We asked our Educators Rising students how safe they feel at school and what schools can do to help students feel safe.
Safety is not a burden
At Many High, I feel very safe. We have officers who are highly trained and constantly patrol the campus. You would think having these armed officers around students would make us feel on edge, but each officer makes a point to get to know the students, and that helps everyone relax.
Shae’Aunna Johnson
You also have to sign in and out and go through the office if you’re coming in or leaving school. This helps keep our staff on top of who’s here and who’s not and make sure students are where they’re supposed to be. This system isn’t a hassle or a big burden, and it helps students and staff stay safe and feel safe.
Shae’Aunna Johnson
12th grade | Many High School
Many, Louisiana
Listen to students
Clint Bosshardt
I generally feel very safe at school. All my teachers do an incredible job at making students feel heard, as well as cultivating a safe environment within their classrooms. It is also nice to have an anonymous tip line. As well as we are doing, we could do a better job about promoting diversity — both within schools and integrated into lesson plans.
Clint Bosshardt
11th grade | Wasatch High School
Heber City, Utah
Bullying matters
I feel safe in my school because there is a strict policy regarding bullying, and so I worry less about “What will be said today?” or “Is anyone going to make fun of me today?” These questions should never be on a student’s mind when going to school. It is known in my school that they will trust and believe you when something is going on, and they will investigate without showing bias for who, what, and where the students that are being bullied are from. The school will suspend, expel, or even charge the student if it is a bad enough circumstance.
If schools allow bullying to go on, they are failing the students in greater ways than they could imagine. This is the reason we have to have school shooter drills; the school system failed students, and they are overcome with paranoia, rage, and hurt.
Shelby Ballard
Every student should feel safe when they walk onto any school property. As an aspiring educator, I never want to see a student who feels unsafe, unloved, and uncared for, as I did when I was in elementary school. I want to spread awareness that words are the most dangerous tool. All people should learn this. Even if the person saying the piercing words doesn’t remember, it makes no difference. The scars never disappear; they linger and sometimes grow and create more scars. They are a constant reminder. I strongly believe that schools should make all students aware and protect them from the worst possible wounds.
Shelby Ballard
10th grade | Ebarb High School
Noble, Louisiana
Focus on safety and behavior
If I were to rate my safety from 1-10, it’s a 7. My school has a new rule where only teachers can open doors. I somewhat feel safe at school because everyone has to enter from the main entrance door, and teachers are the only people who can open the door for the classroom.
Lizette Rodriguez
I feel like my school should focus not just on safety, but also on behavior. Behavior issues can cause anger, and anger is the main reason for an unsafe school.
Lizette Rodriguez
12th grade | Paris High School
Paris, Texas
Campus is too open
Audrey Stoner
I don’t feel very safe at school. We have an open campus, and random people take walks around campus all the time. While I love being open and meeting new people, the idea that just anyone can walk onto campus anytime and enter any classroom, the library, etc., is a little unnerving.
We do have some security protocols in place, like emergency buttons we can press and live alerts if there is an emergency reported, but that’s about it. I think campus should be closed off to just students and staff — ID cards should be required to enter campus, or a parking pass, or something along that line to prove you’re a student or staff. I’m not sure how these programs could be implemented in the coming years, but for campus safety I think it’s a must.
Audrey Stoner
Sophomore | Arizona State University
Glendale, Arizona
Prevention, response, and support
I feel moderately safe inside my school. On the news, you would see these schools that look like they have the perfect protection program in place, but then out of nowhere tragedy will strike.
My school here in Kentucky has a school resource officer, just like every school in the state. We also have one-way stickers on the doors leading into our school building, which means that we can see outside, but nobody on the outside can see inside. Teachers also have gone through an active shooter training to learn how to react and help students get to safety.
These are incredible measures taken by my school system; however, there could be more. All schools should have a resource officer available at a moment’s notice. Schools should have student badges so you would know who’s actually supposed to be in the classroom versus who’s not. And schools should have a mental health counselor. This would give students who are being bullied or maybe just aren’t having a good time someone to confide in instead of going to the extreme point of risking other students’ safety.
Anna-Beth Cook
11th grade | Lincoln County High School
Lincoln County, Kentucky
We should all feel safe
My school has been experiencing rough times this past month. We have had two code blacks (active shooter threats) in the past month. No student should have to experience that. Since the threats have happened, there were no safety drills put in place so students and teachers can know how to react in an actual active shooter situation. I can say that I personally don’t feel safe attending school every day.
Keiren Minter
Students should come to school and feel safe. While some students may not have the best home life, they may look at school as a safe place. School safety plays a crucial role in youths’ development and academic success. Students who feel safe at school tend to have better emotional health and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors
Keiren Minter
12th grade | Watson Chapel High School
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Our officer cares
Torrey McClain
I feel pretty safe at my school. I think the best safety measure at Palmer High is our school cop. Officer Barkwood is the only cop I have tried to build a relationship with, and that is because I feel he really cares about all of the students. Not only does he keep us safe at school, but he also supports us outside of school at events such as games or concerts.
Officer Barkwood does not hide anything from us about how he would keep us safe in an emergency, and that really puts my mind at ease because I know he’s telling the truth. He does carry a gun, which can be controversial, however, I believe that I can trust him. I think all schools should have an Officer Barkwood. He really makes all the difference.
Torrey McClain
12th grade | Palmer High School
Palmer, Alaska
Drills help
Katelen BreAnn Bennett
As a student, I feel that my school is a very safe environment. My school has a resource officer on campus at all times. We have a regular intruder and fire drill to make sure students know what to do if that situation was to ever occur. I think all schools should implement these practices to assure students that they will be safe and taken care of in any situation.
Katelen BreAnn Bennett
11th grade | Converse High School
Converse, Louisiana
Safer in college
Mary Kate Gebhart
Due to being in college. I feel safer in school. I’m fortunate that my college campus is super small.
I remember in high school not feeling safe at times, mainly when school shootings were occurring more frequently. My high school had police officers patrolling the halls to ensure safety. They made rules that we must keep all doors locked, don’t open the door to anyone, keep lanyards with IDs on. If you forget your lanyard, you would have to go to the office to get a temporary one. These helped for the most part.
Mary Kate Gebhart
Freshman | Capital University
Bexley, Ohio
Do more
I don’t feel super safe: The university is not currently taking any safety-promoting actions, even after many negative reports and claims on the topic from the students. The staff seems to be all about promoting student safety but is refusing to get involved until there is evidence of physical violence on campus.
Tailor Ann “TD” D’Adamo
Freshman | Towson University
Towson, Maryland
This article appears in the December 2022/January 2023 issue of Kappan, Vol. 104, No. 4, pp. 68-69.
