Kindergarten Cop: A Case Study of How a Coalition Between School Districts and Law Enforcement Led to School Resource Officers in Elementary Schools

Abstract

Adopting school resource officers (SROs) is a popular response to school shootings. Using the advocacy coalition and multiple streams frameworks, we explore how school districts in one county formed a coalition with the Sheriff’s Department, adopting SROs in elementary schools following the Sandy Hook shooting. We describe how this coalition was bound together by shared beliefs on school safety and the goodness of law enforcement. The implementation activities of SROs related to the beliefs of the coalition, focusing on security and relationship building. The beliefs were not uniformly understood by SROs—many interpreted their role to include student discipline and managing behavior of students with disabilities. The findings show the utility of comparing policy adoption processes with implementation activities.

A Systematic Literature Review of Educational Leadership and U.S. School Shootings: Establishing a Research Agenda

“…Three of those 12 educational leadership articles are teaching cases from UCEA's Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership (Brown, 2017; Dishman et al, 2011; Kent & Curran, 2021), which would be helpful to include in a preparation program course, but are not empirical research. The remaining nine articles include: two which recommend against zero tolerance policies in favor of threat assessment, including one description of how threat assessment guidelines were developed and the previously mentioned article from Educational Leadership (Cornell, 2003; Landrum et al, 2019); an analysis of case law regarding zero tolerance policies (Losinski et al, 2014); a qualitative study of the experiences of Columbine parents in order to inform educators’ responses after trauma (Mears, 2007); a theoretical analysis of how violence might result from oppression (Michaelis, 2004); a summary of interviews with principals about the threat of gun violence, as noted above, in Educational Leadership (Rogers, 2019); a survey of school counselors pre- and post-Columbine about student confidentiality, and focus groups with students about how to improve anonymous reporting, with recommendations for school leaders (Stone & Isaacs, 2002); an overview of the Fourth Amendment and searching backpacks for weapons in Phi Delta Kappan, as mentioned above (Underwood, 2017a); and a case study of the hiring of SROs in one mostly white district after Sandy Hook and the ways in which SROs interpreted their unclear roles (Viano et al, 2021). We conclude that there is little empirical research related to school shootings by educational researchers or for educational leaders.…”

“…and a case study of the hiring of SROs in one mostly white district after Sandy Hook and the ways in which SROs interpreted their unclear roles (Viano et al, 2021).…”

“…Teachers' emotional labor Before anonymous reporting, with recommendations for school leaders (Stone & Isaacs, 2002); • an overview of the Fourth Amendment and searching backpacks for weapons in Phi Delta Kappan, as mentioned above (Underwood, 2017a); • and a case study of the hiring of SROs in one mostly white district after Sandy Hook and the ways in which SROs interpreted their unclear roles (Viano et al, 2021).…”

Potential Racial Threat on Student In-School Suspensions in Segregated U.S. Neighborhoods

“…With the rise of neo-liberalism, current education policies, which prioritize high stakes testing and turnaround policies, have resulted in an over-dependence on disciplinary actions to improve academic achievement, even at the kindergarten level (Gilliam et al, 2016; Viano et al, 2021). Given persistent disparities in school exclusionary policies by race and ethnicity, the recently increasing implementation of punitive student sanctions raises concerns about widening racial gaps in school disciplinary practices and growing unequal opportunities for education.…”

Status of Higher Legal Education and Student Requirements in Realizing a Justice Law

“…as be delivered by Barda Nawawi Arief that, existence education tall law No only For do process learning For produce Bachelor Law Which own ability academic just, However Also For carry out task science Which owned as well as national tasks within the framework development and renewal of national law. Meaning from delivery the is education tall law as institution formal as well as Law students as future law enforcers will not only master the law positive just, However also have the intelligence to develop knowledge, thinking, knowledge And understanding to law Which as real happen in public later (Viano et al, 2021).…”