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 […]
Police in Schools are Prevention, Not Cuff-n-Stuff, Programs
Civil rights advocates who portray police in schools as overly arresting kids are simply wrong. Police officers who work in schools, commonly known as School Resource Officers (SROs), generally perform more as prevention programs where officers prevent incidents versus taking on a “cuff’n’stuff” role with the intent of increasing student arrests. That’s not stopping civil rights and other […]
How Principals Can Conduct Integrity Checks on Safety Plans
Principals need leadership, not just money, to make their schools safer and better prepared for emergencies. While presenting a Monday regional workshop in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, on “Focusing on Fundamentals” of security and emergency preparedness, an assistant principal reminded me how easy and cost-effective it can be to stay on top of their school crisis […]
Are Schools Prepared When a Terrorist Threat Comes to Their City?
Federal authorities acknowledge a credible terrorist threat to your city or to a city near you. What does a school principal and superintendent do? School officials faced this very reality last night when federal homeland security officials acknowledged a credible al-Qaeda terrorist threat to NY City and Washington, DC. School safety officials in New York City and DC likely […]