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An essential part of classroom management is ensuring student safety. This includes responsibly using technology and other classroom tools, protecting student privacy, and addressing issues like bullying, trauma, and child abuse. Teachers must understand and follow their legal and ethical responsibilities to keep students safe and create a supportive learning environment in the classroom. This Toolkit will cover how to accomplish this.

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Active Shooter and Federal, State, and Local Laws.

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Active Shooter and Federal, State, and Local Laws.

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We live in a day and age where school shootings are sadly more frequent than they should be. It is important that teachers know what to do in a situation such as this and how to properly instruct there students. Teachers have legal responsibilities to uphold during an active shooter situation such as FERPA. FERPA maintains a students confidentiality even in crisis. Another federal law that is held is IDEA and section 504. This federal law protects students with disabilities and ensures that they are included in safety plans and their needs are met.

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During an active shooter situation teachers have state and Local regulations that are met. Teachers are required to participate in emergency drills and follow district protocols in order to prepare for the real thing. If the threat is known or suspected beforehand, teachers are legally required to report it immediately to stop the situation from happening. Lastly, teachers should also follow lock-down procedures precisely because deviations can result in liability.

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Teachers must be aware of liability and immunity during an active shooter situation. Teachers can do this through "Good Faith Protection" which is where teachers are acting in good faith and following training are often legally protected. Negligence trisk is important to not have happen because failing to act or disregarding protocol can lead to personal and district liability.

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Bullying and Federal, State, and Local Laws .

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Bullying and Federal, State, and Local Laws .

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Bullying is a sad reality in all grade levels. Teachers should know how to address bullying and how to assist the student who is the victim.

Federal-

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964) – Prohibits bullying based on race, color, or national origin.

Title IX of the Education Amendments (1972) – Prohibits bullying or harassment based on sex or gender.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973) & ADA (1990) – Protect students with disabilities from harassment that limits their ability to learn.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigates bullying when it involves civil rights violations.

All of these federal laws are put into place to protect students from bullying.

State Laws-

All 50 states have anti-bullying laws. These typically:

Define bullying (including cyber-bullying), Require schools to investigate and respond to reports, Mandate staff training and reporting procedures and require communication with parents and documentation.

Local Policies-

School districts often include specific anti-bullying rules in their Student Code of Conduct. Teachers are responsible for knowing these policies and following their school’s reporting steps throughout the year and in a bullying situation.

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According to the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE), teachers have a clear responsibility to protect students. Standard III highlights the importance of ensuring the emotional and physical safety of all students. Teachers should step in during bullying situations, report them as required, and model respectful behavior to help prevent exclusion or group mistreatment. Standard IV emphasizes working with families, colleagues, and specialists to stop bullying and build a school culture based on fairness, respect, and dignity. Standard I reminds educators to act with integrity and make sure no student is ignored or mistreated.

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Teachers play an important role in preventing and addressing bullying. Prevention starts by teaching kindness, empathy, and inclusion, while clearly posting rules about respectful behavior. Social-emotional learning helps build positive peer relationships. When bullying happens, teachers must act quickly by stopping the behavior, separating the students, and creating a safe space for the student to talk. It’s important to stay calm, avoid judgment, document what happened, and report the incident following school policy—even if students ask you not to. Afterward, teachers should check in with those involved, involve counselors or parents if needed, and keep an eye on the situation to prevent further problems.

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American Psychological Association. (2023). Bullying. https://www.apa.org/topics/bullying

National Education Association. (2022). Bullying prevention. https://www.nea.org/resource-library/bullying-prevention

National School Climate Center. (2021). Creating positive and safe school climates. https://www.schoolclimate.org

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. (2020). Stop bullying toolkit for educators. https://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/educators/

National Education Association. (n.d.). School safety resources. https://www.nea.org/resource-library/school-safety

RAND Corporation. (2023). School safety and preparedness. https://www.rand.org/topics/school-safety.html

U.S. Department of Education. (2021). Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). https://studentprivacy.ed.gov

Grand Canyon University. (2015). Statement on the integration of faith and work. Grand Canyon University. https://www.gcu.edu/sites/default/files/media/Documents/Statement-IFLW.pdf

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