In 2024 alone , there have been at least 218 school shooting incidents that have occurred on school grounds, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. While it falls short of last year’s record-high of 349, this school year has already been met with its share of threats. Welcome to this week’s TGIF Time-saver.
School shootings and social media threats
I’m sure many of you have been keeping up with the news surrounding Wednesday’s deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia’s Barrow County Schools. The suspect has been identified as 14-year-old Colt Gray, an Apalachee High School student.
The shooting resulted in four deaths, including two students and two teachers, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
In Ohio, at least one Cincinnati-area school district closed in response to shooting threats posted to social media, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The online threats suggested violence against multiple schools, according to police reports.
“We cannot verify the validity of this threat as we do not have sufficient time to complete a full investigation before school begins tomorrow morning,” Mt. Healthy City Schools said in a letter to families on Wednesday ahead of its decision to close.
As many as four other districts, including Cincinnati Public Schools, held classes with increased police presence on Thursday.
“The district is taking extra precautions as the safety of students and staff is of paramount importance,” CPS said in a statement.
In light of these recent events, I encourage you to read up on some of District Administration’s recent coverage featuring safety experts who offer comprehensive advice on bolstering your school’s security measures. Here are a few resources to help you get started:
AI-powered ransomware is inevitable. Heed this advice
In the next two years, AI-powered ransomware will modify malware code in real time to avoid detection, predicts one expert. Here’s what you can do to prepare.
‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: How to improve school safety beyond metal detectors
“We don’t want to blame everything on COVID, but COVID did have a notable, marketable impact on school safety,” says Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services.
How to improve reading instruction
Few studies have addressed teachers’ impact on reading and instruction and whether they feel they have the knowledge and resources to support students who have difficulty reading instructional materials. New research from RAND uncovers public school teachers’ perceptions of students’ challenges with reading in grades 3-8 and what educators need to help students become proficient readers.
Here are some of the findings:
- Third- through eighth-grade teachers across all subjects reported that students spend more than half of their class time reading and writing.
- 44% of their students always or nearly always experience difficulty reading the written content within their instructional materials.
- 40% of teachers have misconceptions about how students develop reading skills, and nearly half of teachers say their primary source of knowledge about reading instructions comes from their experiences in the classroom.
- Nearly three-fourths of teachers say they desire more access to resources to identify and support students with reading difficulties.
Learning from leaders
Before you go, the National Association of Secondary School Principals announced this week its three finalists for the 2025 National Principal of the Year award. Read our coverage highlighting each finalist here.
