Giving Compass' Take:

• Linda Jacobson reports highlights from August 7th's Federal Commission on School Safety meeting. 

• What are the policy implications of this commision? 

• Read about evidence-based methods of improving school safety


Visiting a state that last year passed a school safety bill allowing certain staff members to carry concealed weapons, the Federal Commission on School Safety on August 7th heard from students and educators who still oppose the idea.

“Asking school personnel to do the job of law enforcement and military personnel is nothing short of asking your plumber to cut your hair,” Brian Cox, principal of Johnson Junior High School in Laramie County School District 1 in Cheyenne, Wyo., told the commission. “It’s just not the job you’d want them to do.”

Several speakers noted the success of Safe to Tell, an anonymous tip line where anyone can report concerns about potential threats. First launched in Colorado, the program has also been picked up in other states. Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michael told the commission that in addition to bullying, “suicide is a major event that Safe to Tell’s been successful at preventing.”

Suicide, he added, is the third most common report made on the system, and the fourth is planned school attacks. “If a state’s not working this program, I think they’re making a big mistake.”

Read the full article about the Federal Commission on School Safety by Linda Jacobson at Education Dive.