Overloaded.  Burned out.  Unemployed.

Distracted. Disjointed. Stressed.

These are just a few words describing what I see and hear more and more every day.  I find them among school staff, parents, neighbors, family, and about everywhere else life takes me each week.

Uncertain Times Breed Stress and Anxiety 

We live in a time of economic uncertainty, political divisiveness, and rapid changes in our personal and professional lives.  Talk to just about anyone and you’ll find they have some stressor (or multiple stressors) that seem to be adding a new level of intensity to their lives.

The school safety field is no different.  Severe budget cuts, the increasing politicization of school safety, and other burdens in education have pushed school safety to the back burner in many school communities.  These dynamics have also beaten down even the most passionate of front-line advocates for school safety.

In April of this year, my third book on school safety, security and emergency / crisis preparedness was published.  After months of writing, rewriting, and editing, I took a break from School Security Blog and other writing.  I needed a mental break from writing, fast paced travel, and the emotional drain of watching so many school safety efforts across the nation shift from proactive to reactive — and in many cases to “non-existent.”

We all need to know it is normal to need a break and  it is o.k. to be human.

A New Look at School Safety 

Summer break is a natural time for school people to reflect and regroup. Although the amount of time between school closing and school reopening seems to be getting less and less each year, the pace is slower than it is during the regular school year.  We can exhale, spend time with our family members and, physically and mentally separate from our workplace pressures.

Stepping back to unwind does not mean stepping away from our passion and commitment to an issue — in this case, school safety.  Since January I have been researching and analyzing a number of areas including:

• dramatic shifts in federal school safety policy and funding;
• increased politicization of school safety by civil rights activists to further their social and/or political agendas;
• defined patterns of fundamental school security and preparedness gaps; and
• an ongoing inside study of trends and issues in the news media, social media, and related communications issues that increasingly influence school safety and education in general.

The list is a lot longer, so look forward a rejuvenated School Security Blog in the weeks and months ahead.

Time to Rejuvenate School Safety

The school safety field needs to be rejuvenated.  Passionate people need a morale booster.  They need to know someone has their backs.  They need to know that people still care and that it is critical for them to care today more than ever.

I am bouncing back to do my part.  Will you join me?

Ken Trump

Visit School Security Blog at:  http://www.schoolsecurityblog.com