How Many More?

Source: Time Magazine, Carlos Osorio- AP

Guest Blog:Submitted by the American Educational Research Association (AERA)  

We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and harm caused during the deadly shooting at Michigan State University, and we offer our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and communities of the victims. The shooting comes as a stark reminder of the tragedy of gun violence and is just the latest in a long string of similarly traumatic events at U.S. schools and higher education institutions.

Source: Audacy.com, Ryan Garza, USA Today Network

We again call on our national, state, and local leaders to take immediate action to address gun access, safety, violence, and mental health. AERA needs to issue these statements too often—most recently about the shootings at the University of Virginia, the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, and the University of Idaho; in Buffalo, N.Y.; and at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Other recent statements include deadly shootings in Pittsburgh; at Santa Fe High School; at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; at Sandy Hook Elementary School; in Charleston, S.C.; at Umpqua Community College; and in Orlando.

These traumatic events call for urgent attention and interaction. Together we must ensure that students and educators, whether at school, on campus, or elsewhere, are able to live and thrive safely and securely.

Note: Photos added by Temescal Associates. 

See prior LIAS Blogs on school shootings:

• School Shootings This Year 
• Talking with Kids After Tragedy Strikes Again 
• School Shootings and the Role of Afterschool 
• In the Aftermath of Parkland: What is the Role of Expanded Learning Programs? 
• Recent Events of Violence - What Can We Do? 
• Enough is Enough. It's Time to Act. 

MORE ABOUT... 

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

School Shootings and the Role of Afterschool

Source: The Signal

By Sam Piha

Feelings of physical and emotional safety are foundational to promoting healthy youth development, but are schools safe? On Nov. 30th, a 15-year-old sophomore opened fire at his Michigan high school, killing four students and wounding seven other people, including a teacher. This latest event is another in a long list of school shootings. Education Week journalists track shootings on K-12 school property that results in firearm-related injuries or deaths. 

According to Ed Week, “There have been 28 school shootings this year, 20 since August 1. There have been 86 school shootings since 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have interrupted the trend line. The 2020 figure, with 10 shootings, was significantly lower than 2019 and 2018, which each had 24. 

That falloff in numbers is probably due to the shift to remote learning for nearly all schools for part or all of 2020. But those using this data should note that it should not be interpreted to mean that schools were 'safer.' Rather, the definition of school safety has shifted as schooling entered the home in a way it never had before.” 

Source: LA Times

Below is a summary of injuries and deaths that came about as a result of school shooting events in 2021:

Source: Ed Week

HOW SHOULD AFTERSCHOOL RESPOND?

After the Parkland shooting, we heard a lot about school safety, but little about the role of afterschool program providers. To gather perspective on this, we created a survey and distributed to our afterschool stakeholders. We posted a blog entitled In the Aftermath of Parkland: What is the Role of Expanded Learning Programs?, in which we summarized the responses to our survey.