Mary Field and guest host, Elma Dzanic, discuss the topic of school safety with Dr. Carl Hermanns. Dr. Hermanns has vast experience in and across education organizations serving as an educator, principal, assistant superintendent, and now professor at Mary Lou Fulton in the division of educational leadership and innovation. On this episode, we explore school safety data and a historical timeline of the federal government's response in an attempt to mitigate active school shooters post Columbine. Dr. Hermanns challenges us to develop authentic relationships leading to conditions where students feel a sense of belonging and connection with a school community. He emphasizes the critical role teachers play in developing authentic human relationships on and across school communities as preventative to harm and hurt caused by school violence.

The conversation is not over this week. Join us again next week for School Safety Part 2 where Angelia and Mary continue the conversation with Dzanic by discussing how we bring this new information to the classroom level and how we prepare for tough conversations in the classroom around school safety, tolerance, and bias.