Under fire from teachers and the new school board, St. Paul Public Schools leaders rolled out a new campaign Tuesday evening to explain their plans for improving school climate and safety.

Wearing stickers on their jackets and passing out pamphlets, administrators are calling the project “Safe Schools. Safe You.” There are no plans for paid advertisements, but officials will use the branding in communications with staff and parents.

“Our schools are not out of control. Some of our buildings are facing increasing challenges, and we have plans to address those,” Superintendent Valeria Silva said during the board meeting Tuesday.

Fight-related and other suspensions have spiked this school year, and the teachers union has threatened to strike if they don’t get their way on how to turn things around. Mediation on teacher contract negotiations continues next month.

On Tuesday, Silva began sending up to 50 central administrators and specially assigned teachers into 11 troubled schools to help with whatever instructional and behavioral problems the principals think need attention.

Those schools are Johnson, Humboldt, Como and Central high schools, chosen for large numbers of fights this school year; Ramsey and Parkway middle schools; and Dayton’s Bluff, John A. Johnson, Hazel Park, Wellstone and Highwood Hills elementary schools, chosen for high rates of suspension.

The affected administrators and teachers will continue to fulfill their regular duties, as well. The arrangement, recommended by the teachers union, is planned to end at spring break.

Board member Steve Marchese pressed Silva for a comprehensive plan for addressing safety problems. Silva said she would rather let schools test some ideas and see what works.

“I want to focus now in those schools and not rush into a humongous plan,” she said.

Board member Chue Vue expressed concern that the focus on school safety will come at the expense of academics.

“We cannot lose sight of the achievement as well, and to me there’s a stronger urgency,” he said.

District spokesman Ryan Vernosh said before the school board meeting that safety is the priority today.

“Folks are balancing multiple roles and responsibilities, but our priority is ensuring that schools have the extra support,” he said. “It’s not a permanent fixture. It’s going in there to provide support as systems get into place and then moving on.”

Among the recent safety initiatives is a new function in the district’s MySPPS smartphone app, which allows users to submit anonymous safety tips. Preset categories include drugs, theft, threats and weapons.

Josh Verges can be reached at 651-228-2171. Follow him at twitter.com/ua14.