The Echo

Between the loaded gun at Newark High School and the anniversary of the Columbine Shootings, school safety seems to be on everyone's mind. Could it happen in Delaware? In Christina?

Here are some common sense strategies (from the DSEA website) for bolstering school safety:
I wonder how Christina rates?

Tips for Creating a Safe School
- from the 1998 Annual Report on School Safety published by the U.S. Government
1. Provide strong administrative support for assessing & enhancing school safety.
2. Redesign the school facility to eliminate dark, secluded & unsupervised spaces.
3. Devise a system for reporting & analyzing violent & non-criminal incidents.
4. Design an effective school discipline policy.
5. Build a partnership with local law enforcement.
6. Enlist trained school security professionals in designing & maintaining the school security system.
7. Train school staff, including support staff, in all aspects of violence prevention.
8. Provide all students access to school psychologists or counselors.
9. Provide crisis response services.
10. Implement schoolwide education & training on avoiding & preventing violence & violent behavior.
11. Use alternate school settings for educating violent & weapon- carrying students.
12. Create a climate of respect.
13. Provide appropriate educational services to all students.
14. Reach out to communities & businesses to assist in improving the safety of students.
15. Actively involve students in making decisions about school policies & programs.
16. Prepare an annual report on school crime & safety & distribute to the public.