This week's safe schools snippets

Arizona teen honored for fight against bullying

A 13-year-old Phoenix girl is garnering national attention for her efforts to fight teen bullying, MyFoxPhoenix reports. Julia Kordon says she was taught the Golden Rule as a child, but has learned that not every one follows it. Watch this Fox News report.

Officer said ‘I’ve been made’ before shooting man

An undercover officer believed he was identified as a police investigator as a man suspected of selling meth to middle school students walked toward him on Thursday night while carrying two guns. Aurora Police said on Friday afternoon the undercover officer said on the radio: “I’ve been made, I’ve been made. He has a gun.” Watch this 9News report.

Youth concussion bill moves through state Senate

If you have a child playing any type of sport, state legislators want to require their coaches to have training about concussions. A bill introduced before the Colorado Senate on Thursday is named after Jake Snakenberg, a 14-year-old high school football player from Grandview who died after he suffered a concussion. Check out this 9News report.

10 charges added in shooting near Aurora school

Prosecutors added 10 more charges in the case against Luis Guzman-Rincon, the 19-year-old accused of shooting an Aurora Central High student outside her school Dec. 6. In Arapahoe County Court on Thursday, a preliminary hearing for Guzman-Rincon was continued to March 29. Read more in the Denver Post.

Parents of student injured in crosswalk unhappy with planned changes

Changes will be made to a dangerous crosswalk where a Dakota Ridge High School student was critically injured. Her parents don’t like the proposed changes. Dallas Vosburg was hit by a street sign that was knocked over when two vehicles collided back in October. Watch this CBS4 report.

$41.5 million fund available for school safety communications

At a recent School Safety Summit held at the Colorado State Capitol, the Colorado Department of Education announced that a $41.5 million fund tied to the National School Lunch Act could be used to finance school improvements including the purchase of school emergency communications systems.

The announcement to the group of 25 school safety stakeholders was made by Ted Hughes, director of the Division of Capital Construction Assistance within CDE. Hughes explained that his office’s Qualified Zone Academy Bond program could finance technology that would improve communications between schools and first responders during an emergency. Read more.

Mom of slain teen teaching middle schoolers about domestic violence

When Dottie Shannon sat down to talk about the next chapter in her life, it was nearly two years to the day after Alexander Paul Pacheco, 18, was charged with murdering her 13-year-old daughter, Kelsey Marie Shannon of Broomfield. Read more in the Daily Camera.

Teacher at Sand Creek investigated for alleged threats

A Sand Creek High School teacher could face charges over a Jan. 25 classroom incident in which he allegedly threatened students, authorities said. The teacher – who hasn’t been identified – was placed on paid administrative leave after the threats were reported by staff members at the school in the 7000 block of North Carefree Circle, school officials said. Read more in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

About our First Person series:

First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others trying to improve public education. Read our submission guidelines here.