Our December issue focuses on school safety and security. School boards have a primary responsibility for school safety, so it’s a timely and pertinent issue. The topic is complex, layered, and certainly emotional. It’s always a challenge for us to decide which school security articles will help school board members best in doing their jobs.

One of the issues school board members encounter is finding ways to help students cope with the trauma that they bring to school from the outside world. In our cover story, “Saginaw United,” contributing editor Glenn Cook visits Saginaw Public Schools to learn how the Michigan school district supports students facing community violence.

Security cameras and other safety devices increasingly are equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) to catch what might be missed by the human eye. Robin L. Flanigan writes about the increased usage of the technology in security and its potential pitfalls in “AI and School Security.”

School security threats are ever evolving, and school leaders must make decisions based on the newest information available. Kenneth S. Trump and Christine A. Eith outline trending security issues in their article, “Strategic School Safety Leaders.”

Urban Advocate features highlights from the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) Annual Conference in Chicago. We adapted CUBE Chair Gill Garrett’s powerful keynote speech for this issue, as well.

At CUBE Annual we honored a school board and an individual for their impressive contributions. Missouri’s Ferguson-Florissant School Board is the recipient of the 2023 CUBE Annual Award for Urban School Board Excellence. Dr. Jonathan Hodges of New Jersey’s Paterson Board of Education is the recipient of the 2023 Benjamin Elijah Mays Lifetime Achievement Award. You will learn more about our CUBE award winners in an upcoming issue of ASBJ.

We hope you’ll join us in New Orleans for the 2024 NSBA Annual Conference, April 6-8. Conference registration is off to a strong start! NSBA 2024 is sure to be a not-to-miss event. Secure your entry now and access conference information.

Until next time . . .