Illinois School Board Journal November/December 2020

November/December 2020 July/August 2019 Vol. 88 87 No. 6 3

Saving Schools People & Programs Collaborate to Pursue Violence Prevention & Mitigation

Developing Threat Assessment Programs

SEL and School Health, Safety, Security

Safe2Help Illinois for School Districts

Front Page

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Among the many lessons learned, through the last several months of international, national, statewide, local, and personal strife, is that everything is connected, and every interconnectedness is further connected to public education.

This year in the Illinois School Board Journal, we’ve connected readers with topics of early childhood education, career and technical education, social and emotional learning, educational equity, and, with this final issue of the calendar year, school health, safety, and security.

All of this was in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and demonstrating the vital interconnectedness and fundamental vitality of public education in our communities, as educators and caretakers of students and their futures.

Particularly in this issue, we look at the way social and emotional learning impacts school safety and security. As my IASB colleague Maryam Brotine points out on page 10, “… my mind goes to mental health and social-emotional learning — issues that have always been relevant to school safety and security, but whose importance for the entire school community has expanded considerably … the rollercoaster ride of uncertainty rolls on, leaving anxiety, stress, and trauma in its track. Are Illinois schools truly equipped to handle this ride and its aftereffects?”

As it studies incidents of targeted school violence, the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), a division of the U.S. Secret Service, has established threat assessment protocols for school districts. With the goal of preventing targeted violence and keeping children safe at school, law enforcement collaborates with the education and wellness communities to study incidents of school violence. Read more about the important work of threat assessment and its local application starting on page 13 and Safe2Help Illinois on page 30.

We also hear of the connectedness between SEL and school safety from Triad CUSD 2 school resource officer Kip Heinle, who shares on page 26, “Not only do we keep peace and order at schools and school functions, but we are also mentors to students. … We are parent figures to students who need a positive adult in their life for

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whatever reason. We are counselors with a listening ear for students, faculty, and staff.”

In Yorkville CUSD 115, according to Director of Communications & Community Engagement Kristine Liptrot, “School security often focuses on ‘physical’ safeguards such as entrance restrictions, visitor lanyards, metal detectors, security guards, alarms, and lockdowns, ‘emotional’ matters such as a positive climate, trusted adults, strong role models, supporting student voice, and mental health and wellness are equally important.” Read more about Yorkville’s work in Practical PR on page 35.

And in far Southern Illinois, Vienna-area schools, led by HSD 13-3 Superintendent Joshua Stafford, bring together stakeholders from the local mental health community, law enforcement, education, health care, and local institutions — so that when an urgent situation occurs, members of the response teams already know each other, the resources each cohort brings, and can work quickly together in an emergency. Learn more about Vienna’s work on page 20.

Even before 2020, we knew that social and emotional well-being impacts the health, safety, and security of our students. As stressors rise, as trauma increases across the board, schools remain vigilant about their students’ well-being. The locations may change, as the decision-making continues regarding remote learning, hybrid models, and re-opening classrooms, but the vigilance remains.

As I write this, it’s October 6, 2020 and my daughter is finishing up her first day of high school, actually in the high school. Although not a morning person, she was ready today, and even remembered at the last minute to pack a lunch. We hope that these things — being present and healthy in school, her early-morning readiness, and lunch — will continue. Hers is a fortunate story, one of two million stories of Illinois public school students and their ways and means — and too often insurmountable difficulties — of learning this year and experiencing the interconnectedness of the issues of these times.  Theresa Kelly Gegen is Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal and welcomes your stories at tgegen@iasb.com.

Table of Contents COVER STORY

13 Threat Assessment

Provided by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center

Threat assessment is an investigative approach to assess whether an individual poses a risk of violence and then taking steps to manage that risk.

FEATURE ARTICLES

20 Reaching Beyond the Basics of School Safety

By Joshua W. Stafford

A school initiative ties community organizations together.

24 The Why and How of School Resource Officers

By Mike Raymond

School resource officers are invested in their careers and in the school district and community as a whole.

26 Commentary: Why Have an SRO?

By Kip Heinle

SROs offer services to their schools and communities.

27

Commentary: In this Together

REGULAR FEATURES 2 Front Page 4 Leadership Letter

Trust and Optimism Have Never Been More Important

5 IASB News 7 From the Field

Monitoring: How Will You Know When You Get There?

By Pamela R. Rockwood

SEL is key as school personnel deal with the pandemic.

Illinois Offers Reporting 30 Safe2Help Resources, Curriculum

Provided by the Illinois Terrorism Task Force and Illinois Emergency Management Agency

Safe2Help Illinois offers a safe, confidential way to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence, or other threats to school safety.

July/August 2019 Vol. 87 No. 3

Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director Theresa Kelly Gegen, Editor Britni Beck, Advertising Manager Katie Grant, Design and Production

10 Legal Matters

Intertwined: School Safety and SEL

35 Practical PR

Communications Must Balance Physical, Emotional Aspects of Security

38 Milestones 39 Insights

ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL (ISSN- 0 019-221X ) is published ever y other month by the Illinois Association of Sc hool B oa rd s, 2921 Ba ker Dr ive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929 (217) 5289688. The IASB regional office is located at One Imperial Place, 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120 (630) 629-3776.

The JOURNAL is supported by the dues of school boards holding active membership in the Illinois Association of School Boards. Copies are mailed to all school board members and the superintendent in each IASB member school district.

Non-member subscription rate: Domestic $18 per year. Foreign (including Canada and Mexico) $21 per year.

PUBLICATION POLICY IASB believes that the domestic process functions best through frank and open discussion. Material published in the JOURNAL, therefore, often presents divergent and controversial points of view which do not necessarily represent the views or policies of IASB. Copyright Š 2020 by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), the JOURNAL is published six times a year and is distributed to its members and subscribers. Copyright in this publication, including all articles and editorial information contained in it is exclusively owned by IASB, and IASB reserves all rights to such information. IASB is a tax-exempt corporation organized in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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Leadership Letter

Trust and Optimism Have Never Been More Important

By Thomas E. Bertrand

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The historic crisis that our country has been immersed in since last March has challenged all of us personally and professionally. The convergence of a global pandemic, economic recession, and civil unrest related to issues of social and racial justice produced historic challenges for all organizations.

I often turn to books and stories to help me gain a new perspective and to navigate the new reality brought on by a crisis.

One story that I have been thinking about a lot lately was shared by Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great. Collins recounted an interview he conducted with James Stockdale, a former naval officer and vice-presidential candidate. While serving as an officer in Vietnam, Stockdale was captured and held as a prisoner of war for over seven years. He experienced repeated torture, and he had little reason to believe that he would ever return home alive.

Collins asked Stockdale how he managed to survive the horrific experience. Stockdale responded that what saved his life was his ability to process the brutal reality of his situation while also holding on to a steadfast, optimistic belief

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that he would survive and return home. Collins labeled this psychological duality the Stockdale Paradox. He went on to apply the concept to organizations that successfully recovered from a crisis.

The concept has perhaps never been more relevant than it is today. During a crisis, conditions can feel overwhelming — as if we will never emerge from the darkness. It is tempting to focus on issues that we can not control, rather than those that we can manage. We can learn a lot from Stockdale’s experience. It is important to be honest about the current state of affairs when a crisis happens in our lives or districts. But, it is equally important to balance the ability to process the current reality with optimism that the crisis will eventually pass.

I also found great value in David Horsager’s book, Trusted Leader, along with his webinar, “Trust in the Midst of Crisis.”

Horsager makes the case that a crisis presents a great leadership opportunity to build (or lose) trust. He suggests six steps leaders can take to build trust in the midst of a crisis that apply directly to school leadership.

Communicate the “Why?” for your decisions. Boards and superintendents face heart-wrenching decisions that are often questioned by stakeholders.

While some may disagree with a decision, it is important that stakeholders understand the rationale for it.

Be open. During a crisis, leaders often struggle with the tension between transparency versus confidentiality. Always be biased toward transparency. Trying to shield people from reality can lead to false expectations and a lack of trust.

Be honest. Whether the news is good or bad, communicate accurately and often.

Own your mistakes. It is important that leaders set the tone for authenticity. No one is perfect.

When you make a mistake or a bad decision — own it and learn from it.

Set expectations. Even during times of uncertainty strive to provide clear signposts for the road ahead.

Be present. It is important that leaders allow stakeholders the opportunity to vent and ask questions. Doing so is also an

opportunity to show empathy to others which is essential to establishing trust in a relationship.

Honesty about the harsh reality our districts face, coupled with an unwavering optimism about the future, will go a long way toward establishing trust with the community and instill hope that the district will emerge on the other side of a crisis.  Thomas E. Bertrand, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Illinois Association of School Boards.

Resources associated with this column can be accessed via bit.ly/ND20JRes.

IASB News The IASB Virtual Summit will feature content designed for Illinois school board members and administrators on current educational topics and challenges. The event includes acclaimed keynote speakers, live presentations from Illinois school districts, updates from IASB, and a virtual networking chat.

The Virtual Summit will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on November 20. The individual registration fee is $50; registration is required and must be completed online through your IASB member account. Each registrant will receive 30 Master Board Member points. Registration includes access to on-demand viewing of session recordings until December 20, 2020. More information is available at iasb.com.

IASB members can also look forward to the 2021 Joint Annual Conference, November 19-21, 2021 in Chicago. Registration is scheduled to open June 1, 2021. 

