An unusual student disappearance, unexcused student walk-away, or a stranger on an elementary school campus creates anxiety, fear, and often panic in a school-community. The case of Kyron Horman, a second-grade Oregon student who has been missing since June 4th, 2010, has generated intense attention and discussion on elementary school security issues. The seven-year-old never […]
Blog Archives
School Security Budget Cuts: Education Dept Report Reveals Major Setbacks
Federal, state, and local school safety budget cuts are having a dramatic effect on school safety and security programs, according to a federal report by the U.S. Department of Education published in July, 2010. “The elimination of several significant funding sources (e.g., Title IV, Safe and Drug‐Free Schools) from both national and local budgets has also […]
School Safety Leader: Marie Waldrop
A school principal is often referred to as the “captain” of his or her ship. When a principal is new, sometimes you hear it said, “There is a new sheriff in town.” But rarely do you find the principal (new or a veteran administrator) actually is also really a deputy sheriff. Unless, of course, Marie Waldrop […]
What Constitutes Comprehensive School Safety Policies, Programs, and Funding?
The “bullying summit” held by the U.S. Department of Education this past week drew attention, praise, opposition, and spirited debate depending upon who you talked with about it. As legislators, bureaucrats, educators, media and others jump on the “bullying bandwagon,” what constitutes a more comprehensive and balanced school safety plan? I revisited my July 9, 2009, […]
Why a Proposed Federal School Safety Grant Does Not “Replace” the Eliminated Safe and Drug Free Schools Program
In a local Cleveland news interview last Thursday, I spoke about the elimination of the state grant component of the Safe and Drug Free Schools program. As the public attention on school budget cuts center around teacher layoffs, reductions in transportation, and elimination of sports programs, cuts to school safety funding are going on behind-the-scenes […]
Safe and Drug Free Schools Grant Elimination Hits Schools Hard
The state grant component of the decade-old federal Safe and Drug Free Schools Program has been eliminated from the latest federal budget, costing many schools as of July 1st their primary funds marked specifically for school safety. The program was a formula grant drug and violence prevention program which passed money through state education departments to local […]
Pop Quiz on School Safety: School Transportation Needs During a Crisis
If your school transportation director, superintendent, or principal is asked these three questions about school transportation crisis preparedness issues, could they immediately answer each one? If you had to mobilize school buses at 10:45am to simultaneously evacuate your three largest schools, what is the response time from when the request is made until the first bus shows up […]
Caught on Camera: Best Practices for CCTV Systems (FBI)
The first and best line of defense in school safety is a well-trained, highly-alert staff and student body. Any security technology must be viewed as a supplement to, but not a substitute for, a more comprehensive approach to school safety. Having security technology is one thing. Having effective security technology, and using it effectively, is […]
School Safety Quote: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While this quote is attributed to Dr. King decades ago, it is very applicable today as we look at the state of […]
School Safety Leader: Matt McDevitt
Matt McDevitt is a school board member who does not just talk about school security. He has served on the District Security Committee as Chairperson since 1997. As an elected member of the Pennsauken Board of Education in Pennsauken, New Jersey since 1995, Matt has served terms as President and Vice-President of the board. […]