Wyoming schools would be required to create a comprehensive safety plan and conduct nationally recognized, proactive security training under a bill advanced by a state legislative committee last week, a measure that represents lawmakers’ primary attempt to better safeguard schools from active shooters. Wyoming schools would be required to create a comprehensive safety plan and […]
YONKERS, N.Y.—Brian Schulder, the security and safety director at Yonkers Public Schools, considers himself an educator, first and foremost. He's not some hardened, former city beat cop or detective—he's spent a majority of his 20-plus years in this large urban district teaching and coaching. "I think being an educator lets me see things from a perspective […]
Most schools have adopted emergency plans to respond to active shooter events. But in a new book, Amanda Klinger reports that these plans often don't address more likely situations such as severe weather, chemical spills or health crises. Most schools have adopted emergency plans to respond to active shooter events. But Amanda Klinger says these plans often […]
The recent shooting, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has rekindled the hot debate about gun control in the United States. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), a proponent of more restrictions on firearms, argued, "This happens nowhere else, other than the United States of America. It only happens here not because of coincidence, […]
After a shooting, a district's typical insurance policies may not cover victim lawsuits, building repairs, medical expenses, funeral services or trauma counseling. Recent attacks in Florida and Texas have driven interest in specialized policies that prevent costs from piling up after a crisis. While it is not known how many schools have purchased this type […]
School leaders everywhere have experienced parent, staff and student anxiety about school safety following the tragic attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. While these emotionally charged climates are understandable, making knee-jerk decisions with a "do something, do anything, do it now" mantra can lead to high-risk, high-liability actions that administrators and […]
After February's deadly school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, there was no shortage of suggestions for improving school security, ranging from adding more guards to arming teachers. One area not widely addressed, however, is how to prepare teachers and administrators psychologically for dealing with a crisis. For example, although teachers […]
How can administrators prepare staff with best practices and reasonable emergency plans? How can you communicate safety to your parents in a social media world on digital steroids? Bomb threats sent to teachers through an international proxy server. Computer-generated shooting threats called in to your school office. An irate parent with a gun reportedly headed […]
SafeSchools Training is being used by thousands of school districts across the nation, including 40 of the 100 largest. These districts have access to a comprehensive library of expert-authored online courses, in addition to the ability to automatically document and track safety and compliance training in one online system. The SafeSchools Training System covers key […]
Going into his third year as principal of Sunset Elementary School near Spokane, Washington, Ty McGregor feels more confident that he has prepared his building for an intruder or active shooter. While school was out this past June, a group of staff members, students and emergency responders conducted drills on two potentially devastating scenarios: a […]
