6 Things School Leaders Can Do About Gun Violence

There will be another school shooting in America with loss of life. Then another. Then another. Elected officials do nothing, so our national nightmare of killing children and teachers in schools is not going to end. How many times have we heard on media, “We never thought it would happen here!” It can happen anywhere, anytime. Willing to bet that nearly every school has already done a review of its “active shooter” procedures. That is not enough.

What else can you do?

Make Contact With (Call Out) Decision-Makers

Invite local, state, and federal elected officials into school to meet with students, parents, and teachers. Personalizing the experience by sitting down with real people can be very impactful. Years ago, Ohio Senator Rob Portman reversed his position on opposing same-sex marriage after his son came out gay. Often times, personal connections are the only thing that will change minds.

Implore lawmakers to hold town halls about school violence. To raise the profile, enlist other area school leaders to collectively voice this request. Many parents will gladly lend their signatures to a petition. Better yet, post a photo or short video on social media of everyone making the request. Expect politicians to put off the offer due to “scheduling issues” or another excuse. If so, ask for a written response to this question. “What will you do to end school gun violence?” Don’t accept, “Looking into this matter” as an appropriate response. That’s BS. Elected officials have the responsibility to enact legislation to protect children and teachers in school.

Host Community Meetings

Lead your own discussion on school violence with students, parents, community, police. Hold a community town hall or World Café. Send these findings to local, state, and federal politicians with the expectation that their responses will be shared with the community. Post results on social media.

(Re)Open Communication Channels

Set up school channels that will effectively bring forward information. Although students and others shared worries about the Parkland shooter, this may not be true in other schools and towns. Teens nearly always keep issues within their peer group. When we were that age, we did too. Sadly, the system grossly failed Parkland but adults are needed for the proper interventions. Building trust so teens are more willing to share knowledge is vital.

Set Up Electronic Civic Engagement Centers

Voting is a citizen’s ultimate accountability measure for lawmakers. Provide an online voting and civic engagement resource center for high school students, especially those eligible to vote in the next election. Make sure alumni can access voting information too. Youth voter turnout is historically lower than older adults, especially young minorities. In close elections, a large turnout is a difference maker. Youth vote turned Nevada in favor of Hillary Clinton in 2016. Publish local, state, and federal candidates stance and actions regarding school gun violence in the electronic resource center.

Support Student Activism

Support students taking lead on pushing for change on school violence and safety. Every school has students ready to take on this challenge. No penalties for walking out to peacefully protest. Provide time and assistance for students to contact elected officials. It might be their best civics lesson ever. Publicize social media channels for students to show support and solidarity for their peers who have experienced the worst. Give them a voice and have their back while they speak and act at this pivotal moment. Our best bet to reach a tipping point on preventing mass murder in schools is their grassroots movement.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education provides this perspective on “how school leaders can respond by listening, helping to empower, and affirming students’ rights.”

Working with your school board, propose local school referendums (yes, tax increases) where funding will be directed towards school safety. In low-income districts, lobby government officials for safety funding. Right now, few politicians will ignore you. The majority of Americans support more gun control but school leaders do not write the legislation. Keep financial requests centered on additional counseling, mental health support, and physical security for your school. These are areas that everyone supports. Enlist local, state, and federal elected officials to publicly make a statement about the funding referendum. As Maslow illuminated long ago, nothing else matters when safety is an unmet need.

And voice your beliefs about arming teachers and administrators, gun free school zones, and overall gun control. Local clergy and community activists are allies to support you.

Students and teachers deserve no less from school leaders.