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What's Happening with the EPA's Tools for Schools Program |
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In Mid-January of 1999, the Consumer Federation of America Foundation with support from the US EPA, conducted 4 separate focus group discussions on the issue of EPA's Tools for Schools IAQ Management Program. The groups consisted of teachers, administrators, and facility managers.
The goal of the research was to help EPA understand what incentives might be used to get the IAQ Tools for Schools program implemented. The research looked at the level of awareness on indoor air quality, the response to the IAQ Tools for Schools Action kit, and the barriers or incentives to implementing the kit.
Findings reached during the focus group discussions included:
· Educators, administrators and facility managers have contrasting beliefs about indoor air quality in schools
· A barrier to adoption of an IAQ plan is a lack of awareness of indoor air quality. While teachers have some limited knowledge of IAQ and believe it is a significant health issue, facility managers have more awareness, but are less convinced that it is a real problem.
· Other priorities are perceived as being more important that IAQ. Examples include; books for students, drugs, violence, overworked and underpaid teaching staff, tight custodial budgets, etc.
· Everyone agrees that the responsibility for an IAQ program lies with facility managers. These managers cannot however, achieve goals without manpower or funds. · Parents are seen as the driving force for getting an IAQ program implemented
Finally, most district educators, administrators and facility managers believe that an IAQ program will not be implemented on a voluntary basis, because of broad range of competing priorities. This means that the only way to ensure implementation of any kind of indoor air quality program is to mandate IAQ levels in schools. That appears to be a monumental task. |
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