School Safety Week 2024

As we embark on School Safety Week (October 20-26), which was initiated by the National School Safety Center in 1984,  I want to express my profound gratitude to the school administrators, safety professionals, partners, and community organizations for your unwavering commitment to ensuring the well-being of students and staff across the country. This week serves as a vital reminder of the importance of our collective efforts in creating secure learning environments.

This week, as school administrators and safety and security professionals, I encourage you to also put on your hats as parents and community members and engage in meaningful discussions and share best practices outside of our professional bubble. PASS Advisory Council Member and parent Kevin Wren of the Cook & Boardman Group LLC recently posted “A Parent’s Guide to Opening a School Safety Dialogue” where he emphasizes the critical role parents play in enhancing school safety alongside professionals. Offering concrete tips and specific language, he encourages parents to engage in constructive discussions with school officials, ask pertinent questions about security plans and training, and collaborate with the community. The general public and the media often get caught up in the available technology; it’s up to this group of professionals to help educate on the importance of policies, procedures, and planning that support these tools.

My ask of you this week is simple: share this post with five parents, and ask them to do the same, and encourage them to download the free PASS School Security Guidelines. I’ve spoken to many parents who are frightened and frustrated. Let’s arm them with the information they need to initiate action in a respectful, supportive, and effective way. 

I know we are all united in our mission to protect our schools and ensure that students and staff can learn and thrive in a safe and supportive environment. Thank you again for your dedication and commitment to school safety and security. 

Sincerely,

Chuck Wilson

Partner Alliance for Safer Schools & National Systems Contractors Association

About PASS

The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) bringing together expertise from the education, public safety, and industry communities to develop and support a coordinated approach to making effective and appropriate decisions with respect to safety and security investments. You can download the complete PASS Guidelines here, or check out our PASS Safety and Security Checklist for quick tips on how to get started.  These resources—as well as white papers on various topics including barricade devices, lockdown drills, and more—are available at no cost.