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

    Mon., May 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.
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    School Climate & Safety Webinar     Cardiac Emergency Response Plans: What Schools Need Now
    Sudden cardiac arrest can happen at school. Learn why CERPs matter, what’srequired, and how districts can prepare to save lives.
    Content provided by American Heart Association
    Register
    Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a bus crash, March 4, 2024, on West Virginia Route 16 in Calhoun County, W.Va.
    Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a school bus crash on March 4, 2024, on West Virginia Route 16 in Calhoun County, W.Va. The crash, which resulted in one boy having a leg amputated and other student injuries, has led the National Transportation Safety Board to recommend that all school buses feature alcohol detection systems that disable the vehicle if the driver is impaired.
    WCHS TV via AP
    School Climate & Safety School Buses Should Have Alcohol Detection to Prevent Drunken Driving, NTSB Says
    The push follows a West Virginia crash that forced a student to have his leg amputated.
    The Associated Press, April 24, 2026
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    4 min read
    There was minimal police presence as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department kept an eye on the Maywood Academy High School graduation ceremony at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, CA on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
    Law enforcement kept an eye on proceedings at the Maywood Academy High School graduation ceremony at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif., on June 12, 2025. Graduation ceremonies pose a unique logistical challenge for school districts, with many considerations to take into account.
    Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty
    School Climate & Safety Steps to Follow for a Smooth, Successful, and Safe Graduation Ceremony
    Graduation ceremonies pose unique logistical challenges for school districts. Preparation is key.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 23, 2026
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    5 min read
    Students pass a talking piece during a restorative justice exercise at a school in Oakland, Calif., on June 11, 2013.
    A student receives the talking piece from another student during a restorative justice session at a school in Oakland, Calif., on June 11, 2013. Nathan Maynard, the author of a newly released book on student discipline, says restorative practices are often misunderstood.
    Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
    School Climate & Safety Q&A Restorative Practices Aren't Consequence-Free, Says a Student Discipline Expert
    Consistent consequences are important to managing student behavior, says the author of a new book on discipline.
    Olina Banerji, April 13, 2026
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    6 min read
    A display indicating a detected weapon is pictured on an Evolv weapons detection system in New York City.
    A display indicating a detected weapon is pictured on an Evolv AI weapons detection system in New York City, on March 28, 2024. Lawmakers in Georgia are weighing a bill that would require all public schools to have weapons-detection systems or metal detectors at building entrances. While supporters say the systems make schools safer, critics say the technology has limitations.
    Barry Williams/New York Daily News via TNS
    School Climate & Safety States Push AI Weapons Detection as Part of School Safety
    Three states are considering whether to require weapons-detection systems at school entrances.
    Evie Blad, March 26, 2026
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    5 min read
    Image of a group of students meeting with their teacher. One student is giving the teacher a high-five.
    Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
    School Climate & Safety What 3 Top Principals Do So Students Feel Like They Belong at School
    Principals use belonging, mentorship, and creative incentives to boost attendance.
    Olina Banerji, March 10, 2026
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    5 min read
    Damon Lewis.
    "We're going to get to the standards ... but we have to make sure that our kids feel safe enough to come into our building," said Damon Lewis, the principal for Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, Conn., and the National Middle Level Principal of the Year in 2025.
    Allyssa Hynes/NASSP/NASSP via reporter
    School Climate & Safety Q&A This Principal Puts Relationships Ahead of Content. Here’s How
    A school leader discusses how he and his staff create a safe and supportive learning environment.
    Lauraine Langreo, March 6, 2026
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    5 min read
    Thu., March 05, 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 Climate & Safety Webinar     Belonging as a Leadership Strategy for Today’s Schools
    Belonging isn’t a slogan—it’s a leadership strategy. Learn what research shows actually works to improve attendance, culture, and learning.
    Content provided by Harmony Academy
    Register
    A hallway at a school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. Data from a recent survey shows the link between safety and relationships come as schools carve out portions of their increasingly limited budgets on school security measures, safety training, and mental health programs to keep students safe.
    A recent survey shows the link between safety and relationships as schools struggle to carve out portions of their increasingly limited budgets for school security measures, safety training, and mental health programs. A hallway at a school in Morrisville, Pa., is shown on Nov. 13, 2025.
    Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week
    School Climate & Safety This Key Factor Helps Students Feel Safe at School
    Students who believe educators take their safety concerns seriously are more likely to feel safe.
    Evie Blad, March 2, 2026
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    3 min read
    A 5th grade math class takes place 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.
    Research shows that a positive school climate serves as a protective factor for young people, improving students’ education outcomes and well-being during their academic careers and beyond. A student raises her hand during a 5th grade class in Effie, La., on Aug. 22, 2025.
    Kathleen Flynn for Education Week
    School Climate & Safety 4 Ways Schools Can Build a Stronger, Safer Climate
    A principal, a student, and a researcher discuss what makes a positive school climate.
    Lauraine Langreo, January 30, 2026
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    4 min read
    In an aerial view, Waymo robotaxis sit parked at a Waymo facility on Dec. 8, 2025 , in San Francisco . Self-driving taxi company Waymo said it is voluntarily recalling software in its autonomous vehicles after Texas officials documented at least 19 incidents this school year in which the cars illegally passed stopped school buses, including while students were getting on or off.
    Waymo self-driving taxis sit parked at a Waymo facility on Dec. 8, 2025, in San Francisco. Federal agencies are investigating after Austin, Texas, schools documented incidents in which the cars illegally passed stopped school buses. In a separate incident, a robotaxi struck a student at low speed as she ran across the street in front of her Santa Monica, Calif., elementary school.
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via TNS
    School Climate & Safety Schools Flag Safety Incidents As Driverless Cars Enter More Cities
    Agencies are examining reports of Waymos illegally passing buses; in another case, one struck a student.
    Evie Blad, January 29, 2026
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    5 min read
    Thu., January 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
    School Climate & Safety Webinar Strategies for Improving School Climate and Safety
    Discover strategies that K-12 districts have utilized inside and outside the classroom to establish a positive school climate.
    Register
    January 29, 2026
    Image of a student sitting outside of a doorway.
    DigitalVision
    School Climate & Safety Informal Classroom Discipline Is Hard to Track, Raising Big Equity Concerns
    Without adequate support, teachers might resort to these tactics to circumvent prohibitions on suspensions.
    Evie Blad, January 23, 2026
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    5 min read
    Sign indicating school zone.
    iStock/Getty
    School Climate & Safety Tracker School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where
    Education Week is tracking K-12 school shootings in 2026 with injuries or deaths. See the number of incidents and where they occurred.
    January 1, 2026
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    3 min read
    A mother holds her children at the memorial outside Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's shooting, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Minneapolis.
    A mother holds her children at a memorial outside Annunciation Catholic Church following the Aug. 27 shooting at the Minneapolis Catholic school. The shooting, in which two children died and 21 people were injured, was the largest school shooting of 2025, a year during which there were fewer school shootings than in any year since 2020.
    Ellen Schmidt/AP
    School Climate & Safety School Shootings in 2025: The Fewest Incidents and Deaths in 5 Years
    The overall number of U.S. school shootings was lower than in any year since 2020.
    Mark Lieberman & Hyon-Young Kim, December 31, 2025
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    2 min read