District Administration - December 2006 - (Page 32)

SCHOOL SECURITY happen magically, adds Kenneth some things you can do to margin- S. Trump, president at National a lly make them safer but is the price Safety Checklist worth it? I'm not sure it is. School Safety and Security Ser- Compare your district's policies and v ic e s in Cleveland. But the White Proof in the Pudding House conference confirmed practices against this checklist offered what Trump says he already Since 1992, the earliest year that by the Center for the Prevention of knew: Many schools still have data is available, there have been 418 School Violence. not mastered the basics of school school-related deaths, according to Review access control. Monitor violence prevention and security the National School Safety Center's entranceways, lock doors and windows or emergency planning. Many of Report on School Associated Violent where possible and inform staff about all those who attended including Deaths. The vast majority 323 were access control policies. Make sure that Trump believe there should be a caused by shootings. Yet the violent your policies match actual practices. call to action. crime rate, including rapes and fights, Congress needs to take some dropped from 48 per 1,000 students Train staff on emergency prepared- emergency action in restructuring in 1992 to 28 in 2003. ness and how to approach strang- and retooling the federal Safe and One way to ensure that those ers on campus. Develop a way that Drug-Free Schools and Communi- numbers keep declining is to edu- strangers can be reported to proper t ies program, he says, adding that cate school staff and parents on bul- school or law enforcement authorities. Bush, the program's director, and the lyi ng prevention, according to many Use visitor ID cards. Issue badges to Office of Management and Budget bully experts. William Lassiter, man- all visitors. have labeled the program ineffec- ager of the Center for the Prevention t ive. Congress has been taking the of School Violence in Raleigh, N.C., Organize and maintain a crisis team. approach over the last couple of which offers such workshops, points Train members and update your plan years of allowing it to bleed a slow to a nearly 30-year study conducted as needed. death while our children are bleed- by sociologist Dan Olweus of over Involve students. Provide a forum i ng a fast death in our schoolhouses. 100,000 children at 100 different where they can share concerns. Develop [Congress needs to] get on top of it, elementary schools in Norway and a standard process where they can retool it, restructure it and relocate the U.S. It tracked third-graders who the responsibility for school security, were identified as bullies as well as report suspicious activity to an adult. school policing and school emer- their targets. By the time the bullies Communicate with parents. Encour- genc y planning out of the education were 24 years old, 40 percent had age them to become more involved department and over in the Justice been arrested. By the time their tar- in school safety, and inform them of Department. get s reached age 27, they were seven safety procedures through mailings or Mea nwh i le, school districts must times more likely to be involved in newsletters. get more involved. For example, he an abusive domestic relationship Use security equipment that moni- says they need to evaluate and refi ne than those that were not targets. tors school grounds. Conduct routine their security measures, including I n a Secret Service study of over the physical aspects such as lighting, 250 school shootings, 75 percent maintenance checks. and update and implement existing of the shooters said they were tired emergency plans. He points to one of being bullied. The same report school's crisis plan that assigned revealed that in 81 percent of responsibility to a teacher who had these cases, students told someone t hreat evacuation. since retired. about their violent crime before We know what needs to be Likewise, he says a fourth R taking action. done, says Trump, explaining that relat ionsh ips ha s been added to the La ssiter says the purpose of this Congress must restore funding that three Rs of education. All school workshop is to raise awareness of has been cut and give it directly to employees must develop stronger parents, staff and students that bul- schools. When the next incident relationships with students, public lyi ng is not a natural part of growing happens, we're not going to have a safety officials and others beyond up and should never be tolerated. second White House conference on their schoolhouse borders. He says school safety. Somebody is going to have to do something. DA No Magic the fi rst time school officials meet their local police should not be in Sc hool s can be one of the safest the school parking lot during a bomb places in a community, but it won't Carol Patton is a contributing editor. 32 December 2006 District Administration security.indd 32 11/13/06 11:27:17 AM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - December 2006

Contents
Editor's Letter
Update
Inside The Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Mayor controls LA district
Who's In Charge In LA?
How Safe Is Your School
National school security plan
District Administration's 6th Annual Salary Survey
Fresh Chance for New Orleans Schools
Fresh start for New Orleans
Alfie Kohn on the homework myth
The Homework Myth
Conventional Guide to Birds of a Feather
Speaking Out
Anne Bryant on school board relations
Professional Opinion
Principal Opinion
Problem/Solution
Leadership Books
New Products
By the Numbers

District Administration - December 2006