When our Seattle Community "Thrives", we tend to Flourish, do well, be Successful, be Healthy, and Strong.
The Thriving Center
SPS School Safety
The Seattle Public Schools District considers safety our highest priority. For this reason, SPS leaders are working on a variety of initiatives to ensure the safety of students, staff, and the community and foster a welcoming environment by:
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Improving student safety on SPS campuses
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Addressing community safety concerns in school neighborhoods
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Enhancing the relationship between SPS, SPD, and the community
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Emphasizing positive communication between SPS, students, and families
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Exploring roles for community partners.
The Seattle Public School District is committed to providing safe and welcoming learning environments for all its students. Research has shown that if a student does not feel psychologically, emotionally, and physically safe, learning is negatively impacted.
Because our philosophical belief is that successful schools focus on educating and supporting the whole child, SPS is focused on creating a collaborative partnership between schools, families, and the community to foster environments where all students can thrive.
The District's Commitment to Providing Safety
As a part of the District’s commitment to safety and success, the Office of the Superintendent has developed a Student Safety Action Plan. This is a multi-faceted plan; below you will find a summary of some of its core components. These are not all of the District’s intended initiatives but represent Seattle Public School’s focus on improvement through assessment, intentional collaboration, and transparent communication.
Dr. Brent Jones
SPS Superintendent
Student Safety Audits
This is an independent and objective audit of the district’s current practices for maintaining student safety. It will assess whether the district has implemented reasonable mechanisms to prevent harm to students, and its capability to detect and address incidents that jeopardize student safety efficiently and effectively.
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Safety Task Forces
(via City Partnerships)
The Superintendent will convene City of Seattle leadership as a collaborative decision-making and resource-sharing task force. Together with key leaders from SPS, this task force would implement city-wide and localized strategies to positively influence factors that impact student safety in schools.
School Emergency Response Audit
This audit will cover individual schools’ emergency response plans including but not limited to emergency drills, availability of CPR and first aid certified staff, and adequacy of resources for food, water, and supplies in the event of emergencies.
Community Action Network
The Superintendent and City Partnership Safety Task Forces will collaborate to assemble a community member advisory group to develop and engage on the proposed student safety strategies. The purpose of this network is to nurture community involvement in all aspects of school safety.
School-Based Safety & Security Cultures
SPS would develop system-wide training for school-based staff and teachers to create and maintain a strong security culture in their building.
Safety Resources Officers in Schools
This team would develop and conduct surveys that engage Students, Staff, Parents, and broader community members to gather information that would tell the school board about what is needed in schools for maintaining the safety culture.
Child Well-Being Commission
The Superintendent will commission a team of experts including doctors, nurses, social workers, mental health and trauma-informed care experts, and education professionals to assist in developing system-wide standards and practices that cultivate and sustain Student Wellness and Student Inclusion and Belonging.
In Seattle Public Schools, we believe the interests of students come above all others in every decision we make. We believe it is our responsibility to do whatever it takes to ensure that every child, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency, learning style, or disability, achieves their highest level. A major part of that is maintaining safe and inviting environments that support and nurture three aspects of each student's development: basic needs, life skills, and academic growth.
As we progress toward improvement in these areas, the safety of each student and each school is and will remain an ongoing focus. SPS aims to embed safety and well-being not only into protocol, but into the culture and mindsets of all staff and school partners to protect, engage, and support students in our learning environments and communities.