Gun control activists, the National Rifle Association (NRA), civil rights special interest groups, and politicians have hijacked school safety to advance their own political agendas. Meanwhile, little is being done to help principals, teachers, and first responders improve school security on the front lines in education. A closer look reveals individuals and organizations with little-to-no […]
Category Archive: Legislation and School Safety
Michigan schools cut corners, break laws on safety drills: A failure to focus on fundamentals
Many Michigan schools are cutting corner and violating both the spirit and letter of state laws on school crisis drills, according to an investigative report by MLive news reporters. A multi-month extensive review of thousands of public records found fire, lockdown, and other drills not being done, not done enough times, and done too late […]
Obama school safety plan falls short; Real target is gun control
President Obama’s plan in response to the Sandy Hook shootings is heavy on gun control and short on funding for school safety, security, and emergency preparedness. While the Obama Administration, DC politicians, special interest groups, and many media outlets have framed the President’s plan as a “school safety plan,” only three of the 15 pages in […]
Feds fail after Sandy Hook; Security expert says restore cuts, add school safety academies
School security expert says federal leaders failed to provide meaningful steps to improve school security after Sandy Hook Trump calls for restoring cut federal programs, new state school safety academies [CLEVELAND] Elected officials have failed to provide meaningful legislation, funding, and resources to help school administrators better secure their schools and prepare for mass […]
How the anti-bullying movement is setting kids up to fail
The world will be a perfect place if we just pass anti-bullying laws that outlaw bullying, incivility, intolerance, dirty looks, disagreements that are not pleasant, and just about anything else that is not Kumbaya. At least that seems to be the perspective of anti-bullying activists who have jumped on the bullying bandwagon the past few years. […]
Why legislation won’t stop bullying, online or otherwise
State and federal anti-bullying laws are unnecessary and ineffective. This doesn’t set well with many anti-bullying, civil rights, and other political activists and advocates lobbying for state and federal laws. But what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. A recent Plain Dealer newspaper article (CSU symposium attendees seek […]
House Proposes Cuts to 2011 School Emergency Planning Grants
First the Obama Administration proposed eliminating K-12 school emergency planning grants from the 2012 federal budget. Now, it appears the House Appropriations Committee is calling to eliminate the funds from this year’s 2011 budget! In a Friday press release on $4 billion in spending cuts as a part of a proposed short term government funding Continuing […]
School Boards Challenge Education Dept Civil Rights Bullying Order
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is challenging the federal Education Department’s “expansive reading of the law” in which the Department redefines bullying as potential federal civil rights violations. The Department’s Office for Civil Rights issued a 10-page “Dear Colleagues Letter” (DCL) to the nation’s schools on October 26th in which the Department redefined discipline […]
Congress, The Nation’s Biggest Bullies: Fix Your Own Incivility
“Search for civility grows in Washington after midterms,” a recent U.S.A. Today headline reads. On the surface, the article appropriately details the polarized, hostile, and personally-attacking nature of today’s D.C. politics. But having testified four times to Congress on school safety, and getting a closer view of the behind-the-scenes nature of American politics, I particularly […]
Fiscal Commission: Cut Fed Safe & Drug Free Schools Office
The Federal Deficit Commission is recommending elimination of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools, saving the federal government $1.8 billion dollars. Recommendation 16 on page 7 of the Commission’s preliminary report recommends: “16. Eliminate the Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools. In the President’s budget, funding for the […]