Kick the Pesticide Habit, 6 pp, outlines
how to stop pests and pesticides at school, © 2008.
NYS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S GUIDE TO PESTICIDE NOTIFICATION
LAWS, 18 pp, outlines why pesticide prior notification
is important to parents and the community. [Click
Here]
CREATING HEALTHIER SCHOOL FACILITIES, 7 pp,
comprehensive policy resolution adopted by the American
Public Health Association (11/00); recommended to
APHA members, state, and local affiliates.
DAYLIGHTING: Better Lighting for Healthier Students,
4 pp, references national studies on how the use of
natural daylight indoors boosts test scores and includes
simple illustrations on 'harvesting' daylight, ©
2005.
EMF's, PRECAUTION AND SCHOOLS: US Supreme Court
Amicus Brief, 33 pp, Amicus Brief in support of
requiring the FCC to produce an Environmental Impact
Statement on human health effects of EMF's prior to
auctioning off cell tower licenses, (2006). [Click
Here]]
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION GUIDE FOR NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS,
42 pp, the purpose of this guide is to inform parents,
advocates, and school personnel about existing laws
and resources available to ensure that every child
and school employee has an environmentally safe and
healthy school, © 1999, 2005 (Advocates for Children
and Healthy Schools Network).
La Guia de Accion Ambiental para Escuelas Sanas
del Ciudad de Nueva York, 40 pp, for New York
City Schools.
FLYER: Cleaning for Healthy Schools Toolkit, information
about The Cleaning for Healthy Schools Toolkit
created by the National Collaborative Work
Group on Green Cleaning. Click here
GREEN CLEANING: Healthier Cleaning and Maintenance
Practices and Products for Schools, 8 pp, how
to prevent dirt and grime and how to do
'environmentally preferable purchasing' of cleaning supplies, © 1999,
2006. By phone order only: 40 pp Starter Packet that includes a list
of contact information for independently
'green-rated' cleaning and repair products
($15).
GROUND ZERO PARENTS IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Practical
Advice to Schools and Parents, 8 pp, highlights
the advice of experienced parents of children that
attend Ground Zero schools, © 2002, 2005.
HEALTHY AND HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS: Federal
Legislation, 4 pp, text of federal legislation
enacted in January 2002 that codifies 'high performance
schools' standards.
HEALTHY SCHOOLS/HEALTHY KIDS/ABC'S: Help for Parents
and Others in the Absence of Standards Just for Children,
80 pp, outlines basic OSHA (occupational safety and
health) requirements for schools; researched by Cornell
University School of Labor and Industrial Relations
for NYS schools; applicable in 26 states that have
adopted OHSA for public employees, © 2000, as
New York State Environmental Action Guide.
NATIONAL TECHNICAL SUPPLEMENT to the Healthy
Schools/Healthy Kids/ ABC's, 121 pp, provides
an issue by issue go-to list with web links, addresses,
and telephone numbers for education, health, and
environment agencies in each state, District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
LEARNING THE HARD WAY, 16 pp, cover story
in peer-reviewed "Environmental Health Perspectives",
the Journal of the National Institute of Environmental
Health Services, June 2002 (by permission).
LEARNING WITHOUT PAIN: Ergonomics Prevents Injuries,
2 pp, guide focuses on the improper use of computers
and backpacks that can lead to unnecessary body strain
and provides basic information to encourage ergonomic
practices to prevent injuries.
MERCURY AND SCHOOLS: A Risky Combination,
2 pp, mercury and schools is a risky combination!
Mercury may be found in many different places in schools
and a spill can result in health risks and costly
clean-up efforts. New York State bans elemental mercury
from schools. [CLICK
HERE]
MOLDS AT SCHOOL, 8 pp, outlines information
on why schools are moldy, the impact mold has on health,
basic prevention practices, and urges swift clean-ups
over 'testing', © 2002.
PARENT'S GUIDE TO SCHOOL INDOOR AIR QUALITY,
6 pp, "classic" reference
in the field of children's environmental
health at school, written by and for
parents; contains the basics of school
IAQ, simple steps, what to ask for/look
for, and what to do if no one listens
and your child is still sick, ©
1997, 2004.
PBDE: Toxic Flame Retardants, What Women, Children,
and School Personnel Need to Know, 4 pp, includes
the dangers of PBDEs, as well as associated health
effects and ways to avoid these toxins.
POSTER: Cleaning for Healthy Schools, ways to keep your school clean
and healthy.
click here
POSTER: GREEN SQUAD: Kids Taking Action for Greener,
Healthier Schools, things students can do to protect
the environment at school - and the world outside-
a better place.
POSTER: GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY, five-point policy "every child has
a right..." adopted by New York State Board of
Regents in 1995, and referenced or cited by many public
interest groups and coalitions; 8 1/2 X 11.
