We need a
bigger clicker
Deep, meaningful
relationships with
students are key to
creating a culture.
First, let me ensure we are clear
about some debate topics that are playing
themselves out currently in our communi-
ties. We will never make our children or
anyone else completely safe through metal
detectors, gun control, school resource offi-
cers or legislative actions. If it were possible,
then maximum security prisons would be
safe places and they absolutely are not safe.
However, our processes provide a better way
to connect to most inmates with whom I’ve
worked, and they can make prisons safer; I
will illustrate later.
Second, we overlook the fact that teach-
ers are our first responders in every school
incident. It has been that way since public
schools began. It will continue to be that way.
Third, if teachers are the first responders,
then we should be focusing on what they can
do and what they are doing that works to
minimize violence in schools. School safety
is about teachers and the education commu-
nity and the immense influence we have over
32
Leadership
everything that happens on a school cam-
pus. To say otherwise is to abdicate our roles
and our responsibilities to others, which I
am not ready or willing to do.
Connected kids are far less apt to go on
a violent rampage. The research is profound
on this singular point and we cannot ignore
the pivotal role every teacher plays in this
process. (Resnick et al, 1997; Center for
Disease Control, 2009). In repeated stud-
ies of more than 90,000 adolescents (larg-
est study to date) they found that the single
factor that lowered adolescent risk behaviors
is connectedness to an appropriate adult at
home or school. You can debate this if you
choose, but the facts are there, and the dis-
cussion is not about are they right or not. The
question is what will we do with the data?
To illustrate, allow me to tell you about
May 26, 2016, which was one of the most in-
credible days of my life. It was my second day
By Flip Flippen