Illinois Association of School Boards Administration and Staff OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Thomas E. Bertrand, Executive Director Benjamin S. Schwarm, Deputy Executive Director

MEMBER SERVICES Dean Langdon, Associate Executive Director

Meetings Management Carla S. Bolt, Director

Field Services Reatha Owen, Senior Director Patrick Allen, Director Lori Grant, Director Nakia Hall, Director Perry Hill IV, Director Sandra Kwasa, Director Laura Martinez, Director Dee Molinare, Director

Executive Searches Thomas Leahy, Director Timothy Buss, Consultant Jim Helton, Consultant Dave Love, Consultant Alan Molby, Consultant Patricia Sullivan-Viniard, Consultant OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL Kimberly Small, General Counsel Legal Services Maryam Brotine, Assistant General Counsel Debra Jacobson, Assistant General Counsel Policy Services Ken Carter, Director Angie Powell, Director Nicholas Baumann, Consultant Boyd Fergurson, Consultant ADVOCACY/ GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Benjamin S. Schwarm, Deputy Executive Director Susan Hilton, Director Zach Messersmith, Director Deanna L. Sullivan, Director Ronald Madlock, Assistant Director ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Jennifer Feld, Associate Executive Director/ Chief Financial Officer

Board Development Nesa Brauer, Trainer

COMMUNICATIONS/ PRODUCTION SERVICES Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director Theresa Kelly Gegen, Director/Editorial Services Katie Grant, Director/Production Services Heath Hendren, Director/Editorial Services Jennifer Nelson, Director/Information Services Isaac Warren, Assistant Director/Digital Communications CONTACT IASB Springfield Office 2921 Baker Drive Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929 (217) 528-9688 IASB Lombard Office One Imperial Place 1 East 22nd Street, Suite 20 Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120 (630) 629-3776

Staff Email: First initial and last name preceding @iasb.com

November/December 2020  5

November/December 2020  6

From the Field

Monitoring: How Will You Know When You Get There?

By Reatha Owen

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IASB’s Foundational Principles of Effective Governance state that the school board sits in trust for the community, and that trustee role includes fundamental responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is monitoring performance, which in practice involves three of the six principles. Further, all six principles are connected and essential in building an effective governance team.

Foundational Principle 1 states that the board’s primary task is to continually define, articulate, and re-define district ends (values/beliefs, mission, vision, and goals). Effective ends development requires attention to at least two key concerns, the first being Organizational Effectiveness which includes budget, facilities, finance, etc., and the second is Student Learning, because we are talking about schools, students, and education.

When boards identify district ends, they provide the entire system with clarity of purpose and direction. A clear direction is vital, because if you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there? This is the essence of monitoring. As governance experts John and Mariam Carver state, “If

you haven’t said how it ought to be, don’t ask how it is.”

What should the board monitor?

Foundational Principle 5 states that “The board monitors performance.” IASB defines this prin-

district goals and core strategies. In other words, organizational efficiency is the capacity of the district to produce the desired ends with the resources, such as funding and staff, that it has available.

Setting district goals and

“A clear direction is vital, because if you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?”

ciple as “The board constantly monitors progress toward district ends and compliance with written board policies using data as the basis for assessment.” The role of the board in monitoring performance has four main areas of consideration: • Organization Effectiveness • Student Learning • Board Policy • Board Effectiveness • Organizational Effectiveness Monitoring organizational effectiveness is the measurement of how successfully — or not — the district is achieving its mission through

direction allows the board to state what it wants and be able to ask monitoring questions, the answers to which determine how well the district is moving in that direction and towards those goals.

Monitoring district goals should be a continuous process, with a connection to board agendas, and be used to guide board discussion by asking “is this connected to the goals and direction we have set for the district?” If not, the board is advised to refocus on established goals. Monitoring all goals should be completed annually, allowing time to review current goals, make any revisions, or add new ones.

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Student Learning

The board uses data as a basis for monitoring student learning. Monitoring student learning is an ongoing process focusing on performance, accountability, and continuous improvement. The constructive use of data is key and should be put into a format that is easily understandable by the board.

Using disaggregated data breaks down the data into the district’s subgroups or demographics to compare how the different groups are doing. This allows the board to look at data through an equity lens to make sure that every student has access to the educational resources and rigor they need at the right moment in their education.

Student learning can be measured at different levels.

• Standards – These can be local, state, or national. Did we make it? How close were we? How far do we have to go?

• Self – Are we closer than we were the last time (last month or last year — depending on the assessment)? Are we moving forward, holding steady, or moving backward?

• Others – How do we compare to others in our state or across the nation?

When student data is understandable, it becomes information. When the information is used to guide the board’s decision, it becomes knowledge.

IASB Board of Directors

Board Policy

LAKE Marc Tepper

There are legal parameters set by federal and state law and regulations. The Illinois state legislature has empowered school boards to adopt policies that have the force and effect of law that address the parameters necessary for the district’s legal compliance.

It is through policy that the board establishes and communicates its priorities, expectations, and direction. The board policy manual can serve as the tool by which the board and district establish commitments to community and stakeholders — that is, what the board promises in terms of what the district will accomplish (student learning) and the operational parameters within which the district will work (operational effectiveness).

Monitoring board policy is an integral part of seeking continuous improvement intended to ensure that board policy direction is aligned with 8  Illinois School Board Journal

As of October 15, 2020

PRESIDENT Thomas Neeley VICE PRESIDENT Simon Kampwerth Jr. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Joanne Osmond TREASURER Linda Eades ABE LINCOLN Bill Alexander

NORTHWEST Chris Buikema

BLACKHAWK David Rockwell

SHAWNEE Sheila Nelson

CENTRAL ILLINOIS VALLEY Tim Custis

SOUTH COOK Lanell Gilbert

CORN BELT Mark Harms DUPAGE Thomas Ruggio EGYPTIAN Travis Cameron ILLINI Michelle Skinlo KASKASKIA Linda Eades KISHWAUKEE Robert Geddeis

NORTH COOK Alva Kreutzer

SOUTHWESTERN Mark Christ STARVED ROCK Jim McCabe THREE RIVERS Rob Rodewald TWO RIVERS Tracie Sayre WABASH VALLEY Dennis Inboden WEST COOK Carla Joiner-Herrod WESTERN Sue McCance SERVICE ASSOCIATES Mark Jolicoeur

The vision of the Illinois Association of School Boards is excellence in local school board governance supporting quality public education.

The mission of the Illinois Association of School Boards is to Light the Way for its members by developing their competence and confidence through a robust toolkit designed to build excellence in local school board governance, including • Premier training experiences; • Networking opportunities for mutual support; • Valuable benefits, pooled services, information, and expertise; • Advocacy on behalf of public education; and • A platform for a strong collective voice on common interests and concerns.

district procedures and practices, and to provide the opportunity for course correction where needed. Sometimes board and superintendent conversations may be all that are needed to clarify the board’s intent and provide for future alignment. At other times, the board may want to revise and update its written policy to reflect a new direction, or to more clearly state its current policy.

Written board policy gives voice to the board’s values and expectations at all times. That is why it is critical for the board’s policy to include its values and expectations about district performance, operational parameters and priorities, and even the board’s expectations about its

own performance. Which leads to the last monitoring area.

Board Effectiveness

Foundational Principle 6 states that “The board takes responsibility for itself.” IASB defines this principle as the board, collectively and individually, taking full responsibility for board activity and behavior — the work it chooses to do and how it chooses to do the work.

Every board wants to provide quality leadership for the district.

A fundamental part of quality is regularly monitoring how the board is doing — in both its work and its processes through an annual board self-evaluation. A board self-evaluation allows the governance team an opportunity

to step back and look at itself to critically examine its strengths and weaknesses and identify needed improvement steps. IASB has a variety of tools and options available to assist boards in this important work.

When boards and board members develop a strong commitment to continuously evaluating and improving their practices and procedures, they are able to operate effectively for the district it governs and the community it serves.  Reatha Owen is Senior Field Services Director for the Illinois Association of School Boards for the Blackhawk, Central Illinois Valley, Corn Belt, and Western divisions. Resources associated with this column can be accessed via bit.ly/ND20JRes.

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Legal Matters

Intertwined: School Safety and SEL

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By Maryam Brotine

If you had asked me a year ago, in the pre-COVID era, about “school safety and security,” I would have immediately thought of threat assessment procedures and school shootings.

Now, my mind goes to mental health and social-emotional learning — issues that have always been relevant to school safety and security, but whose importance for the entire school community has expanded considerably since Governor JB Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-05 last spring, closing all Illinois schools serving pre-kindergarten through high school students due to COVID-19.

Back then we thought, “This is temporary — maybe we can resume in-person learning before the school year ends.” Then it became “Well, we’ll surely resume in-person learning by the start of the 2020-2021 school year.”

Now, over nine months later, the rollercoaster ride of uncertainty rolls on, leaving anxiety, stress, and trauma in its track. Are Illinois schools truly equipped to handle this ride and its aftereffects?

SEL in Illinois

Illinois schools are not wholly unprepared for this tumult. Following passage of the Children’s 10  Illinois School Board Journal

Mental Health Act of 2003 (405 ILCS 49/), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) adopted Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) standards for students in grades kindergarten through 12. ISBE frames the learning standards within three broad SEL goals, each of which contains SEL learning standards for a total of 10: Goal 1 – Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.

A. Identify and manage one’s emotions and behavior.

B. Recognize personal qualities and external supports.

C. Demonstrate skills related to achieving personal and academic goals.

Goal 2 – Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.

A. Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others.

B. Recognize individual and group similarities and differences.

C. Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others.

D. Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways.

Goal 3 – Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

A. Consider ethical, safety, and societal factors in making decisions.

B. Apply decision-making skills to deal responsibly with daily academic and social situations.

C. Contribute to the wellbeing of one’s school and community.

Each of the 10 SEL learning standards has its own grade-specific benchmarks and performance descriptors. For example, a firstgrade student working on Goal 1A should be identifying emotions and ways to calm herself, whereas a 12th-grade student working on Goal 1A should be describing how changing her interpretation of an event can alter how she and others feel about it. The SEL learning standards are currently being evaluated

by ISBE’s Emotional Intelligence and Social and Emotional Learning Task Force, which is also charged with developing SEL curriculum and best practices as well as making recommendations on the funding of appropriate services to address SEL.

SEL Before and After COVID-19

It’s one matter to work on SEL under pre-COVID circumstances, with students and staff physically together, in close proximity on a daily basis. Even then, however, SEL was one subject among many learning standards and by no means the foundation for learning. Now students and staff are scattered in various learning settings (remote, hybrid, in-person yet distanced and wearing masks) and experiencing chronic stress, anxiety, and oftentimes isolation. After the harried, slapdash implementation of emergency remote learning last spring, schools have focused on increasing the academic rigor of remote learning and reducing learning loss. As aptly put in an Education Week opinion article, “How Ready Are We to Support Kids Through This Trauma?”

“It will be tempting for schools to direct resources and attention this fall to bolstering the instructional core, given well-founded fears of learning loss and the widening of academic inequities. But our research suggests that districts need to focus just as much on deploying staff and policies that promote students’ social and emotional development.”

