Communicating Safety Article

I just wanted to share an article from the American School Board Journal that I found interesting.  It was written by Kenneth Trump entitled “Communicating Safety”.  It can be accessed at the following web address: http://www.schoolsecurity.org/training/Communicating-Safety.pdf.  Here are a few interesting excerpts from the article:

 “Parents send their children  to school under the impression that all possible steps-from prevention to security to preparedness-have been taken.  When an incident occurs, many parents then question whether the trust they have placed in school leaders has been violated.               Effective school-community relations can be defined as “good behavior, well communicated.” To effectively communicate about safety issues, you must make sure your schools have well-developed and exercised safety  and crisis plans and your staff is trained to implement the plans.”

   “Parents basically want to know the answers to two different broad questions:

1)      What measures are in place in my child’s school to prevent or reduce the risk of crime, violence, and other safety hazards?

2)      Are school officials prepared to respond and manage incidents that can’t be prevented?”

“Preparedness measures include crisis plans that are well developed and exercised, staff members trained on these plans, strong partnerships with first responders and community agencies, and related efforts.”

“Board members, superintendents, principals, and other representatives should be able to articulate district and building-level measures that are in place at any time-before, during, or after a crisis.  Telling parents and the media that school safety is “our top priority” is not enough. Parents and reporters are much more educated consumers of best practices, and generalities will not suffice.”  

“The time to prepare for the future is now. School safety is a leadership issue. By making prevention, security, and preparedness an ongoing district priority, boards and administrators can protect children and staff, the district’s reputation, and the credibility of the district’s leaders.”

I hope you all have a nice weekend.