With the new school year approaching, schools are once again facing unknowns as new strains of COVID continue to emerge. With virus variants on the rise and the subsequent strain on healthcare systems, school districts have already begun contingency planning. The new reality is the ability to pivot at a moment’s notice.
The current plan in most states is for in-person learning this fall. This is a relief to parents, students and educators alike after more than a year of unpredictability. That could change, however, based on multiple variables over which we have no control: vaccination rates, the emergence of variant strains, public sentiment and restrictions imposed by local, state and federal authorities.
Expect to Pivot
As specific geographic areas experience outbreaks, we anticipate micro-mitigation focused directly on those areas of impact, versus entire states shutting down (although that, too, must be considered in the mix). Impacted areas and those immediately adjacent must be able to shift quickly to hybrid or completely remote learning models — all having their own safety implications. Cybersecurity, for one, will be critical across business and education sectors alike as IT professionals face security threats on-premise, in homes and from unsecured wireless networks.
COVID is certainly top-of-mind, but we must be cognizant that the myriad threats to physical and emotional security are not only still present but have escalated since March 2020. Isolation, disruption of normal support systems and increased digital content consumption are all factors that can incubate anxiety, depression and stress among students and parents, making the return to in-person learning more volatile.
It’s Not Just COVID
We can’t allow our focus on pandemic protocols to overshadow other safety measures we’ve learned are essential to creating safe and secure learning environments. After our experience at Sandy Hook, we vowed never to be unprepared against threats of violence again and worked together with schools, students, community and national safety experts to create readiness, response and reunification protocols to better prepare others in order to avoid the horror we faced that day and the repercussions we continue to face even now.
We also took a broader approach to crisis prevention. Through our conversations with students, law enforcement, teachers and mental health professionals, it reinforced what we all knew to be true: threats of violence are only a symptom of much deeper issues — things that must be addressed if we ever hope to provide safe environments.
A comprehensive focus on safety requires tough conversation surrounding the root causes, which may include bullying; depression; undiagnosed psychiatric issues; racial, gender and ethnic discrimination; trauma from sexual assaults—all in a variety of environments, many not under our control.
What We Have Learned
Over the years we have learned that no challenge is insurmountable when good people come together to solve pressing issues related to the safety and security of kids. As a result of this work, we established a process to help communities guide their thinking to ensure that kids are truly safe and sound whether at school or in the community. Our approach is summed up in these three words: Assess, Act and Audit. Understand the potential threats you face, have protocols ready to implement on a moment’s notice, provide the training necessary for a seamless response, and then honestly assess what worked and what needs to change to be better prepared moving forward.
- Collaboration and Communication
Representatives from all stakeholder groups must gather to discuss, assess, plan and evaluate your current state of safety. For schools, that can be parents, teachers, administrators, law enforcement, first responders, guidance counselors, psychologists, legal counsel and, of course, students. Without representation from all sectors, it is impossible to gain a true perspective on your reality.
- Information Sharing
Reporting concerns within the community and sharing related intel with all audiences is imperative for success. Without established channels and protocols for sharing information, you may miss the opportunity to resolve an issue before it turns into a crisis. Technology is a critical component that provides the infrastructure necessary to support this process. A multidisciplinary safety team can be invaluable in developing protocols and providing education. Anonymous reporting technology is very helpful for reporting threats and concerns but must be paired with human intelligence for proper response.
- Training and Education
Ensure all constituents are aware of the safety technologies and protocols available to support them. Different audiences will require specifically nuanced communication. A hierarchal model that addresses age, developmental levels and sensitivities is a best practice. Special-needs students must not be left out of this process. Training builds upon the most basic forms of education, such as orientation, social stories and tabletop exercises for younger and sensitive special-needs students and extends as far as drills and simulations for the most advanced, mature and capable.
- Emergency Communications Systems
Staff is empowered to call or signal an emergency, as well as communicate with responders in order to make informed decisions. The use of hand-held devices and 911-plus technology can enhance discussions with dispatchers and responders. A simple app can also be a powerful tool that contacts multiple necessary responders simultaneously.
- Plan and Practice
Put a multi-disciplinary team to work to create plans, develop training procedures, implement practices and audit the response. Don’t skip any of the critical areas of crisis mitigation — prevention, preparation, response and recovery. Reunification must also be included to be successful. Reuniting children, employees and caregivers with as little chaos as possible reduces unnecessary stress. In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting, we learned the importance of establishing relationships and creating plans within and outside our community before the crisis occurs.
- Layers of Security
There is no one single answer to protect schools or businesses from all danger. A layered approach that incorporates physical security, monitoring technology, redundant training and practices, and vigilance is imperative. It’s also critical to include security protocols and education on issues that can lead to a crisis if not monitored, such as drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, bullying, discrimination and assault, among others.
- Technology and Environmental Design
Things like interior lighting, alarm systems, metal detectors, badge-swiping technology, security cameras and systems that allow for immediate building lockdown may deter an intruder. Many schools have reinforced windows and glass entryways with protective film to prevent the entry of an attacker. Careful and continual monitoring of the physical environment via technology and human intelligence is crucial.
- School Resource Officers and Safety Personnel
Having professionals whose primary job is to monitor facilities and students, identify issues and coordinate responses is highly effective when it comes to managing safety in a school setting.
The future may be unknown. We may feel stretched beyond imagination when we find ourselves dealing with unthinkable challenges. However, we must allow ourselves to explore all potential threats clearly and with the full input and support of all constituents that comprise our ecosystems. Safe and Sound Schools (safeandsoundschools.org) provides the training, experts and resources necessary to help schools not only deal with but hopefully prevent, the unimaginable from happening.
