On May 18, 2018, eight students and two teachers were fatally shot at Santa Fe High School in the Houston metropolitan area. Thirteen others were wounded. The shooter was a 17-year-old student at the school. So in June 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law new school safety legislation. “Just over a year has […]
READ MORE >>At PublicSchoolWORKS, we understand the heavy feeling many districts feel of being responsible for creating a safety culture across the district. Keeping staff and students safe can be like a gray cloud always looming. This summer, you might be feeling the questions stack up as you think ahead: How can I train staff and educate […]
READ MORE >>Recently, professionals from more than a dozen Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities gathered together in Columbus, OH for our first-ever PublicSchoolWORKS Safety Summit. The one-day event combined thought leadership, peer panel discussions and networking opportunities in order to inform and engage those who are working hard at their service locations to support individuals with disabilities. […]
READ MORE >>There is nothing more important than student safety. To make it more convenient for your staff, students and community to securely report safety concerns, we created the Stay Safe. Speak Up! mobile app. Free to download on iOS and Android for PublicSchoolWORKS StudentWatch customers, the app is part of the PublicSchoolWORKS Stay Safe. Speak Up! […]
READ MORE >>During 2018, school safety was one of the biggest topics in the education AND mainstream media. So many articles covered how school districts were spending funding to help secure their schools. This ranged from increased active shooter training for staff to security cameras and more obscure safety measures such as bulletproof whiteboards. Take a look […]
READ MORE >>On December 18, 2018, the Federal Commission on School Safety, headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, released its final report on the state of school safety. The Commission, which was formed after the school shooting in Parkland, FL, was tasked with making policy recommendations for schools and communities in order to help prevent future tragedies […]
READ MORE >>Lunch at Dundee Elementary in Dundee, Ohio was off to a normal start one day in September until the school’s aide, Janet Dummermuth, who was supervising the first-graders, noticed a student panicking. “He was coughing at first and then headed for the water fountain, but I could tell this was more than something getting caught […]
READ MORE >>Prior to 2016, consistently managing on-site state and federally required staff training at Utah’s Salt Lake City School District was a hefty order. The district’s 41 schools span the entire city limits – approximately 109 square miles – and the time and effort it took to ensure all requirements were met often resulted in inefficiency […]
READ MORE >>Recent pressure from communities, lawmakers, and district stakeholders has led many districts to implement a proactive crisis prevention program. Here’s a look at how longtime PublicSchoolWORKS customer Strongsville City Schools has been working to enhance its crisis prevention program while continuing to rely on the StudentWatch Suite from PublicSchoolWORKS to ensure the health and safety […]
READ MORE >>The Advanced Thinking in Homeland Security (HSx) program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) has published a free database of school shooting information called the K-12 School Shooting Database. According the website, the database documents “each and every instance a gun is brandished, is fired, or a bullet hits […]
READ MORE >>News headlines in both local and national outlets are continuously highlighting districts purchasing physical security measures, especially the use of security cameras. While administrators and law enforcement may see the benefit of installing cameras throughout and around school buildings, what are students’ perceptions of security cameras? The Journal of Adolescent Health published a report summarizing […]
READ MORE >>Bullying prevention research is a growing field of study and researchers are making strides in trying to understand the complexities and effects of bullying. We compiled and summarized recent research on the topic. “National student survey shows bullying is on the rise over the last three years, particularly among students of color in majority white […]
READ MORE >>So often school safety is focused on initiatives that help keep students and staff safe inside the school building or on district property, but what about on school buses? Riding the bus is how many students start and end their day, making it a crucial safety touchpoint. To learn what safety factors districts should consider […]
READ MORE >>Suicide does not discriminate. It can affect everyone despite their gender, age or ethnicity – including your students. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and Monday, September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day– both are all about helping communities understand suicide, remove the stigma related to suicide and mental health, and provide those in […]
READ MORE >>In honor of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the September issue of School Business Affairs focuses on mental health support. Tom Strasburger and Paul Daniels, the Director of Secondary Curriculum at Milford Exempted Village Schools in Milford, OH authored an article titled “Supporting More than the Academics: The Age of Mental Health Support.” The article […]
