13. Safety & Security
a. Demonstrate the ability to develop and implement policies and procedures for safety and security
b. Ability to formulate safety and security plans to implement security procedures established by law, law enforcement assistance, and communication with the public and evacuation procedures c. Demonstrate the ability to identify areas of vulnerability associate with school busses, building and grounds and formulate a plan to take corrective actions d. Demonstrate an understanding of procedural predictabilities and plan variants where possible e. Demonstrate the ability to develop plans that connect every student with a school adult, eliminate bullying and profiling and implement recommended threat assessment procedures |
A school’s number one priority is the safety of the children it serves. A lawyer who spoke to our teachers on opening day years ago told us that in almost no other profession is 100% perfection expected, except when it comes to safety in teaching. Teachers cannot lose students and students cannot get hurt while under the supervision of the school. Principals must lead this 100% machine.
Policies and procedures are the basis for safety and security in many areas of the school. They are communicated in student and teacher handbooks and policy plans, often listed online today.
My supervising principal shared with me that the biggest concern for her regarding safety is the transportation procedures, including: bus drop off and pick up and parent off and pick up. She said it is more likely to have an accident related to this than a school invasion, fire, or tornado hit. While working with her, I was able to do an audit on the transportation plan. I observed each of the pick up and drop off areas. I read through the procedures and looked at all of the maps. I was impressed with how detailed the procedures were. I was able to make one minor suggestion related to staff placement at the end of the day (Artifact 1.1 and 1.2).
On April 9, 2014, Governor Dayton signed the Minnesota Safe and Supportive Schools Act into law. This law puts measures in place for schools to identify bullying and respond in a consistent manner. While I was working with the middle school principal, I was able to observe the intake of a possible bullying situation. Later, during our discussion, I was able to learn the state definition of bullying and the process that the principal uses to determine what qualifies as bullying and what doesn’t. After that conversation, I was able to document the process using the state definition and documentation the middle school principal shared (Artifact 2). Bullying is a serious issue and can lead to unfortunate emotional and physic situations if not dealt with.
Also during my field experiences, I was able to conduct and observe numerous safety drills including lock downs, fire drills, and a severe weather drill. I was able to observe a high school lockdown with police canines. Our high school brings in the canine unit a couple of times each year. They shared that it is a win/win situation because the police sometimes use it as a training exercise with new dogs, and the school likes it because it allows them to remove any illegal substances from the premises. Also at the high school, I was able to help plan a solution for two areas of the building where lockdown announcements could not be heard: the gym and the choir room. The solution for the choir room was that the special education classroom across the hall would send a paraprofessional to deliver the message, and the physical education teacher would receive a call from the office on his or her cell phone.
Schools are entrusted with our most precious possessions every day. As parents protect their own children, schools must take safety and security seriously by creating a tight, no fail system.
Policies and procedures are the basis for safety and security in many areas of the school. They are communicated in student and teacher handbooks and policy plans, often listed online today.
My supervising principal shared with me that the biggest concern for her regarding safety is the transportation procedures, including: bus drop off and pick up and parent off and pick up. She said it is more likely to have an accident related to this than a school invasion, fire, or tornado hit. While working with her, I was able to do an audit on the transportation plan. I observed each of the pick up and drop off areas. I read through the procedures and looked at all of the maps. I was impressed with how detailed the procedures were. I was able to make one minor suggestion related to staff placement at the end of the day (Artifact 1.1 and 1.2).
On April 9, 2014, Governor Dayton signed the Minnesota Safe and Supportive Schools Act into law. This law puts measures in place for schools to identify bullying and respond in a consistent manner. While I was working with the middle school principal, I was able to observe the intake of a possible bullying situation. Later, during our discussion, I was able to learn the state definition of bullying and the process that the principal uses to determine what qualifies as bullying and what doesn’t. After that conversation, I was able to document the process using the state definition and documentation the middle school principal shared (Artifact 2). Bullying is a serious issue and can lead to unfortunate emotional and physic situations if not dealt with.
Also during my field experiences, I was able to conduct and observe numerous safety drills including lock downs, fire drills, and a severe weather drill. I was able to observe a high school lockdown with police canines. Our high school brings in the canine unit a couple of times each year. They shared that it is a win/win situation because the police sometimes use it as a training exercise with new dogs, and the school likes it because it allows them to remove any illegal substances from the premises. Also at the high school, I was able to help plan a solution for two areas of the building where lockdown announcements could not be heard: the gym and the choir room. The solution for the choir room was that the special education classroom across the hall would send a paraprofessional to deliver the message, and the physical education teacher would receive a call from the office on his or her cell phone.
Schools are entrusted with our most precious possessions every day. As parents protect their own children, schools must take safety and security seriously by creating a tight, no fail system.