"When it comes to student and staff safety, there are no excuses. The authors have created a handbook that is comprehensive, explicit, and relevant to educational environments." —Darlene R. Jones, Principal Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, MO "Brunner and Lewis have done an outstanding job creating a series of commonsense reminders that will guide school leaders in creating and enhancing safety in their school and community." —Ronald Stephens, Executive Director National School Safety Center Make a difference in school safety and security with these practical, realistic strategies! This timely resource for new, veteran, and aspiring school administrators offers cost-effective techniques for creating a safe environment for students, staff, and the community. The authors use their experience in education and law enforcement to show how administrators can combine the need for a secure campus with the desire to maintain an open, welcoming environment. Succinct and user-friendly, this handbook offers practical, realistic methods for designing general and event-specific safety plans, forming safety committees, and creating security checklists and visitor screening procedures. Sections on staff training include methods for handling harassment and bullying as well as recommendations for: Helping prevent or minimize a potential crisis Facilitating a stronger, more informed response when needed Aiding in school recovery and a return to normalcy For easy reference, readers will find strategies organized by categories and concluding with a top ten list of security recommendations.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Dr. Gerald Tirozzi Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction 1. Planning Strategy 1: Starting the School Year: A Checklist for Safety and Security Strategy 2: The Principal′s Homework: What Does Your Teacher Handbook Say About Safety and Security? Strategy 3: Strategic Supervision: The Foundation for School Safety Strategy 4: A Safety Game Plan for Cocurricular Events Strategy 5: On the Road Again: Discipline Investigations Away From School Strategy 6: Visitor Check-In and Screening Procedures: It′s More Than Just Signing the Visitor Log Strategy 7: Ensuring the Safe Evacuation of Students With Physical Disabilities During an Emergency Strategy 8: Invest in a Safety Committee: Creating Strategies You Can Bank On Strategy 9: Speaking of School Safety: Creating a Conversation Within the School Community Strategy 10: Closing Out the School Year 2. Response Strategies Strategy 11: Planning for School Emergencies: Part 1 Strategy 12: Planning for School Emergencies: Part 2 Strategy 13: Assessing Student Threats of Violence: A School′s Response to a Growing Problem Strategy 14: De-escalating an Angry Parent: You′ll Never Have to Answer for What You Don′t Say Strategy 15: Fights at School: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do Strategy 16: Head ′Em Up! Move ′Em Out!: Relocating Students During an Emergency Event Strategy 17: Student Searches: A Practical Application Strategy 18: Managing Electronic Devices: Sending the Right "Signals" to Parents and Students Strategy 19: Full-Court Press: A Media Management Plan 3. Professional Development Strategy 20: Is Your School Up to Speed on Safety? Strategy 21: What Teachers Must Know About Safety Strategy 22: Training Support Staff to Respond Appropriately Strategy 23: Intimidation, Harassment, and Bullying: Fear Factors in the Twenty-First-Century School Strategy 24: Holiday Blues: Responding to Seasonally Despondent Students Strategy 25: Tabletop Exercises: The Ultimate Tool for School Safety Training Strategy 26: There′s No "Substitute" for Good Safety 4. Top Ten Strategy 27: School Safety′s Top Ten: The Top Ten Things to Remember When Creating a Safe School Environment Resources Bibliography Index