Reflections about Education and Safety
“Keep students safe and they will be able to learn. This is a daily work in progress.”~Ada Rosario Dolch

A selection of "Reflections" from  the Safe to Learn Advisory Council; participants in the Pilot Project; and Safe to Learn Authors are included on this page.
Reflections: Safe to Learn Community Pilot Project Team,
Lamar Consolidated Independent School District
  • "Safety is something that we all take for granted especially if all is well in our educational communities. After taking part in this project I realized the impact that safety has on the education and success of our students. Parents entrust us with their wonderful kids thirsty for knowledge on a daily basis and if they feel safe on campus and throughout our community they will flourish in knowledge!"~Trudy Harris
  • "School is to be a safe place or safe haven for students.  The adults in the building should also feel just as safe.  If everyone in the school community feels safe, optimal teaching can occur and students are able to glean the knowledge they need for optimal learning."~ Rebecca Shultz  
  • "Any decision made referencing education and/or safety is only as good as the information used to make that decision. So practice, reflect, discuss, and address the hard issues. Plan your work then work your plan."~ Charles Spates
Learn more about the Safe to Learn Community Pilot Project at Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, Texas
Safe to Learn Community Pilot Project  |  About the Pilot Project  |  LCISD Pilot Project Team Leader
Reflections: Safe to Learn Community Authors
  • "With great comfort parents send and or drop off their children to our schools, never thinking that some natural or inhumane disaster might reach their children's school house door.  Yet there is an enormous responsibility  placed on our shoulders daily; keep the entire school community safe.  This is not a task that one can muster alone.  I trust and hope that sharing my experiences and journey, will cause you to stop and become proactive in the development of a school/community-wide safety plan that will only serve to be better prepared in the case of any emergency that might arise.  As Covey would say, "Better to be proactive. Not reactive."~ Ada Rosario Dolch
    Principles for Principals – Leading the Way to School Safety  | Leading the Way to School Safety | Reflections
  • "My guiding principle is to say "yes" as much as possible.  You may not know it at the time, but sometimes "yes" will change your life.  Be brave.  Take chances.  Follow your passion.  And, know how to make lemonade because you know what life is going to give you sometimes.  But above all, remember to say "yes" because you have no idea where it will take you."~ Phillip Martin
    The Mural Man Project | A Taste of My World Vol.1 | A Taste of My World Vol.2
  • "Don't try to eat the elephant in one bite or you'll simply stop working for improvement of safety and health. Pick your battles and make your solutions fit your environment. No two schools are identical. No two curricula are either. Every teacher should have choice to mold a solution that works, day-to-day and everyday, in their classrooms, hallways and playgrounds. Principals and Superintendents need to have confidence that the ideas they support for safety and health are worthy of the time and financial costs for implementing them. School Boards need to be confident that the choices and programs they support will lead to communities of well-educated and successful adults. All of this is supported by the basic foundation of a safe place to learn. Start with us, and the ideas and tools we present. This is the pathway to the brighter tomorrow you have always wanted for your children."~Rick Tobin
    Ten Tips for Teachers for Safer Schools  
Reflections: Safe to Learn Community Advisory Council
  • "I believe that one of the most important things we can do for our children is to create a sense of safety for them.   With safety comes their freedom from worry, freedom from anxiety  that allows creativity and learning to blossom.   Being part of a community of practitioners, researchers and others who are about the work of Safe to Learn allows me to contribute and to receive insights and knowledge from smart, talented people each of whom is dedicated to building and maintaining safe environments.  It is profoundly good work.  I am fortunate to be a part of it."~Dr. Nancy Degnan  
  • "The opportunities to become a thread in a much larger fabric that will pro-long life; mitigate the impacts of catastrophic events; and help strengthen the posture of security was considered an honor to be part of the Safe to Learn Community."~Chate Asvanonda  
  • "Education is one of the best investments and gifts to our children. Safety or feeling/knowing that you are safe whether an adult or child, allows us and our children to be able to freely learn, grow and be creative."~ Renee Domingo
  • “Vigilance is the watchword for fire safety. Just as curriculum has evolved, just as school structures have changed in shape, we must continue to adapt to evolving situations.”~Dr. Tom Horton
Safe to Learn Advisory Council
Safe to Learn Advisory Council | Chate Asvannonda | Dr. Nancy Degnan | Renee Domingo |
Kim Ebert-Colella | Dr. Tom Horton | Kay Karr | Avagene Moore | Sgt. Tracy Moore | Cpt. Jim Olsen | Barbara Thurman