Starting with a student’s first interaction with their school bus driver in the morning to the parent’s first interaction at the front door buzzer and main office at the school, customer service sets the tone for safer schools. First impressions set the tone — and tone matters My wife and I recently visited an Apple […]
Category Archive: School Safety Issues
A lesson for superintendents, school boards, and principals on being wise school safety and security consumers: People don’t buy products. They buy solutions to their problems.
“People don’t buy products. They buy solutions to their problems.” This insightful observation, along with a humorous video to illustrate the point, is floating around social media. While some may focus on the video, marketing gurus are using it to impart a bit of wisdom that school leaders must consider when tackling school security challenges […]
Applying Continuous Improvement models to school safety: Strengthening school security and emergency preparedness to move from “good” to “great”
As educators, especially those with graduate and doctoral degrees, you have been exposed to “continuous improvement” and “improvement science” models as a foundation for strengthening curriculum, instruction, and school leadership. But are you applying continuous improvement models to school safety, security, and emergency preparedness, as well? Continuous improvement models and school safety In Learning to […]
FBI failed to investigate Florida school shooter tip; “See something, say something —AND DO SOMETHING” should be new fed mantra
The FBI is the very best at what they do. The problem is that school safety is not something they do as a part of their core mission. FBI agents are not school safety experts. In fact, federal agents don’t regularly work with juveniles. They deal with adult criminals. They typically defer those few juveniles […]
School wrongful death, assault with injuries lawsuits: School security expert witness says cases are going from the schoolhouse to the courthouse
Today’s headlines on this week’s school shooting from The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, reads: “Signs and warnings failed to prevent Freeman school shooting.” Given observations over recent years, it would not be surprising if a future headline reads: “Lawsuit filed on school shooting claims warning signs were missed.” A wrongful death suit against former Chardon, […]
School sexual assault litigation: Security expert witness consultant says school rape, sex assaults are turning into lawsuits
As a school security expert witness and litigation consultant on school safety lawsuits, there are some weeks where I receive more inquiries for services from attorneys than I do from superintendents and other school leaders. Suffice to say that a number of parents today are taking their allegations and grievances about school safety from the […]
Students choking at school: A different type of school safety concern
Recently I received a telephone call from an attorney representing a family who had lost a child due to a choking incident at school. These calls always break my heart. And I say “calls” because this is the third such death of a child in which I have been asked to serve as an expert […]
Body cameras in schools: Are School Resource Officers (SROs) and principals missing the big picture?
How quickly will students rush to the assistant principal or School Resource Officer (SRO) to report a student carrying a gun, a school shooting plot, or abuse taking place at their home if these adults have a camera rolling on their personal conversation? Many students will view body cameras as an instant barrier that only reinforces their […]
School safety assessments: A career-saving action for new and experienced superintendents
Recently I was speaking with a superintendent who is a client and a good friend. She mentioned that one of the best things she did in her first year as superintendent was have a safety and security assessment performed. Placing school safety at the top of the superintendent’s priority list The assessment was not on […]
Why we can’t solve a human public safety issue with a technological quick-fix: The knee-jerk jump to security cameras and other gadgets from Sandy Hook to Ferguson, New York to Cleveland
“Call our financial advisor and move all of our investment money into body camera manufacturers,” I recently told my wife. My comment was made tongue-in-cheek in reflection of the pathetic state of our public policy reaction to a public safety crisis, rather than as a passing joke or disrespectful and glib response to one of […]