School shootings get a lot of attention, but traffic and adult behavior at student drop-off and pick-up poses major safety concerns at many schools across the nation. Some of the great challenges occur at elementary schools. In our school safety assessments across the nation, we repeatedly find elementary principals frustrated with juggling school buses, massive parent […]
Blog Archives
Managing Media and Parent School Safety and Crisis Communications
You’ll take a hit if you effectively manage an overall school crisis response, but drop the ball in communicating with parents and the media. That was one of my main messages to school communications and public relations directors when I spoke last week at the annual conference of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). As […]
Tips for Managing Gangs in Schools and Communities
Gang incidents impact school safety differently than non-gang incidents. Two of the biggest differences: Gang incidents are typically higher-risk for rapidly escalating violence and the use of weapons. I spoke at the California Gang Investigators Association (CGIA) national conference in Anaheim on June 29th. My topic was on gangs and school emergency preparedness. The workshops […]
Is Your School Safety Information Tainted by Product Vendors?
As education budgets tighten and the overall economy remains uncertain, the draw to the almighty dollar increases. Now, more than ever, “buyer beware” needs to be the mantra of consumers of school safety information, services, and products. The line between professional, best practice school safety information and product vendor-influenced information appears to be getting more and […]
Why School Safety Planning is Like Blogging
Even the most dedicated humans need a break. School safety planning involves humans. So does blogging. As a new “blogger” since the start of this calendar year, I’ve learned a lot. I learned how many good people are doing good things in school safety as I continue to build my file of blog post leads […]
Re-Examining Elementary School Security: Kyron Horman 2nd-Grader Disappearance Triggers Portland Security Changes
A Portland second-grader missing from his elementary school has triggered a search, parent anxiety, and questions over elementary school security. Last Friday, second-grader Kyron Horman disappeared from the halls of Skyline School in Portland, Oregon. He was last reportedly seen attending a science fair with this stepmother. During an interview on the incident for a […]
5 Ways to Diversify School Crisis Drills
Train school staff, not just students, to be prepared for emergencies. One of the major objectives for diversifying school crisis drills is to train school staff to think on their feet just as much, if not more, than it is to train the students. But far too often, school administrators schedule fire, lockdown, and other […]
The Greatest School Security Liabilities Often Go Unseen
School leaders often believe they have a school safety risk or liability in one area, when they are really much more vulnerable on entirely different issues. We know superintendents and school boards can tell when they have a hot-button issue related to school safety. Increasingly, these issues are triggering parental, media, and/or other pressures on school leaders. These […]
A Memorial Day Lesson in Pride
Veterans know how to teach us something even when they don’t intend to do so. Today I chatted with Joe, a senior neighbor, who enjoys a good conversation. This Memorial Day, the conversation centered upon Joe’s participation in Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) activities and, in particular, a recognition event to celebrate the holiday weekend. Joe shared with […]
Can School Safety Improve Test Scores?
Does research show a link between school safety and improved academic test scores? I have been asked this by educators and school safety professionals a number of times in recent years. Some are looking for ammunition to redirect the “test score” tunnel-vision attention of their administrators and boards back to including school safety. When I was first asked this […]