By Jesse Weinberger
Parents, advocates and educators come together on how to protect kids in 21st century schools.
In the 1950s, American school children were taught to “duck and cover” under their desks in anticipation of a bomb raid. Much like today’s “active shooter drills,” these exercises became a part of school children’s everyday life.
The U.S. school building is in some ways expected to act as a literal as well as emotional fortress of security. As a result, the business of protecting children against internal and external threats has become far more sophisticated. The new concept of school safety has been forced to evolve and change along with new threats. Schools and parents can be vigilant about the many issues of school safety.
Building Safety
In the wake of too many heartbreaking school shootings, districts are training staff members for the possibility of an “active shooter” scenario. Many local school districts have been trained in ALICE (Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate), which trains school staff in multiple methods of addressing an active shooter.
Robert Hunt, superintendent of Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools, agrees with this multifaceted approach and says, “The safety and security of students and staff has to be a top priority for school districts. Being proactive includes: education, identification and intervention. In addition, districts need be prepared to react to dangerous situations. We implemented the ALICE protocol to train our staff and students to be prepared to react appropriately in the event of a crisis. Thoughtful, periodic training in conjunction with local law enforcement is a critical component of a district safety program.”
After these district-wide staff training sessions, schools then engage students in new-and-improved lockdown drills. Students have been receptive to the training.
“It didn’t scare me at all,” says Madeline Scott, a sixth-grader at Chagrin Falls Intermediate School. “It made me feel a lot safer because our teachers taught us exactly what to do if something bad happens. I’m glad we were trained.”
In addition to training, new proactive digital technologies are being developed in an effort to avoid future tragedies. Mace Security International, the Cleveland company that developed pepper spray, has an extensive line of technology including motion- and heat-sensitive cameras. Once the camera detects heat or motion, the camera is activated and an alert is sent to law enforcement. The recording is then kept on an SD card for law enforcement.
“Mace has developed smart technology and equipment that allows police and first responders to be more efficient. Combining hardware and smart software is a critical element in reducing crime and tragedies in the future,” says John McCann, CEO and president of Mace Security International.
Mental Health
At first glance, the question of mental health might not seem directly related to school safety. However, news stories of school shootings and other school-based violence often have some connection to depression, suicide risks and other mental health issues.
Cleveland-based Suicide Prevention Educational Alliance (SPEA) has presented to more than 140 area schools and organizations including over 100,000 students. As schools and parents begin to understand the critical need for proactive education in the areas of depression and suicide, the demand for their programming consistently grows.
“Mental health issues can affect anyone, from the struggling freshman to the captain of the varsity football team,” says Jack Binder, executive director of SPEA. “The demand for our proactive, proven program is strong — and we are committed to continuing to serve students in our community by teaching them face-to-face the lifesaving skills they need, and the courage to reach out for help.”
The Parent’s Role
As parents, you have the greatest opportunity to help with school safety. By supervising and monitoring your child’s life, you have the opportunity to affect the largest positive outcome on your school’s safety. Parental engagement will always be the best defense a school has against any type of security threat.
The greatest safety success is measured by silence. In the language of safety, every uneventful day is a tick in the win column. Here’s to an academic year full of silence.
Jesse Weinberger is a Northeast Ohio resident and author of “The Boogeyman Exists: And He’s In Your Child’s Back Pocket.”
