Senseless School Violence

Thursday's suicidal rampage at Northern Illinois University marks the fifth shooting in the last week at a U.S. school. It is now believed that the 27-year-old assailant, Stephen Kazmierczak, described by campus police as an "outstanding" [and former] student at NIU, had stopped taking medication prior to the shooting. Incidents of violence in California, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Ohio, where a 5th grade teacher was stabbed and shot in her classroom by her husband, left a number of victims dead or in critical condition.

What suggestions do you have for curtailing school violence? What steps should schools take to protect themselves against potential assailants, particularly when there are no clear warning signs? As a teacher, how safe do you feel?