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 […]
Stop Protecting Hamburger Better Than School Kids
Fast food restaurants and shopping centers for years have had better security than many schools. Yet there are still people questioning security measures, such as cameras and police officers, being placed in our schools. In most fast food restaurants, you can only enter through a limited number of open doors. When you step inside, you are […]
Does Your School Safety Consultant Cry on Command?
Tightening education and school safety budgets demand that school safety consultants and trainers solve problems, not provide theatrics. A school dean drove home this point when he said to me in a teleconference last week: “I was impressed with your presentation above all of the other presenters because you are down-to-Earth, had practical advice, and did […]
How to Make Schools Safer During Tight Budget Times
Tight budgets are no excuse for failing to be proactive with school safety. Parents will forgive educators if their school’s test scores go down. Parents will be much less forgiving if their children are hurt in an incident which could have been prevented or better managed. Attorneys and the media will be equally unforgiving. So […]