SEL is still part of our new, varied learning settings, but it remains a bit of an outlier that’s difficult to address. There are SEL apps available, such as GoNoodle and Calm, but is more impersonal screen time the answer? Can schools truly ask their already over-stretched teachers to check in, one-on-one, with each

student every day? Or, for schools fortunate enough to have a school social worker or school counselor, is it reasonable to expect them to conduct socially distanced “porch” visits with every student they serve?

In January 2019, following two years of research and discussion, the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (NCSEAD) issued From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope, a comprehensive report with sweeping recommendations for strengthening SEL. Though written pre-COVID, many statements in the NCSEAD report resonated with me precisely because we’re riding a pandemic that has exposed widespread educational inequities and systemic issues. Do these excerpts resonate with you as well?

“The promotion of social, emotional, and academic learning is not a shifting educational fad; it is the substance of education itself…[a]nd it is not another reason for political polarization. It brings together a traditionally conservative emphasis on local control and on the character of all students, and a historically progressive emphasis on the creative and challenging art of teaching and the social and emotional needs of all students, especially those who have experienced the greatest challenges.”

“All students need supportive relationships and nurturing learning environments, but students

facing additional stress have a particular need to be surrounded by caring adults who treat them as individuals with potential and inherent worth. And when adults create this environment, children of every background can thrive.”

Of course, the pandemic and its economic fallout also mean finances and resources are scarce, so you may appreciate this next excerpt as well: “The evidence also indicates that these efforts can be undertaken by schools at a reasonable cost relative to the benefits.

A change in educational culture and spirit does not require a major increase in resources, but it does require a prioritization of resources.”

Your Opportunity to Lead

We are at an inflection point and you, valued board member, are poised to seize upon it. Now is the time to prioritize resources towards SEL — when our schools’ needs are laid bare and can no longer be treated with a patchwork of bandages and duct tape. This is where your board member role and IASB’s Foundational Principles of Effective Governance kick in.

The first Foundational Principle states that the board clarifies the district purpose. Your board does this by defining, articulating, and re-defining district ends — ends that reflect the district’s purpose, direction, priorities, and desired outcomes. You have the power to prioritize SEL in your district November/December 2020  11

and to allocate the district’s fiscal resources to support that priority.

Your IASB Field Services Director can help refine existing goals through a Setting District Goals and Direction implementation and coaching session.

Next, Foundational Principles 3 and 4 state that the board employs a superintendent and the board delegates authority. These give you the human resources you need because your board can empower “the superintendent and staff to pursue board ends single-mindedly and without hesitation.” Delegating authority occurs through written board policies, and PRESS subscribers have the following policy tools at their disposal in the sample Policy Reference Manual:

• 7:250, Student Support Services. This sample policy states that “The Superintendent or designee shall develop protocols for responding to students with social, emotional, or mental health needs that impact learning ability.” This requirement comes from the Children’s Mental Health Act of 2003 • 7:250-AP2, Protocol for Responding to Students with Social, Emotional, or Mental Health Needs. This sample administrative procedure states that staff members will refer students with suspected needs to the building-level Student Support Committee.

Last but certainly not least, remember Foundational Principle

2: The board connects with the community. Engage with everyone in your community — staff, students, parents, feeder districts, community organizations — so you can hear and understand the community’s needs and aspirations. The entire community is feeling the fallout of this unpredictable rollercoaster ride, but we are all in this together. Only by working together can we create the social and emotional environment we need for our schools to be safe and secure.  Maryam Brotine is Assistant General Counsel at Illinois Association of School Boards. To learn more, visit Brotine’s collection of SEL resources, including those mentioned above, via bit.ly/ND20JRes.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the topics in one of the 2020 legislative and regulatory updates Issues:

Education Omnibus Act (PA 101-643)• Standards for Administrative Endorsements (23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 29) • Contracts and Bidding (PA 101-632) • Student Activity Funds and Fiduciary Funds (23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 100) • 2020 General Election Day (PA 101-642) • Driver Education (23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 252) • State Seal of Biliteracy (23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 680) • Registered Apprenticeship Program (23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 255) • Early Childhood Block Grant (23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 235) • Student Records (23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 375) • Student Records Destruction (PA 101-161) • And many more continuous improvement and five-year review updates affecting your district…

Why Subscribe? Researched, written and edited by the IASB Office of General Counsel and vetted by members of the PRESS Advisory Board, a PRESS subscription gives you access to: • Footnoted, legally-referenced policy, exhibit, and administrative procedure materials • PRESS Highlights Memos explaining recent changes to these materials Subscribers also have access through PRESS Online.

For more information please contact (630) 629-3776 or (217) 528-9688, ext. 1227

12  Illinois School Board Journal

Cover Story

Threat Assessment Protecting Students and Schools

Provided by the United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center Introduction by Theresa Kelly Gegen

T

There is no single profile of a school shooter, nor is there a typical victim. No school type or location is more likely to be targeted. Fear and concern are grave and universal.

Motives, behaviors, stressors, and situational factors, however, do guide towards a tragic common ground of individuals who have committed school violence. With the goal of preventing targeted violence and keeping children safe

at school, law enforcement collaborates with the education and wellness communities to study incidents of school violence.

Threat assessment is an investigative approach, pioneered by the U.S. Secret Service, for conducting an investigation to assess whether an individual poses a risk of violence or other unwanted outcome, and then taking steps to manage that risk. The threat assessment

model was originally devised for the prevention of violence targeting public officials and public figures.

For the past 20 years, the U.S. Secret Service, through its National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), has applied its threat assessment model in other areas of need, including identifying and intervening in potential incidents of school violence. The Safe School Initiative November/December 2020  13

focused on analyzing information from incidents of school violence and developed a “framework for how to identify, assess, and manage students who display such threatening or concerning behavior.”

In 2018, the Secret Service published Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence. A 2019 report followed, Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence.

These documents “inform the best practices of multidisciplinary school threat assessment programs nationwide.”

The research included investigative records, court documents, witness accounts, school records, medical and mental health records, interviews with attackers and people who knew them.

The focus of threat assessment work is prevention. Threat assessment relies on understanding what to look for (motives, behaviors, and situational factors faced by attackers) combined with the ability to intervene, with a “very low level” of concern necessary to do so. To achieve prevention — through understanding, identifying, and intervening — requires a multidisciplinary plan.

For an overview of the research and findings, the Journal presents the executive summary of Protecting America’s Schools, followed

by NTAC’s step-by-step advice to school districts developing a prevention plan as published in Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence.

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Executive Summary: Protecting America’s Schools

Ensuring the safety of children at school is a responsibility that belongs to everyone, including law enforcement, school staff, mental health practitioners, government officials, and members of the general public. To aid in these efforts, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) studied 41 incidents of targeted school violence that occurred at K-12 schools in the United States from 2008 to 2017. This report builds on 20 years of NTAC research and guidance in the field of threat assessment by offering an in-depth analysis of the motives, behaviors, and situational factors of the attackers, as well as the tactics, resolutions, and other operationally-relevant details of the attacks.

The analysis suggests that many of these tragedies could have been prevented, and supports the importance of schools establishing comprehensive targeted violence prevention programs as recommended by the Secret Service in

Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence. This approach is intended to identify students of concern, assess their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities, and implement intervention strategies to manage that risk. The threshold for intervention should be low, so that schools can identify students in distress before their behavior escalates to the level of eliciting concerns about safety.

Because most of these attacks ended very quickly, law enforcement rarely had the opportunity to intervene before serious harm was caused to students or staff.

Additionally, many of the schools that experienced these tragedies had implemented physical security measures (e.g., cameras, school resource officers, lockdown procedures). Prevention is key. Some of the key findings from this study, and their implications for informing school violence prevention efforts, include the following.

There is no profile of a student attacker, nor is there a profile for the type of school that has been targeted. Attackers varied in age,

gender, race, grade level, academic performance, and social characteristics. Similarly, there was no identified profile of the type of school impacted by targeted violence, as schools varied in size, location, and student-teacher ratios. Rather than focusing on a set of traits or characteristics, a threat assessment process should focus on gathering relevant information about a student’s behaviors, situational factors, and circumstances to assess the risk of violence or other harmful outcomes.

Attackers usually had multiple motives, the most common involving a grievance with classmates. In

addition to grievances with classmates, attackers were also motivated by grievances involving school staff, romantic relationships, or other personal issues. Other motives included a desire to kill, suicide, and seeking fame or notoriety.

Discovering a student’s motive for engaging in concerning behavior is critical to assessing the student’s risk of engaging in violence and identifying appropriate interventions to change behavior and manage risk.

Most attackers used firearms, and firearms were most often acquired from the home. Many

of the attackers were able to access firearms from the home of their parents or another close relative. While many of the firearms were unsecured, in several cases the attackers

were able to gain access to firearms that were secured in a locked gun safe or case. It should be further noted, however, that some attackers used knives instead of firearms to perpetrate their attacks. Therefore, a threat assessment should explore if a student has access to any weapons, with a particular focus on weapons access at home. Schools, parents, and law enforcement must work together rapidly to restrict access to weapons in those cases when students pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.

Most attackers had experienced psychological, behavioral, or developmental symptoms. The

observable mental health symptoms displayed by attackers prior to their attacks were divided into three main categories: psychological (e.g., depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation), behavioral (e.g., defiance/ misconduct or symptoms of ADD/ ADHD), and neurological/developmental (e.g., developmental delays or cognitive deficits). The fact that half of the attackers had received one or more mental health services prior to their attack indicates that mental health evaluations and treatments should be considered a component of a multidisciplinary threat assessment, but not a replacement. Mental health professionals should be included in a collaborative threat assessment process that also involves teachers, administrators, and law enforcement.

Half of the attackers had interests in violent topics. Violent

interests, without an appropriate explanation, are concerning, which means schools should not hesitate to initiate further information-gathering, assessment, and management of the student’s behavior. For example, November/December 2020  15

Nearly every attacker experienced negative home life factors.

The negative home life factors experienced by the attackers included parental separation or divorce, drug use or criminal charges among family members, and domestic abuse.

