School Safety

“We want qualified and caring adults teaching the students of DuPage County. We do this by conducting background checks on teaching applicants and substitutes, as well as confirming the educators in the classroom have the appropriate licensure.”

With the impact of COVID, student behavior toward each other and adults has become more negative. Violence in schools is top of mind for school administrators. Since the Columbine school shooting in 1999, “according to The Washington Post, there have been 237 school shootings in the U.S., resulting in 403 killed or injured. But we don’t know the exact numbers.” Now more than ever it is important to revisit the model emergency management plans developed through the Safety Task Force to ensure continuity across municipalities. In addition, with the Oak Brook Mall shooting in December 2021 as a guide, we will focus on creating more robust reunification plans.

The Regional Office of Education will do everything in our power to prevent an incident in our county. We offer professional learning opportunities for school personnel focused on supportive measures to keep students connected. We encourage the use of school-wide strategies, such as lessons focused on self awareness and conflict management, restorative discipline practices, positive behavior intervention systems, and identifying trusted adults.