Media and parent questions about school safety following a school shooting make up what we often refer to as “the post-crisis crisis” for educators, law enforcement officials and their community partners. School and safety leaders can expect to be asked tough, pointed questions about safety, security and emergency preparedness procedures in their schools. Gone are […]
Category Archive: Shootings – School Deaths
Chardon High School shooting analysis reveals safety challenges, what works
Social media, reporting threats, drills, how schools can find out in advance about threats, and where we fall short in school safety were topics I discussed during an in-studio interview at the Cleveland ABC-affiliate on the evening of the nearby Chardon High School shooting. Are your schools prepared to prevent and manage a school shooting? Ken Trump Visit School Security […]
Congress & School Boards Beef Up Their Security, But Not For Kids
Shoot a kid in school, and school safety budgets get cut. But when the shooting is at school board members or elected officials, one of the first discussions is the need for greater security measures. I have watched closely the reactions to December’s shooting at school board members in a Florida school district and now […]
Omaha School Shooting: Metal Detector or Mental Detector?
Hours after the shooting of Millard South High School principal Curtis Case, and shooting death of assistant principal Vicki Kaspar, metal detectors in schools became the buzz of media and community talk. Parents and communities understandably are grasping for a solution to a problem — school shootings — which has not been “fixed” for a over a […]
Is the Next School Board Shooter Coming to Your Meeting?
Economic problems. Mental health issues. Frustrations at a boiling point. Does this describe anyone in your school community? Could they be the next person to walk through your school’s Administration Building doors or into your next school board meeting? In a December 15, 2010, article entitled, “School board shooter in Florida had frustrated, turbulent life along […]
School Board Shooting Points to Administration Security Needs
A shooting at a Bay District Schools’ board meeting in Florida on Tuesday illustrates the need for school boards and superintendents to include security and crisis planning measures at school administration buildings and support sites. Security is often neglected for school district central office buildings, board meetings, and other administrative sites. Well-intended board members, superintendents, and […]
Lag in Wisconsin school hostage response raises questions
How does a student hold two dozen people hostage in a high school classroom with knives, two guns, and more than 200 rounds of ammo for about two hours without someone noticing? Students and others asked similar questions after a student took 23 students and his teacher hostage in Marinette, Wisconsin, last week. Hostages were released, […]
How Many “Isolated Incidents” Equal a School Safety Concern?
If you want to see my friend and colleague, Chuck Hibbert, turn three shades of red and have steam coming out of his ears, just be nearby when a school shooting occurs and a school official tells the media: “This was an isolated incident.” Chuck’s tongue-in-cheek response rolls off his lips without hesitation: “Yes, […]
School Safety Quotes: On Columbine Killer, Eric Harris
“Eric is a very bright young man who is likely to succeed in life.” Anger management counselor describing Eric Harris on 2/3/99 —————————- Submitted by Robert Rinearson, Ft. Wayne Community Schools and local newspaper columnist
The Columbine 10th Anniversary: Lessons Learned, Glaring Gaps
The Columbine 10th anniversary arrives on April 20, 2009. Anniversaries offer us time for reflection on lessons learned and future directions. The legacy of Columbine at its tenth anniversary is a mixed bag of lessons learned and implemented, with many glaring gaps and a lot of work remaining. The good news is that progress made on school […]