While none of the factors included here should be viewed as predictors that a student will be violent, past research has identified an association between many of these types of factors and a range of negative outcomes for children. a student who is preoccupied or fixated on topics like the Columbine shooting or Hitler, as was noted in the backgrounds of several of the attackers in this study, may be the focus of a school threat assessment to determine how such an interest originated and if the interest negatively impacts the student’s thinking and behavior.

All attackers experienced social stressors involving their relationships with peers and/or romantic partners. Attackers experienced

stressors in various areas of their lives, with nearly all experiencing at least one in the six months prior to their attack, and half within two days of the attack. In addition to social stressors, other stressors experienced by many of the attackers were related to families and conflicts in the home, academic or disciplinary actions, or other personal issues. All school personnel should be trained to recognize signs of a student in crisis. Additional training should focus on crisis intervention, teaching students skills to manage emotions and resolve conflicts, and suicide prevention.

16  Illinois School Board Journal

Most attackers were victims of bullying, which was often observed by others. Most of the attackers were

bullied by their classmates, and for over half of the attackers the bullying appeared to be of a persistent pattern which lasted for weeks, months, or years. It is critical that schools implement comprehensive programs designed to promote safe and positive school climates, where students feel empowered to report bullying when they witness it or are victims of it, and where school officials and other authorities act to intervene.

Most attackers had a history of school disciplinary actions, and many had prior contact with law enforcement. Most attackers

had a history of receiving school disciplinary actions resulting from a broad range of inappropriate behavior. The most serious of those actions included the attacker being suspended, expelled, or having law enforcement interactions as a result of their behavior at school. An important point for school staff to consider is that punitive measures are not preventative. If a student elicits concern or poses a risk of harm to self or others, removing the student

from the school may not always be the safest option. To help in making the determination regarding appropriate discipline, schools should employ disciplinary practices that ensure fairness, transparency with the student and family, and appropriate follow-up.

All attackers exhibited concerning behaviors. Most elicited concern from others, and most communicated their intent to attack. The behaviors that elicited

concern ranged from a constellation of lower-level concerns to objectively concerning or prohibited behaviors.

Most of the attackers communicated a prior threat to their target or communicated their intentions to carry out an attack. In many cases, someone observed a threatening communication or behavior but did not act, either out of fear, not believing the attacker, misjudging the immediacy or location, or believing they had dissuaded the attacker. Students, school personnel, and family members should be encouraged to report troubling or concerning behaviors to ensure that those in positions of authority can intervene.

A multidisciplinary threat assessment team, in conjunction with the appropriate policies, tools, and training, is the best practice for preventing future tragedies. A thorough review of the findings contained in this report should make clear that tangible steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood that any student would cause harm, or be harmed, at school. 

As noted the focus of threat assessment work is prevention.

Threat assessment relies on

understanding what to look for (motives, behaviors, and situational factors faced by attackers) combined with the ability to intervene.

The full analysis for threat assessment purposes revealed 10 common themes among the concerning behaviors that were displayed by the attackers. Every attached exhibited one or more of the following: • Threats to the target or others, and/or intent to attack • Intense or escalating anger • Interest in weapons • Sadness, depression, or isolation • Changes in behavior or appearance • Suicide and/or self-harm • Interest in violence • Talk of being bullied

• Concerns over grades/attendance • Harassing others According to Protecting America’s Schools, “Threat assessment procedures should recognize that concerning student behaviors occur along a continuum, from a constellation of lower-level concerning behaviors (e.g., depressed mood and behavior changes) to behaviors that are objectively concerning or prohibited (e.g., threats of harm and physical assaults). Many of these behaviors that elicit concern may not involve physical violence or criminal acts, but still require an assessment and appropriate intervention.” Again, the threshold for intervention should be low, with

the purpose of identifying students in distress.

The report further urges the establishment of a violence prevention plan. In Illinois in 2019, Public Act 101-0455 amended the School Safety Drill Act (105 ILCS 128/1) and requires school districts to “implement a threat assessment procedure that may be part of a school board policy on targeted school violence prevention. The procedure must include the creation of a threat assessment team.” The team must include an administrator, teacher, school counselor, school psychologist, a school social worker, and at least one law enforcement official. The law provides that if a school district is unable to establish a threat assessment team with its resources, “it may utilize a regional behavioral threat assessment and intervention team that includes mental health professionals and representatives from the state, county, and local law enforcement agencies.”

The following steps to develop a local violence prevention plan are recommended to communities by the National Threat Assessment Center.

Creating a Targeted Violence Prevention Plan

In July 2018, the Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) released Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence, which outlined eight actionable steps for implementing a comprehensive targeted violence prevention plan in schools. The guide, which is November/December 2020  17

available on the Secret Service public website, provides a framework for schools to identify, assess, and manage students who pose a risk of violence or other harmful behavior.

Step 1: Establish a multidisciplinary threat assessment team of school personnel including faculty, staff, administrators, coaches, and available school resource officers who will direct, manage, and document the threat assessment process.

Step 2: Define concerning behaviors, including those that are objectively concerning or prohibited, which should trigger an immediate intervention (e.g., threats, violent acts, or weapons on campus), and other lower-level concerning behaviors (e.g., depressed mood, interest in violent topics, or conflicts between classmates).

Step 3: Establish and provide training on a central reporting system, like a smartphone application, an online form, or a dedicated school email address or phone number. Ensure that it provides 18  Illinois School Board Journal

anonymity to those reporting concerns and is monitored by personnel who will follow up on all reports.

Step 4: Determine the threshold for law enforcement intervention especially if there is a risk of harm to self or others.

Step 5: Establish threat assessment procedures that include practices for maintaining documentation, identifying sources of information, reviewing records, and conducting interviews. The assessment should be guided by an understanding of the thinking and behavior observed in past school

culture of safety, respect, trust, and emotional support for students.

Encourage communication, intervene in conflicts and bullying, and empower students to share their concerns.

Step 8: Provide training for all stakeholders, including school personnel, students, parents, and law enforcement. 

Resources from NTAC include the full report Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence, a full analysis of the study of the 41 inci-

“Threat assessment relies on understanding what to look for ... combined with the ability to intervene ... with a ‘very low level’ of concern necessary to do so.”

attackers, as summarized above and described in full in Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence.

Step 6: Develop risk management options to enact, once an assessment is complete. Create individualized management plans to mitigate identified risks. Notify law enforcement immediately if the student is determined to pose an imminent risk of harm to self or others. Take steps to ensure the safety of potential targets, create a situation less prone to violence, redirect the student’s motive, and reduce the effect of stressors.

Step 7: Create and promote a safe school climate built on a

dents of targeted school violence.

That resource, along with Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence and more, is available via the link below.

“While every situation is unique and should be treated as such,” reports Protecting America’s Schools, one common factor across all of these tragedies is that there appears to have been an opportunity to intervene with the attacker before violence occurred.”  Excerpts reprinted with permission of the United States Secret Service and the National Threat Assessment Center. Full resources can be accessed via bit.ly/ND20JRes.

19  Illinois School Board Journal

Feature Story

Reaching Beyond the Basics of School Safety

By Joshua W. Stafford

I

“It is one of the best things that I have been involved with in my 24 years of serving on a school board,” explains John Summers, president of the Vienna HSD 13-3 school board. Summers is a retired clinical social services director and a certified substance abuse counselor who holds an undergraduate degree from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s in educational psychology from Southern Illinois University. “To me it is a model that gets help to kids that they need ahead of time, as opposed to being reactive to what could be a terrible situation.

The wrap-around of having all of the community stakeholders and school personnel working in tandem for the best interest of our kids is a win for everyone.”

School safety is a topic that continues to be vitally important, even more so in light of the current global pandemic. With schools across the state and nation taking various approaches to students returning back to learning, people who take a traditional look at school safety might not see the need for continuous focus.

But the reality is that no matter how your district is returning to

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learning, school safety must be a priority.

All the schools in the Vienna dual-district system have been offering in-person instruction, five days per week, with a slightly early dismissal for teachers to work with students who have chosen remote learning. Currently, about 90% of Vienna students are in-person, and 10% are remote learning.

School superintendent Joshua W. Stafford explained that while the look of instructional delivery changed with the current stage of coronavirus pandemic response, the foundation of a school safety initiative that was built over the last several years has been maintained and enhanced to accommodate the adjustments.

“Several years ago we worked to bring together all of the resources within our rural community in order to take a comprehensive look and make enhancements to our approach to the safety and well-being of children and families in our community,” Stafford said.

Johnson County is located in deep Southern Illinois. The Vienna dual-district system has four grade schools, a high school, and a college extension center on its campuses.

A Comprehensive Look

The comprehensive look that Stafford felt needed to be considered didn’t just include locked doors, drills, bullet-resistant film, and school resource officers. It also brought in stakeholders and agencies including the regional mental health service provider, Arrowleaf (formerly Family Counseling Center), local counselors and therapists, the county probation office, and Resilience Southern Illinois, which has partnered with the Education Redesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Also involved are the Juvenile Justice Council, the county state’s attorney, the county victim’s advocate, lead teachers, principals, nursing staff, the Regional Office of Education, school building level RTI (response to intervention) specialists, truancy/attendance staff, churches, university extension groups, and various others.

“The conversation at our first meeting started with a vision to explore all aspects of school safety with student and family well-being at the center,” Stafford says.

“Oddly enough one of the major outcomes of the first meeting was that we walked away with some of

the major players in our community knowing each other.

“Most communities have common and limited resources and are doing everything possible to serve citizens well, and one of the negative commonalities is that many times these resources are disjointed. Everyone functions in their own silo, their own world, and in that focusing, there isn’t always a clear opportunity to make meaningful connections.

On the other hand, one of the positive commonalities of those resources is, undoubtedly, everyone wants to ensure that schools are safe. Sometimes people just need to be asked to come together, around that vision, and to a great extent, that is what has happened in Vienna.”

That initial gathering has now grown into a functioning group that meets quarterly with a well-developed purpose and agenda. The group has begun initiatives, not only to improve school safety, but also to build a healthier community.

School board member and certified law enforcement officer David Stewart has over 20 years of experience in working to improve community safety.

