Giving Compass' Take:

• According to a report by the New York State Comptroller's office, many public schools lack up-to-date safety plans, working radios, and correct personnel records. 

• How can proper data be useful and helpful in situations like this? What will the public school system do in the wake of this information?

• Here's how investing in communities can help protect our public and our schools. 

With all of the recommendations for how to improve school safety over the past year and a half, one takeaway is that consistent implementation is necessary to see the benefits of prevention efforts. At a session during last year's National Association of Elementary School Principals conference, Jeff Bean, a police officer from suburban Chicago who also runs Act on Bullying Inc., advised school leaders that keeping schools safe is a daily responsibility. And it's clear that some actions schools have taken are beginning to show a positive impact. For example, behaviors such as bullying seem to have decreased. During the 1999-00 school year, 29% of public schools reported bullying once a week, but only 12% reported bullying in 2015-16.

At the federal government level, the Federal Commission on School Safety, formed following the February, 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, issued a report late last year urging schools to arm school personnel and expand mental health services. However, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem and that all states should make plans based on what is the best fit for their own areas.

Read the full article about flaws in New York City school safety plans by Shawna De La Rosa at Education Dive.