This past weekend marked one year since the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. During this time, we read, listened to, and participated in discussions on how to keep our schools safe and secure. And also during this time, at least 25 school shootings have occurred, including Friday's shooting at Arapahoe High School in Colorado. School safety is a complicated issue with no single or simple solution.
Have we made our schools safer over the past year? Earlier this year we hosted a discussion on the Whole Child Podcast on what we, as educators, believe is crucial to making our schools safe—not just physically safe, but also safe places to teach and learn. Guests Joseph Bergant II, superintendent of Chardon Schools in Ohio; Howard Adelman, professor of psychology at UCLA and codirector of the School Mental Health Project and the Center for Mental Health in Schools (a whole child partner); and Jonathan Cohen, adjunct professor in psychology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and president and cofounder of whole child partner National School Climate Center discussed what is required for students and adults to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe in schools.
We also shared articles and resources on the importance of safer, connected schools, including
- "What's in Our Control: Safer, Connected Environments" by Sean Slade
- "Support, Optimism, and Hope" by Klea Scharberg
12-13-13 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG Learning Compacts Between Schools and Families — Whole Child Education
Learning Compacts Between Schools and Families — Whole Child Education: Learning Compacts Between Schools and FamiliesSchool and home can often be worlds apart. In a recent issue of ASCD Express, we looked at the types of outreach that draw family strengths and influence into the school community in positive ways and unite these two spheres of a student's life. This video discusses Step 5: Outreac