“It takes an army to help keep our kids safe and on the right track,” said Stewart. “Bringing all of those people to one table and having real open dialogues is crucial in identifying at-risk kids, or those who just need a person to listen to them. The partnerships that Vienna has developed are

key to being able to identify the youth in Johnson County that need help and getting them that help before they become another statistic.”

November/December 2020  21

Reactive

Schools will always be faced with crisis or emergency situations in which the time to act is right now. In a previous article in The Southern Illinoisan, Stafford shared, “We didn’t want to have to make introductions in the middle of a crisis.” Relationships that were developed at those quarterly meetings were tested when John Giffin, principal of Vienna High School, began receiving threatening text messages from a California phone number.

“We ended up with FBI field agents from Marion in our principal’s offices for two days, plus local and state police,” Stafford remembers. “It was all hands on deck.”

An emergency search warrant served to Verizon led officials to a Caller ID-spoofing app developed in California, where they obtained an IP address that traced back to a local student, who was sending the threats from a cell phone. “That’s a horrible situation to go through,

Centered in the schools, Vienna’s community organization collaborates quarterly to address issues of health and safety. Photo courtesy of Joshua W. Stafford.

student well-being. “We talk about everything from mental health, to truancy, to discipline,” said Johnson County State’s Attorney Tambra Cain. “It’s all about what can we do to provide extra support for students.”

“The goal is never ‘getting’ someone,” Stafford said, “but to redirect situations, so our kids and families aren’t ending up in

“The group has begun initiatives, not only to improve school safety, but also to build a healthier community.”

but I was so thankful for the school safety meetings,” Stafford said. “We didn’t have to second guess ourselves about who we call. Everyone already knew everyone.”

Proactive

Though Stafford began the meetings to prepare his school for times of crisis, they’ve also become part of a broader approach to 22  Illinois School Board Journal

jail or other lifelong detrimental situations. It’s about, ‘If you see something say something.’ But that takes an environment of trust among agencies and individuals, to take down your guard and share information.”

Thanks to the meetings, counselors and therapists at Arrowleaf quickly become aware of students that school leaders believe could

use mental health counseling or truancy intervention. “We as a mental health agency can’t disclose information, but they can identify the kids they’d like to see in services, and we can step in and help out before something becomes a big problem,” said Sarah Newman, Arrowleaf’s behavioral health assistant director of youth services for the southern seven counties. “It’s incredibly helpful because the mental health service aspect is coming together with the educational component.”

The collaborative discussions have also inspired the school to pursue new opportunities, Stafford said, like grants awarded in partnership with Arrowleaf to give all high school students access to career counselors and to initiate an evidence-based drug prevention program in the grade schools and the high school.

The school safety group has also established a full-time school resource officer (SRO) program, additional school-based social workers, professional development for all school staff on being more trauma-informed and

trauma-sensitive, among numerous other initiatives.

The Vienna system is one of the pilot partner schools in Resilient Southern Illinois (RSI), a regionwide coalition that trains teachers, administrators, and school staff to help students deal with childhood trauma. RSI has been able to coordinate enhanced, next-level programming for staff throughout the system.

“How do we as a school, from bus driver to secretaries, how do we be aware of that trauma that a student might bring to school?”

Stafford said. “Our whole drive is to get to the point where we’re being proactive, not reactive, to stop it from ever getting to the point of a young adult feeling so desperate they need to make a threat.”

In the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school shooting that claimed 17 lives in February 2018, a state school safety working group recommended all school districts create interagency threat assessment teams, to work together on

potential threats to school security.

Vienna has formed a team to meet that recommendation, Stafford said. In essence, the relationships were already in place from the school safety meetings.

“The most important thing that our communities do collectively is that we have school,” Stafford said.

“We want to make sure that the environment is what it needs to be. And that takes everyone to be involved.”

In the Age of COVID

While school looks different in the age of COVID, Stafford explained that the foundation of the school safety team has continued to serve students well. “Our current learning model of some students being in-person while others are on remote has come with a few hurdles, but our school safety team has adapted previous practice to ensure that all students are still being covered.”

The school system has utilized several of the resources derived from the school safety team to maintain relationships with remote learners, such home visits on a rotating basis by the RTI group, principals, and SROs, while at the same time maintaining the traditional practices of keeping in-person learners’ well-being and safety a priority.

Vienna High School principal Giffin is the lead for the daily option of in-person learning and also is involved with the home visits to remote learners. “Remote learning is a challenge for everyone involved and we want to reduce as much stress as possible during this time. I wake up in the morning thinking about students and their

safety and how to ensure their success. With the school safety team that we have in place it was easy to roll out a plan that allows us to stay as connected as possible with our remote learners via home visits,” said Giffin.

“When school closed in March it was a terrible thing and we missed our students,” said SRO Eileen Rochford, who serves as the lead in Vienna’s SRO program and is a veteran law enforcement officer.

“Over time you build a relationship with them as you interact, eat lunch with them, and help them work through various problems that they face. Being able to have many back in school is a win, And for those that are still on a remote, doing the home visits has been good. They need to know that we are thinking about them, we are still here for them, and we care.”  Joshua W. Stafford is superintendent of Vienna HSD 13-3. For more information about the school safety program at Vienna, contact Stafford at joshuawstafford@viennahs.com.

November/December 2020  23

Feature Story

The Why and How of School Resource Officers

By Mike Raymond

S

School resource officers are trained police officers. Many times, officers are the first people you see when entering a school, and they are respected within their police agency as well. School resource officers (SROs) have the potential to create large networks, both inside and outside of the schools.

It is important that both the school district and the police agency work hand-in-hand when recruiting for an officer. The school district understands the personality type that an officer must have in order to be successful, while the police agency can determine a good applicant based on any training or special accomplishments the officer has received. SROs need specific training and communication skills to properly handle emergency situations in schools.

A typical day for an SRO, which could entail anything from teaching a class on good citizenship to confiscating a loaded gun from a student, is different from what a regular police officer will experience.

School resource officers create bonds with students and become role models who students can learn from, confide in, and most importantly feel safe with in any situation. This bond is built by presenting helpful

24  Illinois School Board Journal

information in classrooms, guiding students in good decision-making, and being there when students need a listening ear.

The SRO is also the first line of defense against any threat that could potentially occur on school property. Beyond keeping peace and order in the hallways and at every school function, SROs also need to act as building engineers because a crucial understanding of each building’s layout can be extremely helpful in emergencies.

They also become heroes, mentors, and educators.

A common misconception about being an SRO is that it is an easy day job. This is far from the truth.

A good SRO is someone who is invested in not only their career but also the school district and community as a whole. Some officers attend community events or school events as a “regular” person, without uniform, in order to build on the connections they have with the students and the families. When an SRO has a strong relationship with the community, children feel much safer at school. This is vital because once kids graduate and move onto the next phase of their lives, they have reliable contact whenever they need police assistance.

The main advantage of having an SRO in a school building is the relationships the officer builds with students and staff. Seeing a friendly and familiar face in the halls each day creates a sense of trust between the officer and the students. It is important for the SRO to engage this trust and train students and staff on being prepared in an emergency. Training on what to do in an emergency situation is important at all levels, from kindergarten to high school seniors.

Triad CUSD 2 instructs the “A.L.I.C.E” model for an active shooter, in which elementary students learn about the Sheep (them), the Shepard (teacher), and the Wolf (bad guy). Older students learn and know how to counter if needed. Triad provides safety backpacks in every classroom and throughout the buildings and trains staff and students on how to use the medical equipment for emergencies, including but not exclusive to an active shooter. Emergency situations are inevitable and SROs focus on making sure everyone is prepared and not scared.

The importance of a school resource officer is quickly seen and understood by the community, but the largest hurdle is funding. The cost of having an SRO varies by

police department due to factors including the number of days an SRO works, hourly rate, department insurance cost, and initial training.

In order to show the cost in real numbers, we will use a base hourly rate of $30 along with an officer working 180 school days. Because the SRO arrives prior to the start of a school day and leaves after students have safely left, they work an eighthour day. Even on half days, SROs will remain on campus in the event there are any students who did not make it home, or to work on one of many safety initiatives. With that baseline, the annual rate of an SRO would be $43,200. Department insurance, which we estimate at $600 per month (or $30 per working day), adds $5,400. This brings the total to $48,600 for this officer, which is

similar to a fifth-year teacher with a master’s degree. The only other initial cost would be the certification of an SRO through the National Association of School Resource Officers with a one-time fee of $445.

When working on the district’s budget, it is key to know where the revenue comes from and how to record the cost of a school resource officer. The Tort Fund is created for taxes levied or bonds sold for tort immunity or tort judgment purposes. Yearly, the district levies funds to receive towards the Tort Fund; these funds will help offset the cost of the SRO. Once you receive proper funding, keep in mind that receiving the services from the department providing the SRO is considered a purchase service. In order to ensure the ability

to spend 100% of the cost from the Tort Fund, the district must have a Risk Management Plan in place outlining how the SRO maintains and continues to improve the safety of the students, staff, and facilities.

A district looking to get the school resource officer program up and running should begin the conversations with the local law enforcement department to ensure it has willing candidates and will not incur any financial downfalls. In addition, speak with other districts who have had success with their school safety programs.

We are all here to educate the youth in the safest way possible.  Mike Raymond is Director of Business and Communication for Triad CUSD 2 in Troy.

November/December 2020  25

Commentary

Why Have an SRO?

By Kip Heinle

A

A school resource officer is the first line of defense against evil that could walk down your halls or onto your school property.

The hats that SROs wear are many. Not only do we keep peace and order at schools and school functions, but we are also mentors to students. We are educators; most of us present in classrooms on various topics.

We are parent figures to students who need a positive adult in their life for whatever reason. We are counselors with a listening ear for students, faculty, and staff. We are building engineers; we need to know the ins and outs of our buildings, because in an emergency we may need to know how to shut off the water or gas. Or we may need to know how to open up that elevator when the electricity goes out, because there is a student in it who can’t get out and is calling for help.

These are all things that I have done in my career as an SRO. I would say 90% of my job as an SRO doesn’t necessarily deal with police work, but I’m trained to deal with any such situation that can arise and has arisen. I have taken a loaded gun off a

26  Illinois School Board Journal

kid who had plans to use it after school. I have ridden in the back of an ambulance to comfort a student who had a medical emergency because they wanted a familiar face to go with them.

