Every parent deserves to know their child is safe at school, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I still remember making up the care package for my kids when they entered kindergarten. A picture of mom and dad, a granola bar, and a note that told them how much we loved them. That is what they would be given if there was an active shooter at school. No parent should have to think about that, but every parent does.

Safety isn't just about physical security. It’s about creating a supportive environment where every student has access to non-academic supports, including counselors and wellness centers. School safety requires a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to keeping our kids safe.

The Problem

San José Unified lacks a comprehensive school safety strategy. Instead, there is a patchwork of measures that vary from school to school, with no consistent standards and no clear accountability. Most schools don't have a wellness center, and the ones that do aren't open every day. The counselors are academic counselors, with most feeling underprepared to address the mental health needs of students. Safety drills are conducted without any standardized, age-appropriate protocols.

Physical safety starts at the curb. There have been multiple accidents in the past year involving San José Unified students struck by cars at or near our campuses. The City of San José provides crossing guards at busy intersections, but there is not enough. A safe school starts with a safe arrival at school, and I'm recommending a full transportation safety advisory commitee be created.

Research from the University of Michigan's National Center for School Safety tells us that school safety requires attention across the full spectrum, from primary prevention to early intervention to recovery. That means addressing the social environment (school climate, social-emotional learning, restorative justice), the attentive environment (anonymous reporting systems, threat assessment, mental health), and the physical environment (controlled entry, emergency equipment, safety protocols), all working together. A school that only invests in physical security without addressing mental health and school climate is not a safe school.

Active Shooter Drills: Preparing Without Traumatizing

Over 90% of students in the United States participate in some form of active shooter training every year. That makes these drills one of the most common safety measures our schools implement. But according to research from the University of Michigan, 60% of students reported feeling unsafe, scared, helpless, or sad as a result of experiencing active shooter drills. Only 56% said the drills made them more prepared, and there was no consensus among students about whether drills actually make schools safer.

Safety drills are an opportunity to protect our kids, but too often we do drills that don't make anyone safer. San José Unified should adopt age-appropriate, trauma-informed drill protocols based on the best available research. Drills for kindergartners should not look the same as drills for high school students. Parents should be informed about what drills their children will experience and when. And the district should evaluate the psychological impact of its safety measures, not just check a compliance box.

A Comprehensive Approach

The National Center for School Safety offers free training, technical assistance, and evidence-based resources to any school district in the country. Their Positive Youth Development framework makes clear that the goal of school safety is not just preventing violence, it is creating environments where students can thrive and develop into healthy, productive adults.

San José Unified should be taking advantage of these resources. We should not be figuring this out on our own when a federally funded national center exists specifically to help districts like ours.

Equity in School Safety

Any school safety strategy must account for the fact that safety measures do not affect all students equally. Research consistently shows that physical security measures like metal detectors and police presence can disproportionately affect students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ students. Anonymous reporting systems can be misused. Drills can re-traumatize students who have already experienced violence in their lives.

The Positive Youth Development framework emphasizes that equity must be built into every school safety decision. If our safety measures are not implemented fairly, they undermine the very environments we are trying to create. A safe school is one where every student feels safe, not just the students who look like the people making the decisions.

What I Will Fight For

Fully fund mental health resources at every school. Wellness centers should not be open only two days a week. Every high school should have a fully staffed wellness center, and every elementary and middle school should have access to a dedicated counselor, available every day.

Create a transportation safety advisory committee. Leverage the work of our School Site Councils and transportation experts to share the best practices throughout the district. We need a venue to spread what is working and discuss our problems so that we can solve them before more students get hurt.

Adopt evidence-based, age-appropriate drill protocols. Work with experts and adopt trauma-informed active shooter drill practices that prepare students without causing harm. Inform parents about what drills their children will experience. Evaluate the psychological impact, not just compliance.

Implement a comprehensive safety model. School safety requires investment across the full spectrum: social-emotional learning and restorative justice to build school climate, anonymous reporting systems and threat assessment for early detection, and physical security measures where appropriate. No single approach is enough.

Partner with the National Center for School Safety. San José Unified should be actively utilizing the free training and technical assistance offered by the NCSS to develop and evaluate evidence-based safety programs tailored to our schools.

Empower School Site Councils. Safety strategies should not be one-size-fits-all. Give School Site Councils the authority and resources to address the specific safety needs of their campuses, with input from parents, teachers, and students.

Partner with city, county, and community colleges. Santa Clara County has significant mental health resources. The City of San José has libraries, after-school programs and provides crossing guards to our busy intersections. The San José-Evergreen Community College District is committed to supporting students with educational and socioeconomic challenges, and its college readiness and student success programs could directly benefit San José Unified students transitioning out of high school. In San Diego, the school district and community college district hold regular joint board meetings to coordinate on shared priorities. San José Unified should be doing the same with SJECCD. All of these agencies should be working together every day on student well-being, not operating in silos.

Center equity in every decision. Evaluate every safety measure for its disproportionate impact on vulnerable student populations. A school safety strategy that does not account for equity is not a school safety strategy.