Abstract
For those charged with running school districts and individual schools, a fine balance exists. On one hand, we must create and implement systems, procedures, and facilities that ensure our student and families feel safe. Yet those same systems, procedures, and facilities cannot be so intrusive that our students and families feel they interfere disproportionately upon the educational experience. The key to this balance is softening schools for students through increased relationship building, understanding, and student-focused supports such as early identification of at-risk behaviors, bullying prevention programs, and trauma-informed care, while hardening the facilities through increased safety protocols and facility changes. This chapter will explain how the role of school district superintendent can lead in these efforts while providing specific real examples along the way.
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Thompson, M.D. (2023). The Role of School District Superintendent in School Violence and Prevention: Softening Schools While Hardening Buildings. In: Miller, T.W. (eds) School Violence and Primary Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13134-9_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13134-9_14
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