School Safety

Education news, analysis, and opinion about keeping students safe in the school building from bullying, violence, and environmental hazards, among other things

Explainer

Greeley Police Officer Steve Brown stands in the hallway during passing periods at Northridge High School in Greeley, Colo. on Oct. 21, 2016. While school resource officers, like Brown, are expected to handle responsibilities like any police officer they're faced with unique challenges working day-to-day in schools
School Resource Officers (SROs), Explained
Does the presence of armed officers prevent school violence? Do they contribute for Black children to the 'school to prison pipeline'?
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Crime scene tape with blurred cinematic tone
Prathaan/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being The False Narrative of a Youth Crime Surge: What Educators Should Know
There's a prevailing narrative that youth crime is on the rise. The reality is more complicated, and it matters for schools.
Caitlynn Peetz, August 1, 2024
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5 min read
Image of a school hallway with icons representing lockdowns, SRO, metal detectors.
via Canva
Federal Federal School Safety Clearinghouse Taps Diverse Array of Advisers
Educators, advocates, and parents whose children died in school shootings will advise officials on school safety.
Evie Blad, July 31, 2024
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3 min read
City of Hialeah Police Commander Orlando Salvat, right, and Sgt. Rolando Rios, left, rush to a simulated active shooting as instructor Vincent Torres, center, follows during a training session, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, in Hialeah, Fla.
City of Hialeah Police Commander Orlando Salvat, right, and Sgt. Rolando Rios, left, rush to a simulated active shooting as instructor Vincent Torres, center, follows during a training session, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, in Hialeah, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
School Climate & Safety Video Active Shooter Drills That Prepare But Don't Traumatize: Advice From Principals
Striking a balance is essential, principals say.
Olina Banerji & Sam Mallon, July 31, 2024
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4 min read
Parents, students, and staff of Chino Valley Unified School District hold up flags and signs in favor of protecting LGBTQ+ policies at the school board meeting held at Don Antonio Lugo High School on June 15, 2023, in Chino, Calif.
Parents, students, and staff of Chino Valley Unified School District hold up flags and signs in favor of protecting LGBTQ+ policies at a school board meeting on June 15, 2023, in Chino, Calif. The district is now suing Gov. Gavin Newsom over a new law banning districts from requiring educators to notify parents if their child requests to use a different name or pronouns in school.
Anjali Sharif-Paul/The Orange County Register via AP
School Climate & Safety Student Pronoun Policies Put Teachers in a Tough Spot
Teachers have to navigate policies that require them to inform parents when students request the use of different pronouns.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 23, 2024
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5 min read
Edyte Parsons, a teacher in Kent, Wash., pictured at her home on July 19, 2024.
Edyte Parsons, a teacher in Kent, Wash., pictured at her home on July 19, 2024. Parsons, who has experienced several instances of physical and verbal aggression while at work, has thought about leaving teaching.
Meron Menghistab for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Rising Reports of School Violence Are Pushing Teachers to Want to Quit
Educators are being met with violence and aggression from various sources, and it's causing them to consider leaving the profession.
Annie Goldman, July 22, 2024
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10 min read
A crowd waits for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump to speak at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
A crowd waits for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump to speak at the campaign event in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024, before a shooting took place.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
School & District Management How Have School Leaders Responded to the Trump Shooting?
When a tragic national incident happens in the middle of the summer, do school officials feel compelled to respond?
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 16, 2024
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4 min read
A tangled jumbled line leads from a moment of impact to a clear conclusion: a ban symbol.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School Climate & Safety Opinion ‘We Cannot Stop a Bullet’: A Principal Demands Better Gun Laws
When guns are easily accessible, not even the Secret Service can prevent every threat. Why would we expect teachers to do better?
Tracey Runeare, July 16, 2024
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5 min read
Focus is on a flashing school bus stop sign in the foreground as a group of schoolchildren cross a parking lot with the help of a crossing guard in the distance.
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School Climate & Safety Roads Around Schools Are Unsafe, Principals Say. Here's What to Do About It
Traffic conditions aren't fully within school leaders' control. But there are still steps schools can take to help students arrive safely.
Caitlynn Peetz, July 10, 2024
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4 min read
People hold signs in the gallery against a bill that would allow some teachers to be armed in schools during a legislative session in the House chamber on April 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
People hold signs in the gallery against a bill that would allow some teachers to be armed in schools during a legislative session in the House chamber on April 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV/AP
School Climate & Safety Video Should Teachers Carry Guns? How Two Principals Answer This Question
One has two armed school employees. The other thinks arming teachers is a bad idea.
Olina Banerji & Sam Mallon, July 8, 2024
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4 min read
Frank DeAngelis, center, greets well-wishers during a vigil at the memorial for victims of the massacre at Columbine High School more than 20 years earlier in Littleton, Colo. on Friday, April 19, 2019. DeAngelis was principal of the school at the time of the attack. The school district is considering razing the current building and putting up a new structure.
Frank DeAngelis, center, greets well-wishers during a vigil at the memorial for victims of the massacre at Columbine High School more than 20 years earlier in Littleton, Colo. on Friday, April 19, 2019. DeAngelis was principal of the school at the time of the attack. The school district is considering razing the current building and putting up a new structure.
David Zalubowski/AP
School & District Management Video 'The Work Is Therapy': Principals Help Each Other Recover From School Shootings
The Principal Recovery Network supports school leaders who've experienced a violent incident on campus.
Olina Banerji & Sam Mallon, June 26, 2024
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2 min read
Students, teachers, victims' families and passersby watch, Friday, June 14, 2024, as crews start the demolition of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School building where 17 people died in the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. Officials plan to complete the weeks-long project before the school's 3,300 students return in August from summer vacation.
Students, teachers, and victims' families are among those watching on June 14, 2024, as crews start the demolition of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School building in Parkland, Fla., where 17 people died in the 2018 mass shooting. Officials plan to complete the weeks-long project before students return from summer vacation.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
School & District Management Photos Six Years After Parkland Tragedy, Crews Demolish a Painful Reminder
The school building in Florida where a gunman killed 17 people is being pulled down. Victims' families have toured the site with lawmakers to push for change.
Evie Blad & Jaclyn Borowski, June 14, 2024
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4 min read
Parents and community members rally outside P.S. 189 to protest New York City Mayor Eric Adam's plan to temporarily house immigrants in the school's gymnasium, seen in the background on May 16, 2023, in New York.
Parents and community members rally outside P.S. 189 to protest New York City Mayor Eric Adam's plan to temporarily house immigrants in the school's gymnasium, seen in the background on May 16, 2023, in New York.
John Minchillo/AP
Federal A More Complete Picture of Immigration's Impact on U.S. Public Schools
House Republicans say a migrant influx has caused "chaos" in K-12 schools. The reality is more complicated.
Libby Stanford, June 6, 2024
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10 min read
Image of digital safety against doxxing and privacy invasion.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Privacy & Security Download A Tip Sheet to Help Teachers Prevent and Respond to Doxxing
Teachers can be a target for malicious actors. Use this tip sheet to prevent and respond to doxxing.
Sarah D. Sparks & Laura Baker, May 24, 2024
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1 min read
A drowning hand reaching out of a cellphone for help
iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy When Schools Want to Ban Cellphones—But Parents Stand in the Way
Educating parents on the real threats cellphones pose to their children can help allay their concerns about safety.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 21, 2024
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5 min read
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