Safety & Wellness

3 education issues governors prioritized in their state addresses

Mental health, school choice and academics were among the many educational issues governors promised to improve in their 2025 State of the State addresses.

Mindfulness for school leaders: 4 ways to transform your day

Mindfulness offers a pathway to slow down, refocus and move with greater intentionality. Even small moments of calm can ripple out to energize the entire school environment.

A 50-state look at the well-being of LGBTQ+ young people

The well-being of LGBTQ+ young people suffers not because of who they are but due to mistreatment and stigmatization, a leading suicide-prevention organization contends. 

How a lesson can save a life: Educator’s guide to “A Teddy Bear’s Dream”

Imagine a world where teddy bears are no longer symbols of childhood innocence, but memorials to young lives lost. This is the stark reality "A Teddy Bear's Dream" confronts us with.

There are 6 ways schools could feel Medicaid cuts

The superintendents' association and other advocacy groups warn Congress funding cuts would harm the most vulnerable students.

Despite headaches, school nutrition programs see a surge

Twenty-nine percent of all public schools are giving students free breakfast and lunch this school year, which is a sizeable increase from 21% in October 2022.

Student mental health: Early intervention is most important

Student mental health will continue to suffer if schools don't have the resources to intervene until kids are in crisis, a new report contends. 

Closed schools: Here is where a bad flu season has canceled classes

Whether this flu season is worse than normal or even unprecedented, one fact is clear: outbreaks have closed schools and entire districts in several parts of the country.

Behavioral threat assessment: Better strategies for schools

When students misbehave, responding with support leads to more effective behavioral threat assessment and management as school leaders work to prevent violence, according to a new analysis. 

Why supporting teacher mental health is enormous for classrooms

"We oftentimes don't think much about training with adults on social-emotional development, but we're not done growing," says Karen G. Foley, president and CEO of JPA Chicago.

Election-related stress: How to help students manage anxiety

Students may still be experiencing heightened levels of election-related stress and anxiety as they process its outcomes and implications due to a non-stop, 24-hour news feed of information enabled by personal devices.

Reasons high school graduation rates are where they are

The majority of states had lower graduation rates in 2022 than they did before the pandemic. Here's why.

SEL in high school: How K12 leaders provide better support

Along with ongoing political pushback in some parts of the country, one barrier to SEL programs is that mental health positions are often funded by grants and other short-term sources, a new report contends.

Educator wellness: How to keep it top of mind

Teacher well-being requires a holistic approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of teachers' professional and personal lives.

Social-emotional assessments: Things you need to know before implementation

Are the items written with language appropriate for the intended audience? Is the assessment reliable across diverse groups of respondents? Here's some research on how to choose the right assessment for your students.

Make mental health a top priority regardless of election results

This election season, amid all the rhetoric and debate, there is one thing we cannot afford to overlook: the mental health of America’s young people.

Student mental health: 3 ways to address the well-being gap

Analysis reveals significant differences in emotional well-being and distress among elementary students from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.

School safety: Why the human element is so important

The human element outlasts any federal relief program or obsolete hardware, and it’s the most important component of any district’s safety strategy, says one administrator.

School safety: How to shift from reaction to prevention

Schools need to rethink safety through a comprehensive framework that assesses, plans, tracks and audits safety solutions across both proactive and reactive measures.

6 strategies for addressing anonymous threats

The first step is building awareness about reporting to detect threats early and deter future anonymized threats, new guidance asserts.

New barrage of threats hit schools in several states

Threats made against schools on social media have led to closures, postponed activities and several student arrests—including a 10-year-old.

Deepfakes: Why they are now K12’s problem, too

Students and teachers are now contending with "a substantial amount" of sexually explicit deepfakes and other troubling forms of what tech watchdogs call "non-consensual intimate imagery."

Self-care: 3 ways to encourage employee well-being

Integrating self-care routines throughout the school year can significantly improve teachers’ well-being—and this has important implications for student success.

The Safety Cycle: Ensuring the Safety of Students from A to B and Back Again

Date & Time: Monday, October 21 at 2 p.m. ET

In this webinar, gain a fresh perspective on how to ensure the safety of your students while they're in transit beyond the safety features that have been installed on their buses. Learn proactive approaches and immediate steps to react quickly and effectively when the unexpected happens.

Know This For Next Week: Most kids have hope

As you set the course for the next week and the rest of the school year, know this: Most kids—a whopping 95%—say they are hopeful about the future. 

Community Schools Roundtable: Data-Driven Systems for Physical, Social, & Mental Health Support

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 2nd at 2 pm ET

In this DA webinar, learn how Hamilton County Schools (TN), Hartford County Schools (MD), and Lancaster Public Schools (CA) are building sustainable whole-child systems that are informed by student voice and leverage community partners to proactively support the physical, social, and mental health of our students. Their approaches are united by an emphasis on data-informed decision making.

***All attendees will be able to safely download "Growing Community: The Community Schools Framework in Action Across Three States."

‘TGIF Time-saver’: Safety is once again a priority this year

A deadly school shooting and social media threats are causing disruptions to learning just weeks into the school year. How can leaders respond? Plus, a new look at teachers' impact on reading instruction.

Smartphones have derailed childhood. Here is how to fix it

In our latest webinar, best-selling author Jonathan Haidt shares with school leaders the most effective ways to create a truly phone-free school and re-engage students.

Sensory rooms: See this district’s innovative new models

Here's one rule for creating a powerful K12 sensory room: It doesn't necessarily have to pop on Pinterest. It only has to appeal to students and teachers who will rely on the space to provide a calming break from regular school day activities.

Student mental health: Teens are feeling a little better

The latest data from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that slightly fewer teens in 2023 reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, compared to two years prior.

End of ESSER: How to extend student-support past the deadline

Researchers share how leaders in several states are spending on student well-being—and why these initiatives should continue.

School spending: New analysis offers glimpse of 2024 priorities

The phrase "budget documents" may not be the two most exciting words in K12 education. However, a more compelling keyword search shows leaders prioritizing safety, family engagement and facilities.

Principals see more and more reasons to ban smartphones

Depression, anxiety, isolation, fatigue. That's not a great group of words—but when it comes to how principals think smartphones harm students, it's hardly a complete list. School leaders also reported that female students are suffering more than boys. 

Insights from Around the Nation: The New Normal for McKinney-Vento Student Support

Date & Time: Wednesday, August 21st at 2 pm ET

In this webinar, discover how to better support students experiencing homelessness from the second annual Nationwide McKinney-Vento Study's year-over-year trends, data-based perspectives, and new insights. Also, learn how your peers across the country are navigating the complexities of identifying and supporting at-risk students.

School attendance: Why mental health and screen time are keys

To improve student well-being and get them excited about coming to school, we must address two critical areas: mental health and screen time.