The contacts and bridges I have built — and many SROs will build — are priceless. Many times the SRO is the most visible person in the district, building, and the police agency they work for. I suggest when choosing an SRO, the school and local police agency work together to choose the correct fit for the school. The SRO needs a special personality to deal with young adults and their parents.

You don’t want an SRO who wants an “easy” day job, because there is nothing easy about being an SRO. You want somebody who “buys in,” or has a vested interest in the school and community. I often attend events as a “regular” person — no uniform, just as a fan or parent. I try to attend one home event for each team regardless of level. I will attend a band and chorus concert, and a play or the musical. This goes a long way with students.

In today’s current climate, building these bridges is important, because these students are

our futures. There have been times when students, both current and former, will come to me and provide me with information — because they trust me. I recently had a former student, who was suicidal, request for me to respond to the scene where he was up on a roof of a house. I was able to talk to him at the scene, and he was transported to receive the help that he needed.

SROs are a presence in the halls. They need to be proactive in their approach to things at the schools. If there is a trouble spot in the school, they need to respond and concentrate on that area. They need to be visible, during passing period, lunch, and at extra-curricular activities after school.

Students and spectators will feel safer seeing a familiar face at these events.

School resource officers may cost money to school districts, but the services they offer and what they are trained to do is priceless.  Kip Heinle is a School Resource Officer for Triad CUSD 2 in Troy and a Deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

Commentary

In this Together Beginning an Adult SEL Program in a Pandemic World

By Pamela R. Rockwood

T

Through their elected governance role, Illinois school board members represent the interests of approximately two million public school children. One of their top priorities is ensuring safety in the schools in their respective districts.

With school safety come terms such as “preparedness” and “threat assessment.”

However, Illinois schools had no time for either when on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic. By March 20, all Illinois non-essential workers were ordered to shelter-in-place, and with this executive order came the shutdown of school facilities, placing educators in a position where they quickly had to determine how to provide some form of remote learning. Many found themselves isolated and in a never-before-experienced situation, catapulted into a “brave new educational world” for an unknown amount of time with increasing anxiety and fear due to the pandemic and any personal coronavirus-related events.

As the pandemic endures, mental health experts worry that more and more people would be affected

and begin to display the behaviors of post-traumatic stress disorder that include relationship, emotional, and detachment issues. Educators and school personnel are not immune to the pandemic’s consequences. There is no question that some will be affected. That, in turn, has the potential to influence others due to a phenomenon known as “emotional contagion.”

Educators have always been a source of support for students.

Their role has become even more encompassing now as they strive to provide stability in an unstable time, supporting the psychological and emotional well-being and safety of students who are in distress.

To be able to do this successfully, they must demonstrate and serve as role models for the skills found in each of the five social and emotional learning (SEL) competency areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. While the Illinois State Board of Education has provided student SEL standards, no standards framework exists for adults, and many educators have had little or no pre-service or in-service training in adult SEL. There has never

been a greater need or more appropriate time to create and implement an adult SEL program for all school personnel, including board members, to help them acquire or strengthen the skills needed so they may better cope, personally and professionally, during these unparalleled times. It is a matter of safety.

So how does a district begin creating and implementing a district-wide adult SEL program?

And what is the board’s role?

The board’s role in crisis times, such as that of a pandemic, calls for the adoption of crisis priorities and providing support for them.

There is no question that health has an impact on what happens educationally. Students model what they see. Therefore, it is essential that all adults who work in or with a school district role model strong SEL skills. This is why a district-wide adult SEL program should be a board-supported crisis priority, which begins with a board resolution stating this.

The board should also decide if it, as a board, will participate in the program. Once this groundwork is set, an SEL planning team, ideally five to seven members, should be established to represent all November/December 2020  27

personnel areas and the board. On such a team, roles and responsibilities are designated and the team should provide monthly reports to the entire board regarding program development and progress.

Next, the team must define what it needs to know about people’s needs and skill levels in adult SEL to gather baseline data. The team must determine what questions to ask in a needs assessment survey to obtain that information and agree upon if they will either create their own survey or if they will refer to one that is readily available online, for example: • Personal Assessment and Reflection — SEL Competencies for School Leaders, Staff, and Adults from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning; • Self-Assess Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders at American Institutes for Research; or • Panorama’s Adult SEL Measures from Panorama Education.

While readily available surveys can start the process started immediately, they are not unique to a particular district’s culture and needs and this is why it is recommended that districts create and administer their own survey.

If the team decides to create a survey, it must consider what it needs to know, such as the answers to any or all of these three questions: 1. How are people feeling during these taxing times?

28  Illinois School Board Journal

2. What are people’s current perceived performance levels in certain skills (as outlined in adult SEL frameworks from Rhode Island, Tennessee, Wisconsin, or Washington)?

3. How are people coping and practicing self-care?

To uncover how people are feeling, descriptive statements should be provided that ask a person for his/her level of agreement with it. An example of this might be, “During the last week at work, I felt satisfied.” Survey-takers then rate their agreement with this statement using this rating scale such as “highly agree (4), agree (3), disagree (2), or “highly disagree (1).” In a perfect world, all people would respond that they “highly agree” that they have been satisfied at work during the past week.

Once all survey-takers are done taking the survey and results are tabulated, the team averages all responses received for each statement to determine the group level of satisfaction (averages can be done by building level or district level). After the statement averages have been calculated, the team performs a gap analysis for each.

An example, for those unfamiliar: If the team has done a district-level average on the sample statement pertaining to satisfaction and the district average is 3.6, that 3.6 is subtracted from the perfect score of 4 (highly agree), and there is a gap of .40. This is not a large gap, so satisfaction may not be something that needs to be addressed immediately. However, if the district average is .75,

the gap is 3.25 and satisfaction is something to monitor, particularly if it is one of the largest gaps found within all of the statements. In that case, the team needs to probe more and begin work on strategies and professional development that concentrate on increasing professional satisfaction. The averages and resulting gaps for each statement will provide a collective picture of how people are feeling, which in turn impacts school climate. Research has shown that efforts to improve school climate and to build social and emotional skills are mutually reinforcing.

If the district team wants to know survey-takers’ perceptions of their current expertise levels in certain SEL skills, they can use the skills found in one of the four state adult SEL competency frameworks mentioned above (see link below). Each of those state frameworks outlines the essential skills in each of these areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. Instead of using the skills from just one state framework, the

team may also choose to select certain skills from the different areas of each of the state frameworks to create their own district-specific adult SEL skills framework. Once the team knows the skills they are trying to measure, a survey is created. For example, if the team wanted to know about a perceived skill level self-management regarding a person’s ability to evaluate how expressing emotions might affect or influence others, the survey question would read “I am able to evaluate how expressing my emotions might affect or influence others.” The survey-taker would respond by selecting from “highly agree” to “highly disagree” and a gap analysis would be undertaken for each skill statement. Those with the largest gaps provide a

prioritized and clear direction as to those adult SEL skills that should be developed first.

To determine how people are coping and practicing self-care, the district team might create a checklist of best practices in these areas and ask survey-takers to indicate those they are using. These results reveal the group’s state of mind and offer a focus for needed employee assistance and resources to enhance well-being.

As champions of public education, board members seek to provide the most secure and safe learning environment possible while bolstering continuous improvement and student achievement. Endorsing, supporting, and participating in a district-wide adult SEL program

during these challenging times in education creates essential conditions for continued success.

There is no time to waste. We are all in this together and while the pandemic of 2020 caught us illequipped in many ways, there has never been a more urgent time than now for a district-wide adult SEL program.  Pamela R. Rockwood has 15 years of superintendent experience in Illinois and Iowa. She is the recently retired superintendent of Indian Creek SD 425 and is currently an assistant professor of educational leadership at Western Illinois University. Resources associated with this commentary, including the three assessment tools available online, can be accessed via bit.ly/ND20JRes.

R E G I S T E R T O DAY !

IASB Virtual Summit for school board members and administrators

November 20, 2020 www.iasb.com/virtual-summit

November/December 2020  29

Feature Story

Safe2Help Illinois Offers Reporting Resources, Curriculum Provided by the Illinois Terrorism Task Force and Illinois Emergency Management Agency

T

The State of Illinois is developing a school safety program called Safe2Help Illinois in an effort to raise awareness of 21st-century threats facing schoolchildren in Illinois.

In the absence of a trusted adult, Safe2Help Illinois offers students a safe, confidential way in which to share information that might help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence, or other threats to school safety. This program is not intended to suspend, expel, or punish students. Rather, the goal is to get students to “Seek Help Before Harm.”

Safe2Help Illinois will also develop an educational curriculum aimed at changing the culture in Illinois schools while also providing the resources to help parents and educators reinforce the components of this program.

About Safe2Help

Safe2Help Illinois is a 24/7 program where students can use a free app, text/phone, website (Safe2HelpIllinois.com) and other social media platforms to report school safety issues in a confidential environment. Once vetted, the tips will immediately be shared with local school officials, mental health professionals, and/or local law enforcement, depending on the nature of the tip. The program also will help local officials by connecting them 30  Illinois School Board Journal

with mental health resources or other appropriate resources to intervene and help students before they harm themselves or others.

In visiting with other states that have implemented similar programs, we found the two most common tips have been threats of suicide and bullying. We believe we will see similar results based on the following: • 47,000 Illinois students reported attempting suicide in 2015.

• Nearly 100 Illinois youth (age 10-19) died by suicide in 2015.

• Two in 10 Illinois students report being bullied.

• Students who are bullied are twice as likely to attempt suicide.

Similar school safety programs in other states have been assessed as effective in helping prevent acts of school violence. In fact, on the first day of Nevada’s program, a tip successfully thwarted a potential school attack.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 85 percent of mass shootings that occurred, someone knew something before the event took place. These signs range from social media posting to observed signs of distress.

Within the last 15 years, in almost every case of a mass school shooting committed by a student

in the United States, after-action reports indicate at least one other student knew something might happen and did not come forward for a variety of reasons.

School FAQ

Will the state Safe2Help program replace an already established local tip line?

No. Local school districts may elect to continue to operate their existing tip line. However, we encourage districts to consider the cost to operate the service and understand that participation in Safe2Help is free and provides 24/7 accessibility.

