There is no “right” way to use this website. Just explore it and sincerely answer the questions – this could be alone or with a group of colleagues, students, and/or community members. You can go in order and take them as they come or choose one you want to dig into first. Shuffle the questions to see them in a new way. Feel free to skip over some and come back to them later. The only rule is to explore, consider and imagine!
The notion of school safety is often only concerned with physical harm, but true safety is much more complex. Measures we take to “harden” our schools’ perimeters to protect from external attackers, might also scare and isolate students and families. Students who have experienced or witnessed abuse by police officers might feel less safe with a law enforcement presence in the building. The steps we take to protect against the threat of virus infections can at times traumatize students and teachers. How might we remember our fundamental aim to nourish learning for all students? How can our safety plans contribute to the wellbeing of all our students?
Share your favorite questions by posting them around your school or workspace. You can print them as full page sheets from the question pages in your web browser or make your own set of them using the download files below.
Gather a broad cross section of your school. Invite each person to pick a question. Divide time evenly and discuss each question as a group. Include specific groups — such as students — and randomly pick questions from the site on your desktop or mobile device for the whole group to discuss together.
Reach out to your school administrators, especially your district’s decision-makers. Ask them to consider these questions anytime they are setting a new policy, designing a new facility, or purchasing a new safety-related product.
Please consider sharing these questions with anyone and everyone. Help others consider the role that wellbeing, equity and community have in nurturing our next generation. Challenge your friends to share three questions. There is a link in the top right corner of every page to Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and email!
This tool was generated by the K12 Lab as part of a year-long fellowship on Reimagining School Safety. The tool was conceptualized and designed by Randall Hoyt, sam seidel, Barry Svigals, with Maria Verrier. Special thanks to Ariel Raz, Laura McBain, Scott Doorley, Liz Sourdiff, Kip Hines and Rob Amundson.
Learn more about the Stanford University d.school K12 Lab’s work to reimagine school
safety:
"Questions to Your Answers..." Resources
Site
Main d.school School Safety Site
