School safety, violence prevention, and crisis response are critical components of the daily work of educators and school leaders. Yet developing these skills and capabilities typically isn’t part of the professional development educators receive.

The Educator’s School Safety Network offers educators and other school stakeholders School Safety 101, a fully developed, education-focused school safety and violence prevention module with training units that can be used individually or as part of staff professional development.

By completing the on-demand, self-paced content units in School Safety 101, you will acquire critical knowledge and skills related to violence prevention, school climate and culture, and school-based crisis response.

K-12 schools serve nutritious breakfasts and lunches to nearly 30 million children every school day. These meals are the main source of nutrition for more than half of these children and help improve child health. That’s why the USDA is gradually updating the nutrition standards for school meals to include less sugar – for the first time – and more menu planning options between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027.

The USDA arrived at these changes after listening closely to public feedback and considering the latest science-based recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This gradual approach will give schools, kids, and industry plenty of time to adjust. School meals will continue to include fruits and vegetables, emphasize whole grains, and give kids the right balance of nutrients for healthy, tasty meals.

Implementation timeline for updating school meal standards:

For more information about how school meals will be strengthened, visit CN Rule Updates.

In recognition of mental health awareness month, join the U.S. Department of Education and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) for a conversation between rural National School Counselors of the Year on the current state of mental health in rural schools.