Leadership

School Climate & Safety

Education news, analysis, and opinion about learning environments, school safety, and discipline

See also: School Safety, School Shootings, School Climate, Discipline, Bullying

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Featured Special Reports

Special Report Relationships Matter: Building Strong Student-School Connections
More students on track, more students at school, better behavior. See how schools are harnessing the power of student relationships.
April 14, 2024
Students at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Woodinville, Wash., play during recess on April 2, 2024. Students have access to cards with images and words on them so all students, including those who do not speak, can communicate on the playground.
Students at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Woodinville, Wash., play during recess on April 2, 2024. Students have access to cards with images and words on them so all students, including those who do not speak, can communicate on the playground.
Meron Menghistab for Education Week
Big Ideas in Education Special Report Big Ideas for Confronting Racism in Education
There’s no single solution for combating anti-Black racism in schools. That’s why we filled an entire special report on the subject.
September 23, 2020
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Illustration by Jamiel Law
Special Report The New Schoolhouse
This special report is all about school buildings and what it takes to assure that the nation's schoolchildren have a modern, fully-equipped, well-maintained school to attend.
November 29, 2017
Illustration of a one room schoolhouse.
ParkerDeen/iStock/Getty

  • The Latest

    Tue., October 13, 2026, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 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.
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    School Climate & Safety Webinar     There But Not Present: Rethinking Student Engagement
    Learn how to recognize the early signs of disengagement and what the behavioral science reveals about which interventions actually work.
    Content provided by Frontline Education
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    Thu., October 01, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 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.
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    School Climate & Safety Webinar     Building Your School Safety Roadmap: Key Priorities for the Upcoming Year
    What should be on your school's safety roadmap this year? Join experts to discuss priorities, preparedness, and best practices.
    Content provided by Evolv Technology & IdentiSys
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    Authorities investigate the scene after a deadly shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Ky., on Jan. 23, 2018.
    Authorities investigate the scene after a deadly shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Ky., on Jan. 23, 2018. Patricia Greer, who was serving as principal during the incident, and other current and former school leaders have updated a guide on leading schools in the aftermath of gun violence.
    Ryan Hermens/The Paducah Sun via AP
    School Climate & Safety Principals Who Have Survived School Shootings Offer Advice in New Guide
    The Principal Recovery Network updated a guide to help leaders recover from—and prevent—school shootings.
    Olina Banerji, September 24, 2026
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    4 min read
    Teacher silhouette watches over students looking for early warning signs, classroom threat assessment
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
    School Climate & Safety Opinion AI-Assisted or Not, School Threat Assessment Starts in Classrooms
    Leaders must involve teachers when creating an effective school safety system.
    Jillian Haring, September 16, 2026
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    5 min read
    DataCenter004
    A data center is proposed to be built on a small piece of land about 500 feet near the Carroll Manor Elementary School in Adamstown, Md., pictured on Sept. 10, 2026. The black flags serve as an area marker for where the data center will be built.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    School Climate & Safety What Happens When a Data Center Is Built Near a School?
    In Frederick County, Maryland, the school board was challenging the construction of a data center that would sit only a few feet away from an elementary school.
    Jennifer Vilcarino, September 10, 2026
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    4 min read
    Dr. Alejandro Diasgranados sits at a table with six students, some raising their hands, in a classroom with nature-themed curtains and name cards in front of each student.
    Photo provided by National University
    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 Climate & Safety Sponsor     What Six Elementary Students Taught D.C. Leaders About Belonging
    Students say feeling welcomed, connected, and valued at school builds belonging and gives them a reason to attend and engage.
    Content provided by National University
    raised hands, student engagement
    DigitalVision Vectors
    School Climate & Safety Many Students Are Disengaged From Learning. What Can Schools Do?
    A new poll examines Gen Z students' levels of school engagement and feelings of belonging.
    Lauraine Langreo, September 8, 2026
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    6 min read
    Education Week Managing Editor. Sean Cavanagh (left) and Deputy Managing Editor Kevin Bushweller discuss how one New York City school experienced September 11, 2001.
    Education Week Managing Editor. Sean Cavanagh (left) and Deputy Managing Editor Kevin Bushweller discuss how one New York City school experienced September 11, 2001.
    Yi-Jo Shen for Education Week
    School Climate & Safety Video How One NYC School Experienced 9/11: An EdWeek Editor Recounts That Day
    EdWeek's Kevin Bushweller recalls how the staff at a Manhattan public school reacted with resolute calm to upheaval.
    Sean Cavanagh, Kevin Bushweller & Yi-Jo Shen, September 4, 2026
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    1 min read
    A small flying drone flies beside the head of a safety dummy during an outdoor demonstration.
    A Campus Guardian Angel drone circles a dummy during a demonstration at the Florida Association of School Resource Officers' conference in Jacksonville, Fla. on July 22, 2026. Such drones, which are designed to distract a school attacker, are a largely untested strategy in the school safety world.
    Micah Green for Education Week
    School Climate & Safety See The Drones States Are Testing to Stop School Shootings
    The remotely piloted drones are designed to distract and swarm would-be school shooters.
    Evie Blad, August 28, 2026
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    1 min read
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    A high school football field in Crofton, Md., on Aug. 22, 2026. Gunfire has wounded or killed someone at 43 high school football games since 2018, according to tracking by Education Week. Safety specialists suggest deliberate planning ahead of football season and clear assignments for school staff at games, among other steps schools can take to enhance security.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    School Climate & Safety When Gunfire Interrupts High School Football: What Schools Should Do
    Education Week has recorded 43 shootings tied to high school football games since 2018.
    Grace Jiang, August 24, 2026
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    9 min read
    Xerius Jackson, 7, gets an MMR vaccine at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025 , in Lubbock, Texas .
    A 7-year-old receives an MMR vaccine at a clinic hosted by the Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. A recent executive order modifying federal vaccine recommendations may sow confusion for parents and add administrative burdens for school nurses amid rising nationwide measles cases.
    Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images via TNS
    School Climate & Safety Q&A Trump's Order on Vaccines Sows Confusion as School Starts
    The president of the National Association of School Nurses warns of vaccine confusion and pushback.
    Elizabeth Heubeck, August 14, 2026
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    6 min read
    GettyImages 1977641801BB
    A teenager uses her mobile phone to access social media on January 31, 2024, in New York. Meanwhile, Illinois is requiring public schools to update their cyberbullying policies to address AI deepfakes.
    Photo illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
    School Climate & Safety How One State's Schools Are Updating Policies to Fight AI Deepfakes
    Illinois has updated school cyberbullying laws to include AI deepfakes, pushing for prevention and support.
    Olina Banerji, July 31, 2026
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    5 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 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, July 1, 2026
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    2 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 Patriotism Debates in American Classrooms: A Timeline
    Those debates are heating up again as America's 250th birthday looms.
    Sarah Schwartz, June 29, 2026
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    7 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 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, June 3, 2026
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    4 min read