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'?
Learn More
Photographic negative image of aggressive spectators shouting at each others while others intervene.
iStock/Getty Images + EdWeek
School & District Management Parents' Bad Behavior at School Sports Events Has Gotten Extreme
A adult brawl with deadly consequences at a boys' basketball game has renewed concern.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 3, 2023
•
4 min read
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., talks with reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., talks with reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, in late January.
Susan Walsh/AP
Federal Q&A Boosting 'Pathetically Low' Teacher Pay Is Top of Mind for Bernie Sanders
The progressive senator from Vermont spoke with Education Week as he prepares to chair the Senate's education committee.
Libby Stanford, February 1, 2023
•
6 min read
A woman comforts her son while visiting a makeshift memorial outside Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Calif., Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. Authorities searched for a motive for the gunman who killed multiple people at the ballroom dance studio during Lunar New Year celebrations.
A woman comforts her son while visiting a memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Calif., two days after a gunman killed 11 people and injured several others as they celebrated Lunar New Year.
Jae C. Hong/AP
School Climate & Safety How a Superintendent Urged Parents to Discuss Gun Violence With Their Kids
The leader of the school district that serves Monterey Park, Calif., encouraged parents not to "let the TV do the talking."
Caitlynn Peetz, January 24, 2023
•
5 min read
People gather for a vigil honoring the victims of a shooting several days earlier at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Monterey Park, Calif. A gunman killed multiple people late Saturday amid Lunar New Year's celebrations in the predominantly Asian American community.
Two days after a mass shooting that killed 11 people, people gather for a vigil outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Calif. In the aftermath of shootings and other community violence, educators are called on to help students process their emotions and help them feel safe.
Ashley Landis/AP
School Climate & Safety Guidance on Responding to Students' Questions About Shootings
A guide for educators on ways to foster a sense of safety and security among students at a time when gun violence seems widespread.
Laura Baker, January 24, 2023
•
4 min read
Deputy Carroll walks the hall of Rice Elementary School with an administrator on Wednesday.
A school police officer walks the halls of Rice Elementary School in Greenwood, S.C., with an administrator on April 6, 2022.
Lindsey Hodges/The Index-Journal via AP
School Climate & Safety Students of Color Disproportionately Suffer From Police Assaults at School, Says Report
A new report tallies up assaults by school-based police officers on students of color.
Eesha Pendharkar, January 13, 2023
•
6 min read
Image of a road marked "SCHOOL ZONE."
Sergi Nunez/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Q&A The Top Issues for District Leaders in 2023
Ray Hart, who leads an association of big-city districts, shares what's top of mind for the new year.
Caitlynn Peetz, January 13, 2023
•
4 min read
A young boy with dark hair and a coral-colored t-shirt walked behind a police car alongside his mother, a woman wearing a long-sleeved white shirt who has her arm wrapped around his shoulder.
Carlos Glover, age 9, a 4th grader at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va., is held by his mother, Joselin Glover, as they leave the school Jan. 6 following a shooting there.
Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP
School Climate & Safety The School Shooting Incidents Nobody Hears About
Many school gun incidents receive little attention, despite the profound effects they have on students and educators.
Evie Blad, January 12, 2023
•
3 min read
A student covers his head and holds onto a table during a statewide earthquake drill, at Lowell Elementary School on Oct. 20, 2016, in Seattle. Schools, businesses, and community organizations conducted similar exercises across the state as part of the annual Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake and tsunami readiness program.
A student takes cover during a statewide earthquake drill at Lowell Elementary School in Seattle in 2016. More than 90 percent of schools now have written plans and practice for active shooters and other emergencies.
Elaine Thompson/AP
School Climate & Safety What the Research Says How School Security Changed Since the Pandemic, in 5 Charts
More schools are planning and practicing for emergencies of all kinds.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 12, 2023
•
2 min read
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 Whitepaper Guardian Angel or Big Brother? What Educators Really Think of Student Safety Platforms
This whitepaper addresses five common questions about student safety platforms by drawing upon a survey of those who know them best—the m...
Content provided by Gaggle
Signs that say "get better fast," "you are in our hearts," "we love Richneck," and "we stand by you" are stuck to the hunter green front doors of Richneck Elementary School.
Messages of support for teacher Abby Zwerner, who authorities say was shot by a 6-year-old student, grace the front door of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va., on Jan. 9. The teacher is known as a hard-working educator who’s devoted to her students and enthusiastic about the profession that runs in her family.
John C. Clark/AP
School Climate & Safety A 6-Year-Old Shot His Teacher. Who Should Be Held Responsible?
The wounded teacher got her students to safety. Elementary-aged school shooters are very rare, data show.
Evie Blad, January 9, 2023
•
7 min read
Police respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Newport News, Va. A shooting at a Virginia elementary school sent a teacher to the hospital and ended with “an individual” in custody Friday, police and school officials in the city of Newport News said.
A police officer outside the Newport News, Va., elementary school where a 1st grader shot and injured a teacher last week. On the same day of the shooting, teachers attending a National Education Association summit on gun violence were meeting in Washington to call for making educators a more central part of discussions on how to stop shootings in schools.
Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP
School Climate & Safety 'This Is Not the Job We Signed Up to Do': Teachers Speak Out Against School Shootings
The largest teachers' union is taking new steps to confront gun violence in schools.
Madeline Will, January 9, 2023
•
7 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 2023 with injuries or deaths. See the number of incidents and where they occurred.
January 6, 2023
•
3 min read
Image of street signs: (1) Stop sign, and (2) Gun Free School Zone.
Education Week and sshepard/iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety Infographic School Shootings in 2022: 4 Key Takeaways
Education Week counted more school shootings in 2022 than in any other year since the news organization began tracking them.
Evie Blad, Laura Baker, Hyon-Young Kim & Holly Peele, December 31, 2022
•
2 min read
Guns safes sit against a wall at a gun shop in Lynnwood, Wash.
Guns safes sit against a wall at a gun shop in Lynnwood, Wash.<br/>
Elaine Thompson/AP Photo
Student Well-Being More School Districts Are Informing Parents of Firearm Storage Responsibilities
Districts across the country are pledging to distribute information about gun safety.
Caitlynn Peetz, December 30, 2022
•
3 min read
Load More ▼