Abstract:

The issues of school safety are continuously an area of thought, concern and practice for school leaders. There is agreement among educators, parents and the public that when school doors open, be it k-12 or higher education institutions, all stakeholders are in a safe learning environment.

In light of recent events in the U.S., there is much focus on gun control, student and staff safety. At a high school in Florida, 17 people died as a result of a school shooter, 14 students, 2 faculty members, and the shooter who was a 19 year old former student at the school.

Since the Sandy Hook Elementary (Connecticut) school shooting in December 2012, 7000 students have lost their lives to a gun in the U.S. While not all of these events occurred in a mass shooting in a school, many did occur in school and the school community. Across the globe, there have been issues of harm to students while in school, be it kidnappings, knife attacks or gun attacks.

School leaders must be proactive in planning and supporting all stakeholders in being safe, so that learning can occur. Collaborating with police authorities, having plans for various types of school events, and communicating those plans effectively to all stakeholders, can result in outcomes that are more positive should a traumatic event occur.

This presentation will enable participants to address their needs in higher education and/or Prek-12 school settings, and identify potential gaps. Successful approaches to addressing this issue will be discussed and shared.

Keywords:

Leadership, school safety, community collaboration.