Peeling the Onion

Peeling back the onion. A metaphor used by people to describe a process that leads to new discoveries. In terms of school safety and emergency planning, this metaphor can take on a whole new meaning as law enforcement, school officials, and communities wrestle with finding the right blend of approaches to make their community schools safe.

If we stay with the peeling the onion metaphor for a moment, we begin to realize there are variables and components that go into school safety and emergency planning. Each school and each community are unique. Even within the same school system, safety and planning needs may differ from one school to another school. The one-size fits all mentality is no longer a viable method to develop emergency policies and make critical planning decisions.

An onion has layers that surround the core, known as a bud. Going from the outside layers of the onion to the core, school safety and emergency planning can, and often, look similar based on the general needs of all schools. These outer layers may take the form of physical security, safety technology, written safety and emergency protocols, training, anonymous reporting solutions, community involvement, and other safety and security measures implemented by schools for their unique culture and environment. If these school safety and security principles make up the outer layers of the onion, then what is or what should be at the onion’s core? What pumps life and properly nourishes a successful school safety and emergency planning program. It is not the written plans and it certainly is not safety technology.

There are and will be differing expert opinions on what truly is at the center of a robust school safety and emergency planning program. I suggest to you the center, the onion’s core, of a successful school safety and emergency program is a strong collaborative model made up of several distinctive groups that address different aspects of a school district’s safety and emergency planning program. These are not the “sense of urgency” collaboratives that are quickly established after a national school tragedy. This school safety and emergency collaborative model that I am referring to is an investment of time and persistence over many years. A model that is created and sustained over a long period of time even when there is no sense of urgency.