Steps toward violence prevention 

Here are some measures your union, school and district can take to prevent and minimize emergencies:

• Address workplace safety in the union contract.
• Develop a school district safety plan that includes details as specific as which stairways to use in an evacuation.
• Create a union committee and select a point person on school violence prevention. The committee should ask questions: Is there a gate to the roof? Is it locked? Who has the key?
• Help keep the physical plant in good working order. For example, UFT violence prevention trainer Linda Vila Passione runs over to a door and shows that "it has to swing shut and stay tight."
• Share your knowledge and concerns. "Get those parents outraged," Vila Passione says. "Put the onus on them to get you more safety."
• Know your surroundings, including any changes in the neighborhood after dark.
• Be persistent in engaging the school administration to help you deal with disruptive students or parents.
• Give out only your school e-mail address, not your personal phone number.