Every school shooting and incident of violence like a student brawl that erupts at a school leaves parents more unnerved than the last troubling and gut-wrenching incident. Each time they kiss and wave goodbye to their child as they go off to school, they sadly wonder if that precious moment will be the last one shared. Mothers and fathers are also left to wonder if that moment will be the last time they see their children physically and emotionally whole for fear of incidents of harm or torture that could potentially impact their sons and daughters.
School should not cause parents to fear for the safety of their precious children day after day and minute after minute. But it is very troubling that countless schools have evolved into the scary places that now exist.
The vast majority of schools, as we once knew them, were positive, safe, and healthy places that filled learners and their parents with anticipation for a bright future and hope. But now things are very different.
Change must be embraced in schools everywhere. Parents and educators must realize that no school nor classroom is exempt from violence.
Despite this heartbreaking and harsh reality, mothers and fathers need to be assured that nurturing and safe classrooms, schools, and school districts exist for their children. These assurances must happen now.
What Schools Need to Do
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Educational leaders and policymakers as well as community leaders and parents hold the proverbial key to fostering much-needed change and safety reinforcements that are required within schools. Everyone must assume responsibility for leading change and making improvements.
Here are strategies that need to be adopted. (These perspectives are based on my experience as a teacher, school administrator, parent, and family engagement influencer.)
- Sustainable family engagement policies must be developed and enforced. This means that school personnel should work together in a unified manner to lead authentic efforts to position parents and caregivers as partners. When parents are respected members of their child’s educational team and when mothers and fathers understand how critical their involvement and participation are, as it relates to resolving school safety concerns, trust develops incrementally in two ways. First of all, when schools incorporate parent training programs into their family engagement protocols, it builds the capacity of mothers and fathers to teach their children behavioral expectations and social mores required for appropriate conduct at school. Secondly, when educators and parents function as mutual partners this opens the door to mothers and fathers being part of solutions to help classrooms and schools become safe and orderly. Because the voices of parents are respected and heard, they can suggest strategies and use those recommended by the school to actively and consistently help their children behaviorally.
- Educator unions are extremely powerful organizations. They must strategically and creatively unify their efforts to demand state and federal gun reform policies that will finally stop mass shootings at schools. These unions must also demand that local law enforcement agencies serving their community and region are highly qualified and adequately trained to respond to active shooting scenarios.
- The community must work collaboratively with school leaders to provide services and supports to keep schools safe. Whether it is law enforcement or service providers, they must develop programs designed to help. And school leaders including the board of school directors must be willing to provide financial support for the required assistance.
- Students must be held accountable for displaying appropriate conduct at school. And school leaders must enforce the varied components of the Code of Student Conduct that make this possible.
- All members of the school environment must remain responsible for keeping their environment safe. A schoolwide and districtwide safety committee needs to be established to address the overall well-being of students and staff members. Safety protocols embedded in their safety plan matter. Various safety drills need to be practiced periodically and students should get along with one another. Staff members should not do anything to compromise building security like propping doors open and parents along with community members should not ever have free access to the building.
- Schools and districts need to be transparent as it relates to incidents that compromise the safety of others. Principals and teachers need to be proactive by keeping the lines of communication open instead of being reactive when parents voice concerns in mass about the lack of communication. This can be done without divulging personal and specific student or personnel information.
- Policies and guidelines must be in place for parents and other visitors who visit the school. Examples of this follow. Signage located outside of the school must provide specific directions for entry. If security protocols are utilized at the entrance such as a metal detector, guests must comply without verbal resistance or argument. They must access the building through the main office and they must sign in. Parents and guests should be escorted to and from their destination within the school.
These techniques will contribute to a safe school environment.
The Final Thoughts
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Schools have got to be loving and they have got to remain safe continuously. Vigilance is critical at all times.
When school leaders incorporate highly structured safety procedures, parents will have a greater level of peace of mind when their children enter classrooms and schools each day. And when schools are safe, the families of teachers, principals, and other school personnel have more peace of mind, too.
School safety matters!
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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