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'?
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Young Girl Holding Phone with Backpack on School Staircase
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Student Well-Being & Movement Parents Want Cellphones in the Classroom. Here's Why
More than three-quarters of parents whose children have cellphones said they want their children to take them to school for emergencies.
Arianna Prothero, September 13, 2024
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5 min read
A memorial is seen at Apalachee High School after the school shooting, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Winder, Ga.
A memorial at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., honors victims of the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting in which two 14-year-old students and two teachers were killed.
Mike Stewart/AP
School Climate & Safety A Resource Guide to Help Schools Move Forward After a Shooting
Administrators have a responsibility no one wants in the wake of school violence. Here are some resources to help.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 12, 2024
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4 min read
Anonymous silhouette of lone student casting an ominous shadow onto the entrance of a public school building.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
School Climate & Safety Opinion After the Georgia School Shooting, I'm No Longer Shocked. I'm Furious
A school leader asks who could have prevented the killings at Apalachee High.
Sarah Berman, September 11, 2024
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5 min read
Ball State University students watch a presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Muncie, Ind.
Ball State University students watch a presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Muncie, Ind.
Darron Cummings/AP
Federal Days After Georgia Shooting, No Mention of Safety or Schools in Trump-Harris Debate
The debate came less than a week after two students and two teachers were killed at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga.
Evie Blad, September 10, 2024
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3 min read
Illustration of mass school shooting incidents news headlines collage behind orange cracked glass effect. Safety, Prevention,
E+/Getty + Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School Climate & Safety Opinion We Can’t Wait for Someone Else to Stop School Shootings
A clinical psychologist lays out what school leaders can do to keep our children safe from gun violence.
Erika Felix, September 10, 2024
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4 min read
Erin Clark shared screenshots of a text message conversation she had with her son, Ethan, just before 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2024.
Erin Clark shared screenshots of a text message conversation she had with her son, Ethan, just before 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2024.
Erin Clark via WSB TV
School Climate & Safety The Georgia School Shooting May Accelerate the Backlash to Cellphone Bans
Emotional texts exchanged during the Apalachee High shooting have reopened the question of cellphones in schools.
Elizabeth Heubeck & Lauraine Langreo, September 5, 2024
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6 min read
Barrow Sheriff Jud Smith provides an update on the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., on Sept. 4, 2024.
Barrow Sheriff Jud Smith provides an update on the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., on Sept. 4, 2024.
John Spink/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via TNS
School Climate & Safety Why Responding to Student Threats Is So Complicated
News that the FBI got a tip a year before a Georgia school shooting sparked questions about whether the attack could have been avoided.
Evie Blad & Olina Banerji, September 5, 2024
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8 min read
Mourners pray during a candlelight vigil for the slain students and teachers at Apalachee High School, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga.
Mourners pray during a candlelight vigil for the slain students and teachers at Apalachee High School on Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga.
Mike Stewart/AP
School Climate & Safety What We Know About the Students and Teachers Killed in Apalachee High Shooting
The two students and two teachers who were killed on Wednesday are being remembered by their loved ones.
Brooke Schultz, September 5, 2024
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3 min read
Flowers are placed at the foot of the welcome sign to Apalachee High School for a makeshift memorial Thursday morning, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga.
Flowers are placed at the foot of the welcome sign to Apalachee High School for a makeshift memorial Thursday morning, Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. Police said an emergency alert system that was new to the school notified them to the emergency, allowing them to respond quickly and prevent the attack from becoming deadlier.
John Spink/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via TNS
School Climate & Safety A Panic Button May Have Saved Lives in Ga. School Shooting. Here's What We Know
Police said an emergency system that alerted them to a shooting at Apalachee High School kept the tragedy from becoming worse.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 5, 2024
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5 min read
Police gather outside Apalachee High School after a shooting at the school Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga.
Police gather outside Apalachee High School after a shooting at the school Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga.
Mike Stewart/AP
School Climate & Safety 2 Students, 2 Teachers Killed in Georgia High School Shooting
It's the first major school shooting of the 2024-25 academic year.
Brooke Schultz & Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 4, 2024
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5 min read
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. She alluded to proposals to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education during her acceptance speech.
Gabrielle Lurie/AP
Federal Video WATCH: 5 Key Education Moments From the Democratic National Convention
Calls to end gun violence, Tim Walz's background as a teacher, and Project 2025 all made for key K-12 moments at the 2024 convention.
Libby Stanford, August 23, 2024
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7 min read
People vote at Bedford Hills Elementary School in Lynchburg, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
People vote at Bedford Hills Elementary School in Lynchburg, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
Paige Dingler/The News & Advance via AP
School & District Management Safety Risk or Civic Duty? Schools Can't Always Say No to Voters on Election Day
Schools are often obligated to serve as polling places, even as safety concerns have grown in recent years.
Mark Lieberman, August 23, 2024
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5 min read
Exterior view of a typical American school building seen on a spring day
iStock/Getty Images
School Climate & Safety These Surprise Inspections Test Schools' Safety Practices
How do you check whether a school is adhering to safety-plan basics? Send in inspectors to try its doors.
Evie Blad, August 14, 2024
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4 min read
Illustration about warnings, with a businessman and woman each holding a with megaphone in front of a caution symbol.
Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty
Student Absenteeism Infographic What CDC Safety Data Reveal About School Absenteeism, in Charts
New federal data show a rising number of students feel unsafe at school.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 14, 2024
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2 min read
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