What is the cost for a school district to participate?

There is no cost to the school district to participate in the program and receive reports from the Safe2Help program.

Will the state program replace the need for districts to identify mental health providers?

No. The objective of the Safe2Help program is to support schools

and school districts in determining what mental health services they believe best to respond to each report. If requested, the Safe2Help program can assist reporters and schools in identifying mental health services available within their community, county or region of the state.

Direct intervention with the student is the responsibility of the district.

Are school districts required to participate?

No. The Safe2Help program will forward confidential tips received from students, parents, school officials, and the community to the local law enforcement and/or schools whether or not they elect to formally participate in the program.

individual(s) from their behavioral threat assessment team in case the information would need to be shared and handled within that team. A local police department can also be an end-user.

The school/district will enter contact information for each identified end-user into an online geoform.

Required information includes each end-user’s name, title, email, office phone number, and a yes or no to if the end-user would like to subscribe to text alerts (to notify them of incoming Safe2Help Illinois report emails). End-users will be updated every year as necessary.

Is the state program a confidential or anonymous tip line?

The Safe2Help program is a confidential tip line. Reporters will be encouraged to provide their name and contact information, but it isn’t a requirement. Information received

by Safe2Help is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reporting rules and can only be accessed under limited conditions by a court order.

What are the responsibilities of the end-users?

End-users are the contact points within the school, district, and law enforcement. End-users will be responsible for addressing the reports that are received from Safe2Help Illinois. These individuals also will be responsible for submitting general follow-up information on how the Safe2Help Illinois report was handled at their school.

End-users will go through a brief training so they understand how to view and enter follow-up information into the Safe2Help software.

What are the requirements for a school district to participate in the Safe2Help program?

The school district will be asked to provide contact information for five individuals (minimum) at each school and five contacts at the district. These individuals will be called end-users. School end-users should include at least one individual from local law enforcement and the other four from within the school or community. The school can include an

Can a district participate in the Safe2Help program if they are unable to designate the minimum five end-users from each school?

No. Each school is required to provide five end-users. If there are questions, the school and Safe2Help staff can work together to help identify end-users or come up with additional options. At least one end-user must be from local law enforcement. Schools can add more than five end-users if they

want. In addition to the end-users provided by each school, the district will be required to provide five contacts, as well.

What is the difference between the end-users designated for the Safe2Help line and required for the Behavioral Threat Assessment Team?

Schools can list an individual(s) from their Behavioral Threat Assessment Team as an end-user.

This could be helpful in case the information would best be shared and handled within the Behavioral Threat Assessment Team. If you are interested in forming a Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams, there is free training in the state of Illinois.

For more information, call 309298-2646 or email schoolsafety@ iletsbei.com.

Changing the Culture

Safe2Help Illinois is a longterm initiative to change the school culture in Illinois. By providing a recommended educational curriculum as early as preschool, we hope to remove the stigma associated with mental health issues, foster a culture of kindness, and instill important lessons such as the difference between telling and tattling, internet safety, and suicide prevention.  Reprinted with permission the Illinois Terrorism Task Force and Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

Full resources, including links to Safe2Help Illinois participating districts and training for Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams, can be can be accessed via bit.ly/ND20JRes.

November/December 2020  31

Service Associates Directory Appraisal Services INDUSTRIAL APPRAISAL COMPANY Building and fixed asset appraisals for insurance and accounting purposes.

Oak Brook (630) 575‑0280

Architects/Engineers ARCON ASSOCIATES, INC. Full service firm specializing in educational facilities with services that include architecture, construction management, roof and masonry consulting, landscape architecture, and environmental consulting.

Lombard (630) 495‑1900; www.arconassoc.com; rpcozzi@arconassoc.com BERG ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, LTD. Consulting engineers.

Schaumburg (847) 352‑4500; www.berg‑eng.com BLDD ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and engineering services for schools.

Decatur (217) 429‑5105; Champaign (217) 356‑9606; Bloomington (309) 828‑5025; Chicago (312) 829‑1987 CANNONDESIGN Architecture, interiors, engineering, consulting. Chicago (312) 332‑9600; www.cannondesign.com; sbrodsky@cannondesign.com CORDOGAN CLARK & ASSOCIATES Architects and engineers.

Aurora (630) 896‑4678; www.cordoganclark.com; rmont@cordoganclark.com DEWBERRY ARCHITECTS INC. Architects, planners, landscape architecture, and engineers.

Peoria (309) 282‑8000; Elgin (847) 695‑5840 DLA ARCHITECTS, LTD. Architects specializing in preK‑12 educational design, including a full range of architectural services, assessments, planning, feasibility studies, new construction, additions, remodeling, O&M and owner’s rep services.

Itasca (847) 742‑4063; www.dla‑ltd.com; info@dla‑ltd.com DLR GROUP Educational facility design and master planning. Chicago (312) 382‑9980; dlrgroup.com; mengelhardt@dlrgoup.com 32  Illinois School Board Journal

ERIKSSON ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES, LTD. Consulting civil engineers and planners.

Grayslake (847) 223‑4804; Chicago (312) 463‑0551; Mokena (708) 614‑9720; www.eea‑ltd.com; geriksson@eea‑ltd.com

LEGAT ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and educational planners who specialize in creating effective student learning environments.

Gurnee (847) 622‑3535; Oak Brook (630) 990‑3535; Chicago (312) 258‑9595; www.legat.com

FARNSWORTH GROUP, INC. Architectural and engineering professional services. Normal, IL (309) 633‑8436

PCM+DESIGN ARCHITECTS Provide a full range of architectural services including facility and feasibility studies, architectural design, construction consulting, and related services.

East Peoria (309) 694‑5012; www.PCMPLUSD.com

FGM ARCHITECTS, INC. Architects. Chicago (312) 942‑8461; Oak Brook (630) 574‑8300; O’Fallon (618) 624‑3364; St. Louis (314) 439‑1601; www.fgmarchitects.com GREENASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture/construction services.

Deerfield (847) 317‑0852; Pewaukee, Wisconsin (262) 746‑125 HEALY, BENDER & ASSOCIATES, INC. Architects/planners.

Naperville (630) 904‑4300; www.healybender.com; dpatton@healybender.com HURST‑ROSCHE, INC. Architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design.

Hillsboro (217) 532‑3959; East St. Louis (618) 398‑0890; Marion (618) 998‑0075; Springfield (217) 787‑1199; dpool@hurst‑rosche.com JMA ARCHITECTS Full service professional design firm specializing in K‑12 educational design, construction management, strategic/master planning, health/life safety compliance, building commissioning, and interior space design. South Holland (708) 339‑3900; www.jmaarchitects.com; allison@jmaarchitects.com KLUBER ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS Building design professionals specializing in architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and fire protection engineers. Batavia (630) 406‑1213 LARSON & DARBY GROUP Architecture, engineering, interior design, and technology.

Rockford (815) 484‑0739; St. Charles (630) 444‑2112; www.larsondarby.com; snelson@larsondarby.com

PERFORMANCE SERVICES, INC. An integrated design and delivery engineering company serving the design and construction facility needs of K‑12 schools.

Schaumburg (847) 466‑7220 PERKINS+WILL Architects. Chicago (312) 755‑0770 RICHARD L. JOHNSON ASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture, educational planning.

Rockford (815) 398‑1231; www.rljarch.com STR PARTNERS Architectural, interior design, planning, cost estimating, and building enclosure/roofing consulting. Chicago (312) 464‑1444 STUDIOGC ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS StudioGC is passionate community‑ minded partner, committed to creating imaginative and well‑designed facilities.

StudioGC offers innovative planning, programming, architectural, interior design, and cost estimates.

Chicago (312) 253‑3400 TRIA ARCHITECTURE An architectural planning and interior design firm that provides services primarily to school districts in the Chicagoland area with an emphasis on service to their clients, and their communities.

Burr Ridge (630) 455‑4500 WIGHT & COMPANY For over 77 years, Wight & Company has provided design and construction services for the built environment. As a pioneer of integrated Design & Delivery, we’ve worked with our clients to create exceptional, enduring buildings and spaces that enrich people’s lives and enhance the environment; Darien (630) 969‑7000; www.wightco.com; bpaulsen@wightco.com

September/October 2020  1

Service Associates Directory WM. B. ITTNER, INC. Full service architectural firm serving the educational community since 1899.

Fairview Heights (618) 624‑2080 WOLD ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS Specializing in Pre‑K‑12 educational design including master planning, sustainable design, architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, quality review, cost estimation and management. Palatine (847) 241‑6100

Building Construction CORE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES OF IL., INC. Professional construction management, design‑build, and general contracting services. Peoria (309) 404‑4700; COREconstruction.com; mikaylavincent@coreconstruction.com F. H. PASCHEN A general/construction manager with extensive experience in new construction and renovation of educational and institutional facilities in the public/private sectors. Chicago (773) 444‑1525; www.fhpaschen.com FREDERICK QUINN CORPORATION Construction management and general contracting. Addison (630) 628‑8500; www.fquinncorp.com HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC. Full service construction management and general contracting firm specializing in education facilities.

Swansea (618) 277‑8870 INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTORS, INC. (ICI) An award‑winning construction management firm specializing in K‑12 facilities. Our firm is currently partnering with eight Illinois School Districts on capital improvement projects.

Elmhurst (630) 641‑6852 NICHOLAS & ASSOCIATES, INC. Construction management, general contracting, design and build.

Mt. Prospect (847) 394‑6200 info@nicholasquality.com PEPPER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Construction management and general contracting services.

Barrington (847) 381‑2760; www.pepperconstruction; jripsky@pepperconstruction.com

2  Illinois School Board Journal

(continued)

POETTKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Specializing in construction management, design/build, construction consulting services, and energy solutions for education clients. Breese (618) 526‑7213; www.poettkerconstruction.com RUSSELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. Russell provides successful, knowledgeable construction management and contracting services in the PreK‑12 market from concept to completion and continuing care for your facility needs.

