There鈥檚 no foolproof guide or perfect answer to how school and district leaders should respond when gun violence infiltrates their buildings. There are many competing responsibilities, questions, priorities, and unique circumstances in both the immediate and long-term aftermath that no single piece of guidance or expert advice will have all the answers.
But over the years, Education Week has documented the steps schools and districts take to help their communities recover from shootings and violence, as well as best practices recommended by professional pediatric and mental health organizations. We have compiled some of those resources below.
While it鈥檚 true that school shootings are statistically rare, it鈥檚 also true that more and more schools, students, and communities are tasked with navigating the confusing and far-reaching fallout from gun violence on campus. Regrettably, that means there鈥檚 a need for these kinds of resources for school leaders following a shooting.
Responding to shootings and providing the right resources
High-profile acts of violence can undermine students鈥� and educators鈥� sense of safety and well-being far beyond the communities that experience the violence. Here鈥檚 a compilation of advice on how to discuss school shootings with students, based on guidance from school counseling organizations, school psychologists, and the Mayo Clinic. Read the guidance on what to tell students about high-profile violence 馃攷
Principals who have led their schools through the aftermath of a school shooting have developed a 鈥淕uide to Recovery,鈥� which features strategies to address short- and long-term decisions on reopening, organizing mental health supports for students and staff, managing the flood of donations from well-wishers, planning memorials, and more. Read about the guide 馃攷
Teachers who survived mass shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut learned that it鈥檚 impossible to ignore the trauma the killings inflict on students. The teachers found ways to incorporate coping mechanisms into their classrooms through, for example, writing exercises in English class and journaling. One teacher kept a journal of her own alongside her students. Read about what they did 馃攷
After the shooting at Texas鈥� Santa Fe High School in 2018, the district provided a multitude of resources, including support dogs, liaisons for those who were most affected, professional development for teachers on identifying and helping struggling students, and time and space for families to discuss their problems and concerns. Watch this video about survivors and what they wish had been different after the shooting 馃攷
Violence in the community affects schools, too. A superintendent in Highland Park, Ill., a community that experienced a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in 2022, explained how the district helped people navigate the tragedy鈥攅ven before classes resumed that fall. Its efforts included ramping up counseling resources at a central location, weekly mental health check-ins for students, and frequent communication about school safety measures. Read the story about what this district did 馃攷
It鈥檚 important to remember that the impacts of school shootings will reverberate for a long time, and supports for students and staff should remain in place for months or even years, according to professionals. Read this story about survivors鈥� long road to recovery 馃攷
Anniversaries of a tragedy can trigger trauma and prove difficult to maneuver. Some schools, like those in Newtown, Conn., have found that closing down on the anniversary gives students space to process their long-term grief away from news crews that might come around. Others have created new rituals of remembrance, such as days of service or vigils. Read about schools鈥� rituals for remembrance馃攷
Preventing and preparing for violence in schools
Responding to school threats isn鈥檛 as straightforward as it seems. Here鈥檚 a breakdown of why it鈥檚 so complicated, and what districts need to know about their responsibilities. Read about the promise and limits of school-based threat assessment 馃攷
Active shooter drills have become the norm in K-12 schools鈥攖he trainings are required in at least 40 states鈥攂ut districts need to be careful about how they鈥檙e conducted to avoid traumatizing students and staff, particularly those who have already experienced violence. Read this advice from principals on staging drills that prepare but don鈥檛 traumatize 馃攷
69传媒 don鈥檛 always stay in the same school or district for the remainder of their academic careers after experiencing a school shooting. The mother of a student who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2013 explains that the most crucial help administrators at the new school can offer is to ask about new students鈥� backgrounds explicitly, and then talk through what they need and the support that鈥檚 available. Read about what parents of shooting survivors say schools can offer their kids 馃攷
How to lead schools after violent acts and take care of yourself
Administrators face the dual challenge of leading their communities through recovery and processing their own trauma following gun violence on campus. Three school leaders said prioritizing their own need to process what they were going through鈥攖hrough therapy, exercise, and journaling, for example鈥攈elped them better show up for their communities. Read about what these school leaders did to help themselves 馃攷
There is an organized group that connects administrators whose schools and districts have experienced gun violence, and are ready to offer advice and support to others who experience similar tragedies. Read about the Principal Recovery Network 馃攷
