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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Photograph of closed lockers in a school hallway, in the distance a there is a blurry figure.
Drew Bloksberg/iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety Educators' Views on School Safety, in Charts
See how teachers, principals, and district leaders currently feel about their safety.
Caitlynn Peetz & Vanessa Solis, July 11, 2023
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1 min read
York City School District police officer Britney Brooks walks one of her rounds on March 8, 2018, at William Penn Senior High School in York. Brooks began working as a school police officer in 2015. The York City School District is the only one in York County with its own police department. Officers, who have the power of arrest, operate on a community policing ideology to prevent incidents rather than react to them.
York City School District police officer Britney Brooks walks one of her rounds on March 8, 2018, at William Penn Senior High School in York. Brooks began working as a school police officer in 2015. Teachers who work in districts that have removed SROs told EdWeek they don't want to go back to having school police, but teachers in districts that still have them feel safer due to their presence.
Chris Dunn/York Daily Record via AP
School Climate & Safety What 3 Teachers Think About Eliminating School Resource Officers
Teachers have mixed feelings about school resource officers and whether their presence makes schools feel safer.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 7, 2023
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6 min read
Photo of male African-American teen walking alone.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
School Climate & Safety School Police Prevent Some Violence, But Not Shootings, Research Finds
As police return to more schools, a new study finds that the officers prevent student fights and attacks, but not gun-related offenses.
Caitlynn Peetz, July 7, 2023
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4 min read
A man with grey hair and glasses sits with his chin rested on his folded hands.
Scot Peterson, a former school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, looks in the direction of prosecutors during his trial in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 15, 2023. Jurors acquitted Peterson, a former Broward County sheriff's deputy, of criminal charges for his failure to enter the high school to confront the shooter who killed 17 people and injured 17 others.
Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
School Climate & Safety Parkland Officer Found Not Guilty in Case That Shed Light on Police Role in School Safety
A jury acquitted the former deputy of all criminal charges connected to his response to the 2018 mass shooting.
Evie Blad, June 29, 2023
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3 min read
Image of buses in traffic flow.
petrovv/iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety When Cars Have to Stop for School Buses—and When They Don't—in Every State
When are drivers supposed to stop for school buses? The answer varies by type of road and by state.
Caitlynn Peetz & Hyon-Young Kim, June 29, 2023
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3 min read
Police officers stand guard outside of the U.S Supreme Court building on June 23, 2023, in Washington.
Police officers stand guard outside of the U.S Supreme Court building on June 23, 2023, in Washington, where the justices this week are ruling on major cases that will impact K-12 schools.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Makes It Harder to Prosecute 'True Threats' That Could Be Aimed at Schools
The justices seek to strike a balance between First Amendment free speech and threats, with concerns evident about student expression.
Mark Walsh, June 27, 2023
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4 min read
The playground of a public school in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, is sealed off with caution tape.
iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety From Our Research Center Here’s How Educators Feel About Their Safety at School
Teachers were more likely than principals or district leaders to say their sense of safety had decreased.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 23, 2023
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2 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Did Districts Really Do That? Some of Their Worst Decisions
At times, districts make changes without consulting other members of the school community or considering the consequences.
Larry Ferlazzo, June 23, 2023
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9 min read
Close up of a stop sign on a school bus. School children are blurred in the background. Focus is on the stop sign.
SDI Productions/E+/Getty
School Climate & Safety Lawmakers Call for National Crackdown on Drivers Who Pass Stopped School Buses
A new bill in Congress calls for more data collection on illegal school bus passings, to lay the groundwork for a public awareness campaign.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 13, 2023
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3 min read
Kerry Graham
Kerry Graham
Courtesy of Kerry Graham
Teaching Profession Q&A Dear Students, Here's Why I Quit: A Teacher's Moving Letter Explains Her Decision
Grief and stress soured Kerry Graham on her job, but not on her students.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 8, 2023
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6 min read
Flowers are placed in front of the Altria Theater which was the site of a mass shooting after a graduation ceremony, June 7, 2023, in Richmond, Va.
Flowers are placed in front of the Altria Theater which was the site of a mass shooting after a graduation ceremony, June 7, 2023, in Richmond, Va.
Steve Helber/AP
School Climate & Safety Superintendent 'Devastated' by Deadly, Post-Graduation Shooting
Violence disrupts a cherished rite of passage.
Caitlyn Meisner, June 7, 2023
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3 min read
Watercolor image of a gun and bullets.
LuisPortugal/iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety What Teachers Think About Carrying Guns at School, in Charts
Despite periodic pushes to outfit teachers with firearms, more than half of educators think doing so would make schools less safe.
Caitlynn Peetz & Laura Baker, June 5, 2023
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3 min read
Illustration of a group of people forming the shape of a shield around a school building.
iStock + E+/Getty Images +Education Week
School Climate & Safety Opinion 5 Critical Strategies to Make Your School Safer
There's no single solution to defend students’ physical, mental, and emotional health, but these five actionable steps are a place to start.
Doug Roberts, Ann Levett & Shanna Downs, June 1, 2023
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5 min read
Teachers and other staff members from the Clifton, Texas, school district undergo handgun training at a shooting range just outside of Clifton. Instructors from Big Iron Concealed Handgun Training in Waco, Texas, were giving teachers tips on what they need to know to earn a license to carry weapons out of sight.
Teachers and other staff members from the Clifton, Texas, school district undergo handgun training at a shooting range just outside of Clifton in 2013. Instructors from Big Iron Concealed Handgun Training in Waco, Texas, were giving teachers tips on what they need to know to earn a license to carry weapons out of sight.
Lance Rosenfield/Prime for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Teachers Agree on Most School Safety Issues, Except Guns
Teachers agree on their schools' top safety concerns, but they're divided over a policy that's extensively debated after school shootings.
Caitlynn Peetz, May 31, 2023
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4 min read
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