Many school crisis plans are on paper and sitting on shelves. Some schools and police conduct tabletop exercises to take plans closer to reality. Last Friday, schools and police in the Greater Cleveland area put their plans to the full blown test in simultaneous active shooter drills in multiple suburban communities. The Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District, Brecksville and […]
Blog Archives
Top 10 school safety headlines for 2012
Here are the top 10 school safety news headlines we could see, or probably should see, in 2012 based upon my assessment of school safety trends: 10. Educators discover paying for reasonable security measures at school athletic events is more important than turning a profit at the gate. 9. School districts cave to common sense by […]
Why adequate supervision is critical to good school safety
A female is allegedly raped in a gym restroom. A student is assaulted in a hallway during class change. A stranger is found in an elementary school restroom. The first question raised by parents, the media and perhaps eventually lawyers is: “Was supervision adequate?” The answer to that question must be assessed on a case-by-case […]
What Christmas 2011 and school safety have in common
What does school safety have in common with The Muppets, Pac Man, Space Invaders, Rock’em Sock’em Robots, and other Christmas 2011 sightings? Simple: What is old is new again. I was intrigued upon seeing the return of The Muppets in their latest movie. Then came the plug-and-play Pac Man, Space Invaders, and other first generation video games Christmas presents. Next, […]
How the anti-bullying movement is setting kids up to fail
The world will be a perfect place if we just pass anti-bullying laws that outlaw bullying, incivility, intolerance, dirty looks, disagreements that are not pleasant, and just about anything else that is not Kumbaya. At least that seems to be the perspective of anti-bullying activists who have jumped on the bullying bandwagon the past few years. […]
Why legislation won’t stop bullying, online or otherwise
State and federal anti-bullying laws are unnecessary and ineffective. This doesn’t set well with many anti-bullying, civil rights, and other political activists and advocates lobbying for state and federal laws. But what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. A recent Plain Dealer newspaper article (CSU symposium attendees seek […]