6 Ways to Create a Healthy School Climate
Special Report
Special Report
School Climate & Safety Opinion

6 Ways to Create a Healthy School Climate

January 04, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Copy URL

Over the last two decades, many in the public have viewed the lack of discipline as one of the key problems facing public schools. How can educators find a balance between establishing order and creating a welcoming learning environment for students? To share their insights into this thorny issue, Education Week Commentary asked six thought leaders the question:

What is the most effective approach for maintaining discipline and a positive climate in the public schools?

Read their responses:

School Climate & Safety Opinion Raise Expectations
Clinton L. Robinson Jr.
Southwestern Area Superintendent
Wake County, N.C.
Clinton L. Robinson Jr., January 4, 2013
•
3 min read
School Climate & Safety Opinion Channel Energy to Social-Justice Projects
Xian Barrett
Law and History Teacher
Gage Park High School, Chicago
Xian Barrett, January 4, 2013
•
3 min read
Families & the Community Opinion Keep Communication Lines Open
Candi Cushman
Education Analyst
Focus on the Family
Candi Cushman, January 4, 2013
•
3 min read
School Climate & Safety Opinion Be Consistent
Earl Perkins
Assistant Superintendent of School Operations
Los Angeles Unified School District
Earl Perkins, January 4, 2013
•
2 min read
School Climate & Safety Opinion Emphasize the Positive and Personal
Matt Cregor
Assistant Counsel
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Matt Cregor, January 4, 2013
•
3 min read
School Climate & Safety Opinion Build Relationships
Laurie Barron
Principal
Smokey Road Middle School, Newnan, Ga.
Laurie Barron, January 4, 2013
•
3 min read

Related Tags:
School Climate

Events

Tue., August 11, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar Grow Leaders, Keep Teachers: Leadership Development as a Staffing Strategy
Find out how to turn leadership development into a staffing strategy and grow your next generation of school leaders from within.
Content provided by Frontline Education
Register
Tue., August 18, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Teaching Webinar Closing the Practice Gap: Essential Insights for Leaders
Three instructional experts will share strategies for making students’ reading and math practice more engaging and impactful this year.
Content provided by Renaissance
Register
Tue., September 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar The Principal's Role in Collective Efficacy and Student Outcomes
Learn practical strategies that help principals translate their confidence into stronger collective teacher efficacy and student outcomes.
Content provided by Otus
Register
See More Events

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs
Create Your Own Job Search

Read Next

School Climate & Safety The Most Popular Kid Slang in Classrooms—From the Annoying to the Concerning
Teachers report the "six-seven" meme still going strong—but toxic online jargon is also on the rise.
Sarah D. Sparks
•
2 min read
Slang words that drive teachers crazy: 67, bro, bruh, profanity, cooked, cap, rizz, low key, crash out, glazing, facts, lock in, goat, deadass, slay
Animation by Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
School Climate & Safety Patriotism Debates in American Classrooms: A Timeline
Those debates are heating up again as America's 250th birthday looms.
Sarah Schwartz
•
7 min read
A classroom at Lafargue Elementary School in Effie, Louisiana, on Friday, August 22. The state has implemented new professional development requirements for math teachers in grades 4-8 to help improve student achievement and address learning gaps.
A classroom at an elementary school in Effie, La., on Aug. 22, 2025. Though debates over how to present the American story have been especially heated over the past five years, they've waxed and waned for decades.
Kathleen Flynn for Education Week
School Climate & Safety FAQs: What Schools Should Know About E-Bikes
Answers to seven questions about students' e-bike use and how schools are responding.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens
•
4 min read
An e-bike is seen at a retail store in Glenview, Ill., on July 20, 2022.
An e-bike for sale at a store in Glenview, Ill., on July 20, 2022. More students have been riding the motorized two-wheelers to school, leading school districts to establish restrictions on who can ride them and institute safety training.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
School Climate & Safety From Our Research Center See Which Safety Technologies Schools Are Betting On
An EdWeek Research Center Survey finds that schools are investing in detection and AI-powered cameras.
Jennifer Vilcarino
•
3 min read
ZeroEyes analyst Mario Hernandez demonstrates the use of AI with surveillance cameras to identify visible guns at the company's operations center, Friday, May 10, 2024, in Conshohocken, Pa. With the increasing use of AI technology, security is changing. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
ZeroEyes analyst Mario Hernandez demonstrates the use of AI with surveillance cameras to identify visible guns at the company's operations center, on May 10, 2024, in Conshohocken, Pa. School district administrators are investing in acoustic monitoring and passive screening systems to try to make their buildings more secure.
Matt Slocum/AP