Reflecting on the Parkland tragedy, its lasting impacts and the work still to be done

Written by Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Last month marked six years since 17 students and teachers senselessly lost their lives and 17 others were injured when a mass shooter entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and began shooting. Since that horrible day, 124 more Americans have been killed and 331 injured on college campuses across the country in 189 separate school shootings — nearly three shootings a month since Parkland. This is simply unacceptable and must stop.

Last month, I joined Secretary of Education Cardona to not only remember, but to walk in the shoes of those who lost their lives in the 1200 building of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. I had the privilege of speaking with the parents of Alex Schachter, Gina Montalto, Luke Hoyer, Jaime Guttenberg and Alyssa Alhadeff, beautiful students with bright futures ahead of them, and Debbi Hixon, the wife of athletic director Chris Hixon, who gave her life running into the building to save hundreds of students that day.

With enormous courage and grace, the families of these victims have turned one of the most devastating and traumatic experiences imaginable into action. They founded organizations, such as Stand with Parkland, Safe Schools for Alex, Make Our Schools Safe, and Orange Ribbons for Jaime, and have worked tirelessly with everyone from the local school district, the district attorney, law enforcement, state officials, and local governments, and the federal government to not only raise awareness about school safety, but also to make our schools safer.

And while there have been notable improvements since the Parkland tragedy, the work continues. My visit reinforced my belief that every student and educator has the right to learn and teach in a safe, supportive environment free from any threat of violence. CISA, in collaboration with the families of the Parkland victims, took steps to formalize and strengthen our commitment to school safety in the wake of the tragedy by establishing the School Safety Task Force (SSTF) in 2019, our program dedicated to school safety that creates resources and products to address the most pressing issues and threats facing K-12 communities. Through our SSTF, we manage the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse, an interagency collaboration between the Departments of Education, Health, and Human Services; National security; and Justice that bring together the resources of the entire federal government to strengthen the security of our nation's schools.

As part of our work with the Clearing House, we manage SchoolSecurity.gov, a comprehensive repository of more than 600 federal and state resources, programs, tools, evidence-based practices, and actionable recommendations on key school safety topics. Much of our conversation during our visit to Parkland revolved around construction safety cultures within our schools and local communities, a key focus of the resources available on the website.

School safety is not just the job of school administrators or school resource officers. We need to think about how we can truly empower and involve all community members in safety efforts: creating positive, safe and trusting environments; improve school physical security measures; provide appropriate training on emergency procedures and protocols; increase mental health supports and resources; and implement trauma-informed approaches in the educational environment.

Being at Parkland and hearing from the students and teachers who were there that day and who live the experience day after day underscored how important it is to have a school culture that empowers students to come forward if they have concerns about safety. When schools are aware of these potential threats, they can intervene effectively with appropriate resources and support. To help schools create these cultures, CISA partnered with the U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center to develop the K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit. This toolkit, which was released last May, offers simple strategies and guidance that K-12 schools can use to implement and improve safety reporting programs and encourage bystander reporting.

We have also focused on the physical security of our nation's schools. We have developed evidence-based tools that K-12 schools can use to assess and improve physical safety. He K-12 School Safety Guide Product Bundle Helps schools assess their unique needs and identify and prioritize actions to strengthen physical security. This approach brings together different parts of school security that have traditionally been isolated to detect, delay and respond to threats and risks, so that there is no single point of failure. CISA's subject matter experts in the field, our Protective Security Advisors, are also available to help schools assess their security vulnerabilities and develop a plan to be better prepared for emergencies.

Finally, during a roundtable discussion after our tour of the school, we talked about the impact financial resources can have on a school's security posture. However, the subsidy landscape can be difficult to manage. To help schools locate and access the federal funds available to them, SchoolSafety.gov developed the Grant Search Tool. This tool compiles and organizes existing federal grants related to school safety in one centralized location and provides guidance to help schools find the grant programs most relevant or applicable to their individual needs.

My visit to Parkland had a profound impact on me as a parent, as a public servant, and as a member of the broader school safety community; I will carry this experience and these conversations with me for the rest of my life.

To those affected by school violence, we honor the memories of your loved ones who were tragically taken too soon, and we partner with you to ensure that families and communities across our country never have to endure this pain and loss again.

To the survivors and families who lost loved ones at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School six years ago today: We continue to be inspired and deeply moved by your actions and by your efforts to turn your pain into progress and purpose. We also thank the dedicated state and local officials for the invaluable work they do on the front lines of school safety. We are honored to work side by side with you to achieve a safer nation.

As I reflect on all we have accomplished in the six years since the Parkland tragedy, I also recognize that we have much, much more to do. All of CISA is steadfast in its commitment to making K-12 schools safer every day.

Kevin is a forward-thinking media executive with over 25 years of experience building brands and audiences online, in print and face-to-face. He is an acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator covering the intersection of society and technology, especially educational technology. You can contact Kevin at [email protected]

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