“The most vulnerable Americans in the most vulnerable settings are made more vulnerable because of government inaction.” Mark Shriver, Senior Vice President, U.S. Programs, Save the Children This quote from a recently released document entitled, “A National Report Card on Protecting Children During Disasters,” pretty much says it all. In fairness, the report reflects movement […]
Blog Archives
Are School Security Plans Ready for School Board Meeting Disruptions?
The Wake County (NC) school district spent $20,960 since December for increased security at school board meetings because of concerns about protesters. The conflicts involve protesters opposing the elimination of the district’s socioeconomic diversity policy involving student assignments. Large crowds lead the district to hire off-duty Raleigh police and private security officers. Previously, the district had no armed security at board […]
School Security Drills Mandatory for New Jersey Schools
One monthly security drill and one fire drill will be mandatory for New Jersey schools effective November 1, 2010. This law was passed back in January of this year. The New Jersey Department of Education issued guidance July 14 according to the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association. Schools must work with local emergency responders to […]
Pop Quiz on School Safety: Could Your School Leaders Pass The Test?
If a parent unexpectedly asked your school’s principal, superintendent, or school board member the following two questions, could they immediately answer each one with specific responses? Will you name 10 specific strategies your schools are using to prevent crime and violence in your schools? Will you list 10 specific measures your schools have taken to prepare for, […]
School Crime Statistics Underreported and Unreliable
Parents don’t know what they don’t know, and nobody is rushing to tell them. School crime statistics overall are under-reported and unreliable. Student Victimization in U.S. Schools: Results For the 2007 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey was released this week. It didn’t take long for Tweets to pop up on Twitter […]
Making Gang Training for Educators Practical and Useful
Gangs can be a scary subject for many educators. Gang violence can be “ugly” and something some educators would prefer not to envision as having a possibility of occurring in their schools. Talking about gangs in schools can also make school administrators uncomfortable due to image and school-community relations concerns. My colleague, Chuck Hibbert, and I were fortunate […]
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS): MSD Wayne Township
Tight school budgets and decreasing school safety grants are making school emergency planning more challenging today. The Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Wayne Township in Indianapolis, Indiana, has a solid record of being a leader of Indiana school corporations in school emergency/crisis planning. Under the leadership of Dr. Terry Thompson, Superintendent, and a proactive school board, […]
School Safety Leader: Dr. Karen Schulte
When you think of schools in the welcoming town of Janesville, Wisconsin, your first thought may not be about school safety. But if you know Dr. Karen Schulte, the Superintendent of the School District of Janesville, you know school safety is one of her very first priorities. Dr. Schulte, or “Karen” as many of us know her, was appointed […]
School Safety Quotes: On Political Correctness
“What is popular is not always right. What is right is not always popular.” Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, this sign was posted in my offices and/or at my desk when I worked in school safety departments. It reflected my rather well known “political incorrectness” in speaking my mind and speaking the […]
More of What Parents Want to Know About School Safety
Prevention and preparedness. Parents want to know about both of these school safety components. Could you and your school leaders answer these two questions with specific examples if asked unexpectedly? What specific steps have you taken to prevent incidents of violence and crime in your school(s)? How well prepared are your school staff to respond to and […]