School Safety

Written by UNC MPA

Memphis, Baltimore, Kansas City, Montgomery, Prescott, Charlotte, Highlands Ranch, Savannah, Parkland—what do all of these cities have in common?

Schools that have lost students and educators to school shooting incidences on campus.

With an increase in not only school shootings, but also a heavy prevalence of bullying, cyber bullying, self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicides at school-age students, school safety has become the number one priority for lawmakers and administrators across North Carolina. Superintendent Johnson firmly believes all students should feel welcomed and comfortable attending school daily, and not fearful of if their school is next to be listed above.

As I have been working in the Superintendent’s office for the past week, the issue of school safety has repeatedly been brought to the forefront. Whether it was meeting with legislators about the budget to ensure school safety grants are funded, attending press conferences with Superintendent Johnson about his plan to address school safety concerns, participating in State Board of Education meetings, or listening to Sandy Hook Promise, an organization dedicated to preventing school shooting crises, the safety of North Carolina students has been the number one concern for not only parents, teachers, administrators, and students, but also lawmakers, private organizations, and my team at the Superintendent’s office.

While the schools that have been impacted by these incidences vary in size, location, age, demographic, magnitude of incident, and connection to shooter, what is not unique are the many students at these schools that told administrators and law enforcement that they saw signs of concern prior to the incident. However, many students reported they “thought someone else would report it,” or “thought the person probably wasn’t serious,” or they did not feel comfortable telling a teacher or student resource officer.

Based on the feedback of schools, law enforcement officers’ input regarding these incidences, and organizations that are experts in best practices, students are the eyes and ears on the ground in these circumstances. Thus, the Superintendent has partnered with Sandy Hook Promise, founded by a mother who lost her son to the Sandy Hook massacre, to create an app that allows students to report any concerns they have anonymously. This app will be launched in every middle and high school in North Carolina in the coming school year, and teachers and students will be trained by these professionals on how to spot signs of students who might be planning to hurt themselves or others.

While parents and school personnel will have access to the app to make reports, the app is designed to be a tool by the students, for the students to help students feel empowered to speak up, protect themselves, and protect others. There will be a control center dedicated to North Carolina that will take-in each report and determine if it is life threatening at that time and take action by contacting local law enforcement, school officials, and teachers, all while continuing communication anonymously with the tipster to obtain the most information possible.

While this app was not my idea, I am super excited to be a part of the Superintendent’s team as he continues rolling out plans for this partnership this summer; the legislative team as we continue working with the General Assembly to ensure these priorities are reflected in the budget and bills, and the team of those that care deeply about protecting the students of our schools. It will be great to be a part of such a big project being launched nationwide, and I’ll keep y’all posted!

P.S. I attended the Council of State meeting this week with all statewide elected officials and got to snap a pic with Governor Cooper 😉

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