READ MORE >>When building new schools, architects make sure to embed safety features into the design, but what about older schools? How can they be retrofitted to make schools safer? In the August issue of National School Boards Association’s publication American School Board Journal, Paul Timm, the vice president of physical security at Facilities Engineering Associates and […]
READ MORE >>Students will be going back to school before we know it. Now is the perfect time to remind students’ families about bus safety tips to ensure students arrive to school on-time, unharmed, and ready to learn. We compiled the below list of bus safety tips. We encourage you to share them with students’ families before […]
READ MORE >>On Thursday, May 31, 2018, we hosted our fourth and final School Safety Talks webinar on crisis prevention, preparedness, and response with PublicSchoolWORKS President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Temming and Vice President of Strategic Alliances Tom Strasburger. During the webinar, “Insights to Action: A Wrap-Up Discussion on Crisis Prevention, Preparedness, and Response,” Steve and […]
READ MORE >>On Thursday, May 10, 2018, we hosted our third School Safety Talks webinar on crisis prevention, preparedness, and response with Al Gille, the Coordinator of Safety and Security at Great Oaks Career Campuses. During his webinar, “A Practical and Effective Approach to Safety,” Al outlined specific tactics Great Oaks Career Campuses uses to prevent, prepare, […]
READ MORE >>On Thursday, April 26, 2018, we hosted our second School Safety Talks webinar on crisis prevention, preparedness, and response with Paul Timm, board-certified Physical Security Professional (PSP®) and Vice President of Physical Security Services at Facility Engineering Associates. During his webinar, “A Collaborative Approach to School Safety,” Paul explained the importance of collaboration among different […]
READ MORE >>Title IX and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) include protections for students from sexual abuse or misconduct by school employees. So why do we still see stories in the news about teachers who, despite allegations of sexual misconduct with students, are able to get hired at new districts and continue the cycle of abuse? […]
READ MORE >>Mother of Emilie Parker & Co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools On Thursday, April 12, 2018, we kicked off our School Safety Talks with a webinar series on crisis prevention, preparedness, and response with our first speaker Alissa Parker, Mother and Co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools. During “School Safety – A Sandy Hook Parent’s […]
READ MORE >>Katelyn Snyder began working at PublicSchoolWORKS in April 2017. As a Program Management Coordinator (PMC), Katelyn helps districts map out their regulatory, compliance and training needs and then develops corresponding school safety and risk management programs. She also builds strong partnerships with her customers to ensure the programs are utilized to their fullest so schools […]
READ MORE >>In the wake of the Parkland school shooting, the media has explored many different approaches to preventing similar tragedies from occurring, including arming teachers, increased school security measures, and more. Recently, NPR published an article detailing a concise document titled “Call for Action To Prevent Gun Violence In The United States of America.” Two days […]
READ MORE >>Just two weeks after the Parkland school shooting, The New York Times published an article profiling how the threat of school violence, specifically school shootings, has turned school security into a booming business. However, several school security industry members are quoted throughout the article stating there is very little guidance on which technologies and processes […]
READ MORE >>In the wake of the recent tragedy in Parkland, FL, children may feel the need to explore and express their feelings of concern and confusion. In partnership with the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and former NASP president and co-author of its PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention curriculum Melissa Reeves, NPR provides five […]
READ MORE >>It is well known bullying can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, changes to sleep and eating patterns, alcohol and drug abuse, and deviant behavior – and these issues may persist into adulthood. However, much of the bullying research available today is conducted over short periods of time, and there isn’t […]
READ MORE >>A study published in the June issue of School Psychology Quarterly calculated the financial cost bullying has on school districts. The study, which is the “first to count the direct losses caused by bullying-related student absences” according to an article in The Sacramento Bee, found that bullying costs California school districts more than $276 million […]
READ MORE >>We’re thrilled to announce the launch of powerful new post-incident retraining (PIRT) courses for school staff. Available now, these short, five-minute rapid learning modules are designed to reinforce safety best practices for school staff who have been involved in a workplace incident or accident and help prevent future incidents. These new courses cover topics including […]
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