School Safety

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Notes from the Backpack Podcast

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Students Deserve a Safe Environment

A founding principle of National PTA’s mission is to promote the safety and well-being of all children and youth.

All students and educators have a right to attend schools that are safe and conducive to learning and achievement, yet schools are experiencing increasingly frequent incidents that are having a devastating, long-term impact on students, parents, educators and the community.

When discussing school safety, we know that gun violence prevention is top of mind for most parents, school administrators, students and community members. We must work together toward practical solutions to end the gun violence epidemic, and we have put together comprehensive resources to help you find the right safety solution for your community.

School Safety for Children

Coming Soon: The Blueprint

A Practical Resource for Critical Conversations Around Gun Violence Prevention Planning in Schools

It is imperative that families are actively engaged in creating safe and supportive schools for kids. National PTA has developed resources for parents and PTAs to support you in becoming part of effective, successful school safety decision making.

Our NEW Gun Violence Prevention Blueprint guides parents and PTAs through critical conversations with:
  • Principals
  • State Lawmakers
  • Members of Congress
  • Teachers
  • School Counselors
  • Superintendents
  • School Boards
  • Mayors and City Councils
  • Governors

Start the conversation about school safety today.


Related Resources 

  • 20 Questions Every Parent Should Ask: Helps parents have a conversation with their school principal about school safety policies and procedures; preventative resources for students, families and school personnel; and what type of communication channels are in place for families and students.
  • Mobilizing Family Stakeholders: Provides PTA with resources to get in the know about school safety, host a school safety forum and advocate with decision makers about school safety.
  • Take Action: Change starts with lawmakers, and our state and federal elected officials need to hear from parents and PTA leaders about why this issue is important. It only takes a few minutes to raise your voice to make schools a safe place for all students. 


Additional Resources for Families and PTAs

  • Be SMART (Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund): Provides information and resources to empower parents, caretakers, and community leaders to promote school safety by encouraging secure firearm storage in homes. Be SMART provides tools to help keep schools and communities safer by preventing kids from accessing firearms, as well as guidelines for adopting district-wide secure storage resolutions.

  • Know the Signs (Sandy Hook Promise): Teaches kids, parents, teachers, and community members to recognize warning signs like social isolation and behavioral shifts—and how to report them.

  • Be Safe and Sound in School (National Safety Council): Mobilizes parents, school administrators, elected officials, policymakers, and students to take action on the issue of school safety and security.

  • Framework for Safe and Successful Schools (National Association of School Psychologists): Provides evidence-based recommendations for improving school safety. 

  • Parents for Safe Schools (Safe and Sound Schools): Designed for parents who want a more hands-on approach to school safety, from learning more to getting involved, or even becoming an advocate for school safety.