The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, prompted federal officials to step up campaigns to make schools safe. After visiting Ground Zero at New York City's World Trade Center, Education Secretary Rodney Paige sent each chief state school officer suggestions for managing school crises. Many states also have school safety plans in place. New…

Following the events which took place on September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks which occurred after that date, US authorities became concerned with the idea that an assault with chemical or biological weapons could take place on American territory or in American ships or planes. A worrisome model for such an assault was the 1995 terrorist…

Most colleges and universities are poorly prepared to efficiently address and manage crises. That is the finding of a survey, the results of which were in the January/February issue of the publication, "Change." The authors point to Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 terrorist attacks as wake-up calls to higher education and maintain both that campus…

The word "terrorism" has become commonplace in the headlines, workplaces, and homes since September 11, 2001. In the past, school crisis plans commonly addressed how to evacuate in the event of a gas leak or fire. Today, schools must be prepared to address biological, chemical, and radiological attacks, as well as car bombings, suicide attacks,…

In this article, the author discusses the importance of Homeland Security in community colleges as a counter terrorism solution. Homeland Security, a phrase born after September 11, 2001, has entered the nation's vocabulary and is now becoming part of the curriculum at hundreds of colleges and universities. No sector of higher education is…

Many kids in school will come face-to-face with the death of a close relative or friend. As such, schools need to reach out to grieving students. While it is certainly true that schools cannot compensate for children's severe losses, and it is also true that teachers and counselors cannot assuage children's grief alone, it is also the case that…

Recent accidents highlight that chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) agent exposure risk isn't just about terrorism. In this article, the author, a parent and public health physician, wrestles with the fact that total protection from CBRs is probably not feasible in her son's or in the majority of American schools. Capital investments, for…

The National Research Council recently issued a report that suggested ways in which to improve the management of potentially dangerous biomedical research in both academe and private industry, without unduly restricting scientists in their research activities. Here, the author shares her views on the report as well as the estrangement of the…

This article focuses on the three kinds of school safety: (1) physical; (2) emotional; and (3) intellectual, and details how to determine if a school is safe. Excellence in schools demands that schools be physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe for students, while "good enough" schools are simply physically safe. Here, the…