PROTECTING VULNERABLE STUDENTS IN "SICK"
SCHOOLS, 7 pp, guide for parents and personnel
on federal rules requiring schools to provide a free,
appropriate public education and accessible facilities,
© 2001.
RESCUE: Health & Safety Requirements for Public
Schools in New York State, 3 pp, outline of comprehensive
state-aided mandates for facilities planning, inspection,
rating, monitoring, and reporting to provide protection
for the health and safety of New York State school
children and personnel, based on US EPA's "IAQ
Tools for Schools" program, © 2003.
SANITIZERS AND DISINFECTANTS GUIDE, 4 pp,
basic types of disinfectants outlined
along with recommendations for the proper
use of anti-microbials and ways to reduce
the need for them.
SCHOOL DESIGN: Healthy & High
Performance Schools, 6pp, includes
a checklist of important features of
high performance schools as well as
information related to current laws
and the "robust science" of
school environments.
SCHOOL HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEES: How to Promote
Child and Adult Environmental Health, 6 pp, includes
schoolhouse illustration showing what to look for
in a building 'walk-through' inspection, public documents
that may be useful, and tips on how to set up a committee,
© 2000.
SCHOOL RENOVATION AND CONSTRUCTION: What You Need
to Know to Protect Child And Adult Environmental
Health, 6 pp, detailed steps that
all schools should take to protect occupants
in buildings under renovation; highlights
compliance with model NYS regulations,
© 2000.
TOXIC PLAYGROUNDS: Arsenic Treated Wood and
Artificial Turf, 5pp, facts and information about artificial turf,
Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA), playground tips and
web links for additional information. |
HEALTHY SCHOOLS
REPORTS
GREENING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS: Costs and Benefits,
26 pp, Gregory Kats’ study demonstrates the financial, environmental,
and other benefits of using green technologies
in schools. click here to download
THE HEALTHY AND HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOL, 87
pp, a two-part report detailing how current science
drives the need for healthier and greener schools,
© 2004.
LESSONS LEARNED: 32,000,000 Children: A Public
Health Crisis, 67 pp, a collaboratively prepared
national report revealing the widespread human health,
family, and community impacts of school facilities
that are poorly designed, constructed, operated or
maintained; state by state data tables.
NEGLECTED BUILDINGS, DAMAGED HEALTH: Snap-shot
of New York City Public School Environmental Conditions,
88 pp, Healthy Schools Network and Advocates for Children
of New York survey of school users show health and
learning impacts from deteriorated facility conditions
and reveals significant building code violations;
copy of survey instrument in Appendix, 1999.
NYC GREEN SCHOOLS GUIDE, 212 pp,
Published by the NYC School Construction
Authority and NYC Department of Educiation.
click here
NY-CHPS: High Performance Schools Guidelines, 145
pp, developed in cooperation with a panel
of experts coordinated by NYSERDA, to
emphasize criteria that directly contribute
to student learning, reduced maintenance,
and long building life. click here
NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL FACILITIES AND STUDENT HEALTH,
ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTENDANCE: A Data Report, 40
pp, report of all public schools in two
New York State counties as well as other schools with reported environment
problems to determine correlation between schools
facilities, student health, and academic
achievement, © 2005.
SCHOOLS OF GROUND ZERO: Early Lessons Learned
in Children's Environmental Health, 347 pp, only
contemporaneous account of the decisions to evacuate
and re-occupy seven public schools following the World
Trade Center attacks of September 11th. With $30 donation
by order only; not downloadable. Co-published with
and orderable from the American Public Health Association.
Unwanted Exposure: Preventing Environmental Threats
to the Health of New York State's Children, 56pp,
a comprehensive review of the major identified threats
to children's health from environmental exposures
and New York State's current policy framework for
protecting children from these hazards.
US Department of Education Report on Facilities
and Children's Health and Learning (2004), 38
pp, paper summarizes the current state of scientific
knowledge about the adverse impacts school indoor
environments have on health and student performance.
WHAT SCHOOL NURSES KNOW: We Need New Laws to Clean
Up Schools, 8 pp, results from survey of members
from the NYS Association of School Nurses revealing
that nurses fear job retaliation and many know students
whose health and learning are affected by school environments
(5/00).
WHO'S IN CHARGE OF PROTECTING CHILDREN'S HEALTH
AT SCHOOL?, 40 pp, national research
report outlines the scope of the public
health response needed to resolve the
nation's largest unaddressed children's
health problem, polluted schools, ©
2006.
HEALTHY SCHOOLS
VIDEOS
[VIDEO]:
NYC SCHOOLS GO GREEN, Stephen Boese, NYS Director,
Healthy Schools Network talks about health and learning
benefits from green and healthy schools. Aired on
WNBC, June 12, 2007.
Public Comment Documents
High Performance Schools: US Senate Testimony,
May 15, 2007
National Children's Study: Public Comment, September
24, 2007
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