Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor

(WTNH) -- Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor talks with Ann Nyberg about the trying times in our state following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown.

Pryor was in a meeting with the Board of Superintendents Association of the State and was engaged in discussions around education policies with the gathered superintendents when he was called out of the meeting for a report of a possible shooting at a school.

"I placed a phone call. Details were unclear at that point and soon there after I did have to leave the meeting and engage. I went back to my office and started to speak with the head of the public protection division of state government and we were in coordination about what had happened and unfortunately, too soon in the process we learned how tragic it was. It was truly truly shocking. Absolutely devastating.

"No one could possibly be trained for it and the amazing thing is that so many school personnel who were not trained for anything like it were engaged in heroic acts but those of us who were civil servants I suppose simply respond to help and when the news became clearer and when I was back at my office and working with my team who had all gathered around and we were starting to rally resources, what we were trying to do was see what we could do to help survivors, what we could do to help family members, what we could do to help the school system."

They began to make initials plans and sent in crisis workers and grief counselors to the fire house by the elementary school where survivors gathered.

"I've seen the crisis counselors and the mental health workers engage in almost impossible conversations with families who've just been notified of the death of a child. There's just nothing more penetrating to ones heart. I mean, you're heart is broken when you witness it and it's nothing to the actual experience of a parent but still they function and provide that support."

Pryor goes on to talk about the decisions that will be made in regards to the Sandy Hook school and how the students will relocate to a school in Monroe for the time being.