Floods are a substantial natural hazard to schools across the United States, causing extensive damage and disruptions in learning. It is essential for education agencies to develop a comprehensive Flood Annex as part of their emergency operations plan (EOP). This annex should include detailed procedures for flood preparation, mitigation,…

In late May 2022, 19 students and two adults were killed in a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Weeks later, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision in the "Dobbs" case, turning abortion regulation back to state control. As instructors of a graduate level course on educational crises and emergency response and as residents of Texas, we…

School principals are responsible for the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to their care. Parents expect their children to be safe and protected and that school leaders establish and maintain clear lines of communication during a time of crisis. Within their capacity as school leaders, it is incumbent on them to guarantee that…

The presence of volunteers, both affiliated and unaffiliated, and the influx of donations during and after an emergency can be addressed through a comprehensive emergency operations plan (EOP). Education agencies and their planning teams must consider developing a system that addresses the different types of donations and volunteers, how they will…

In the context of school safety, family reunification means to reunite children with verified and authorized family members after a critical and often highly stressful incident (e.g., a fire, a natural disaster, a school bus accident, a situation involving weapons or violence at school, etc.) that disrupts the school day and prompts the need for a…

Quality, timely, purpose-driven education in emergencies (EiE) data can enable more effective response to education needs in crisis settings and strengthen system resilience. However, a growing body of evidence points to a number of problems related to the production, sharing, and use of EiE data within education information management systems…

We describe how a modified version of an emergency survival strategy led our team in addressing problems of practice identified in two second grade classrooms. We attended to the urgent needs of students by enacting the curriculum with integrity, doing what was most important and effective, while accommodating their classroom context (LeMahieu,…

Taking an inclusive and equitable approach to emergency management planning means considering the needs of the most vulnerable populations first. Students with disabilities (SWDs) are entitled to the same emergency services as their nondisabled peers and should be considered and included during emergency management planning. Taking an equitable…

This simulation provides public administration, public policy, and management students and practitioners with an immersive disaster scenario. The table-top exercise provides an example of how municipal leaders can prepare for disaster scenarios and the importance of embedding social equity into disaster response. Additionally, it provides an…

Though part of the larger public school system, charter schools typically do not operate in school buildings and are not always mandated to follow the same rules and regulations for school districts, which can make planning efforts for funding, facilities, and emergency management difficult to navigate. Charter schools typically receive per pupil…

While institutions of higher education (IHEs) encourage freedom of expression, critical thinking, and the dynamic exchange of ideas, they have also historically been the setting for social and political demonstrations. It is important for university leaders to collaborate closely with safety, security, and emergency management partners. This fact…

This document lists resources for planning teams on engaging students in prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts and emergency operations plan development.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, education systems have grappled with the complexity of protecting the wellbeing of learners and educators, along with ensuring learners' continued engagement with learning. This has led to an increasing number of calls to strengthen education-sector resilience to future shocks and stressors, particularly…

No one was prepared when COVID-19 hit. While education systems all over the world turned to distance learning, countries like Colombia faced a significant challenge: only 75 percent of Colombian teachers had received training in online teaching, 64 percent of school principals considered the technology available to schools to be insufficient, and…

'Disaster education' has been studied in various disciplines such as disaster risk management and environmental studies. However, disaster education is a relatively 'new enquiry' in the field of education. Particularly, the literature that conceptualises 'disaster education' in education is minimal. This paper aims to fill this gap by synthesising…