Davenport, Iowa (563) 459‑4600 S.M. WILSON & CO. Provides construction management and general construction services to education, healthcare, commercial, retail, and industrial clients. St. Louis (314) 645‑9595; www.smwilson.com; judd.presley@smwilson.com TRANE HVAC company specializing in design, build, and retrofit. Willowbrook (630) 734‑6033

Computer Software, Supplies, Services COMPUTER INFORMATION CONCEPTS, INC. Infinite Campus student information System and Finance Suite, and Tableau Data Visualization/Analytics.

Greeley, Colorado (312) 995‑3342 EDMENTUM We provide fully digital curriculum and assessment tools for educators to utilize in K‑12 classrooms to establish blended and personalized environments and advance student learning.

Bloomington, Minnesota (952) 832‑1570

Consulting DECISIONINSITE, LLC DecisionInsite provides the nation’s school district leaders with the technology, enrollment forecasts, and expertise they need to understand how enrollment impacts their district.

Irvine, California (877) 204‑1392 EOSULLIVAN CONSULTING Illinois‑based EOSullivan Consulting has developed a proven process the helps school districts with community engagement, survey research, messaging, informational campaigns and referendums. Libertyville (815) 353‑1991

IASB Service Associates are busi‑ nesses which offer school‑related products and services and which have earned favorable reputations for quality and integrity. Only after care‑ ful screening is a business firm invited to become a Service Associate.

To learn more about IASB Ser‑ vice Associates membership, visit www.iasb.com or contact Britni Beck at bbeck@iasb.com

ROOM READY Highly qualified audiovisual specialists who specialize in removing the complexity and ensuring that your audiovisual installations just work, both today and in the future. Normal (309) 261‑3794

Environmental Services ALPHA CONTROLS & SERVICES, LLC We deliver energy cost justified solutions that make the learning environment comfortable, secure, and efficient. Rockford, Springfield, Champaign (815) 227‑4000; www.alpaacs.com; jasonv@alphaacs.com CTS GROUP Dedicated to assisting K‑12 education meet the challenge of providing healthy, safe, and educational appropriate learning environments.

St. Louis (636) 230‑0843; Chicago (773) 633‑0691; www.ctsgroup.com; rbennett@ctsgroup.com ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP A comprehensive energy services and performance contracting company providing energy, facility and financial solutions. Itasca (630) 773‑7201; smcivor@energysystemsgroup.com GCA SERVICES GROUP Custodial, janitorial, maintenance, lawn and grounds, and facility operations services. Downers Grove (630) 629‑4044

November/December 2020  33

Environmental Services continued from previous page

GRP MECHANICAL CO., INC. Renovating buildings through energy savings performance contracting to provide the best learning environment.

HVAC, plumbing, windows, doors, and mechanical services.

Bethalto (618) 779‑0050

BMO HARRIS BANK BMO Harris Bank’s experienced specialists can help you build a sound strategy to help close budget gaps, manage day‑to‑day cash flow and maximize your resources.

Chicago (312) 461‑7895 EHLERS AND ASSOCIATES School bond issues; referendum help; financial and enrollment studies Roseville, MN (312) 638‑5250

IDEAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, INC. Asbestos and environmental services.

Bloomington (309) 828‑4259

FIRST MIDSTATE, INC. Bond issue consultants.

Bloomington (309) 829‑3311; paul@firstmidstate.com

ILLINOIS ENERGY CONSORTIUM Sells electricity and natural gas to school districts, colleges, and universities.

DeKalb (815) 753‑9083; www.ILLec.org; hwallace@iasbo.org

GORENZ AND ASSOCIATES, LTD. Auditing and financial consulting.

Peoria (309) 685‑7621; www.gorenzcpa.com; tcustis@gorenzcpa.com

ENGIE SERVICES U.S. Turnkey partnership programs that enable K12 school districts in Illinois to modernize their facilities; increase safety, security and efficiency; reduce operations costs; and maximize the lifespan of critical assets. Chicago (312) 498‑7792; sharon@opterraenergy.com RADON DETECTION SPECIALISTS Radon measurements in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as all DCFS licensed spaces. We service the entire state of Illinois.

Westmont (630) 325‑4443 or (800) 244‑4242; www.radondetection.net; KirstenS@radondetection.net

Financial Services BERNARDI SECURITIES, INC. Municipal bond specialty firm; offers a full range of school bond underwriting services, including capital needs financing and debt refinancing.

O’Fallon (618) 206‑4180; Peru (815) 587‑8972; Chicago (312) 281‑2014; jvezzetti@bernardisecurities.com

Human Resource Consulting BUSHUE HUMAN RESOURCES, INC. Human resource, safety and risk management, and insurance consulting.

Effingham (217) 342‑3042; www.bushuehr.com; steve@bushuehr.com

Office Equipment FRANK COONEY COMPANY, INC. Furniture for educational environments.

Wood Dale (630) 694‑8800

Superintendent Searches ECRA GROUP Superintendent searches, board and superintendent workshops.

Schaumburg (847) 318‑0072

ICE MILLER, LLP Nationally recognized bond counsel services. Chicago (312) 726‑7127 KINGS FINANCIAL CONSULTING, INC. Municipal bond financial advisory service including all types of school bonds; school referenda, county school sales tax; tax revenue forecasts/projections.

Monticello (217) 762‑4578 SPEER FINANCIAL, INC. Financial planning and bond issue services. Chicago (312) 346‑3700; www.speerfinancial.com; dphillips@speerfinancial.com STIFEL Full service securities firm providing investment banking and advisory services including strategic financial planning; bond underwriting; referendum and legislative assistance.

Edwardsville (800) 230‑5151; noblea@stifel.com WINTRUST FINANCIAL Financial services holding company engaging in community banking, wealth management, commercial insurance premium financing, and mortgage origination. Rosemont (630) 560‑2120

ADVANCING PUBLIC EDUCATION IASB Service Associates provide quality products and services for schools. Membership is by invitation only. A list of Service Associate firms is on the IASB website and in this Journal.

34  Illinois School Board Journal

September/October 2020  3

Practical PR

Communications Must Balance Physical, Emotional Aspects of Security

By Kristine Liptrot

D

During the aftermath of a school shooting, two things are guaranteed to be in abundance: profound sorrow and widespread blame. While the feeling of sorrow is shared between individuals and communities across the country, blame is divisive. It is spread between the shooter, school security efforts, gun control legislation, parenting issues, mental illness, bullying, and more. As school leaders, we need to help our communities see past the blame and come together to develop and refine security processes and procedures to protect future students and employees.

How? By recognizing the importance of both the physical and emotional aspects of school security.

While school security often focuses on “physical” safeguards such as entrance restrictions, visitor lanyards, metal detectors, security guards, alarms, and lockdowns, “emotional” matters such as a positive climate, trusted adults, strong role models, supporting student voice, and mental health and wellness are equally important.

Parent fears result in demands for armed guards, metal detectors, zero-tolerance policies, and harsh punishments for students who are unkind. In an attempt to ease parents’ fears, keep students safe, and still provide a nurturing learning

environment, statements should be crafted that balance both aspects of a district’s security efforts. Below are some examples of how this balance is achieved in Yorkville CUSD 115 procedures and the resulting communications.

“The district’s security plans have been developed and are annually reviewed in collaboration with the local police and fire departments, the county’s emergency management division, and city officials.”

School districts are experts in education, not law enforcement, critical medical care, and school security.

Building relationships with those who have the expertise, and communicating that collaboration within the parent community, will give a security plan a stronger foundation and greater credibility. Allowing first responders to train in the schools on non-attendance days and to evaluate and participate in school drills while in session are visible reminders that

Columns are submitted by members of the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association

school safety is a community responsibility.

“Our school security personnel are trained law enforcement professionals with a history of serving the youth in the community.”

The school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida was the deadliest high school shooting in United States history.

However, the aspect of the massacre that sticks with many is the failure of the security guards to protect the students. With this failure in mind, Yorkville CUSD 115 Superintendent Timothy Shimp, Ed.D., created a district security team that balances experience with relationship-building attributes.

Ideal candidates for the armed school security officers in Yorkville are recently retired police officers with “excellent communication skills and a strong ability and desire to develop positive working relationships with staff members and students.” This information was included in all communications, fliers, and postings. A “find the person” instead of “filling a position” mentality meant that interviews would equally concentrate on their experiences handling crises as an officer, and their experiences working with youth as a coach, mentor, or club leader. A major component of the November/December 2020  35

job is to be visible in the schools — having a presence within classrooms, reading books to younger students, attending district events, and visiting with students at their lunch tables — and serve as a trusted adult for students.

“Please review the Parents’/Guardians’ Guide to Weather & School Emergencies to understand the district’s procedures for making and communicating school schedule changes/ closures and what parents can do to prepare for such situations.”

Parents not only need to know what the district is doing to keep their children safe, but what they can do to assist. Information regarding

36  Illinois School Board Journal

what parents should and should not do during a school emergency ought to include their responsibilities as guardians prior, during, and after the event to make them a partner in the process. Information should also contain the district’s general procedures, as well as the methods the district will use to communicate with parents during a crisis. Providing this information to parents reassures them that the district has processes in place, and gives them a critical role to play in ensuring their children remain safe.

“All student safety reports sent to the district are anonymous and investigated discreetly, and any necessary support and resources are provided.”

It is important to provide students, employees, and parents a safe platform in which to report concerns.

Beyond contacting a district or school administrator, in Yorkville CUSD 115, those with concerns can report them anonymously or by name using the district’s Bullying Report Form (on the district website and hard copies available at school) or the “Y Not Say Something Tip Line” (on the website and district mobile app).

Submissions to either system are responded to within 24 hours, and follow-up is provided to the individuals who supply their names. The more comfortable individuals are to share a concern, the more quickly a potentially volatile situation can be reported, acted upon, and prevented.

“The safety of students is a priority whether they are in the classroom or off campus.

District administration uses various screening tools to monitor students’ wellbeing and any concerns are immediately reported to parent/guardians.”

The district employs a variety of tools to monitor student interactions—both online and personally.

All student Google accounts are equipped with a monitoring tool that scans Gmail and Google Drive for inappropriate content. This ranges from inappropriate words or conversations to inappropriate images. As an additional safety measure, the district also uses an education-focused software management and web-filtering system to monitor content on Chromebooks. By using this software, the district has the ability to filter and block/unblock websites being accessed on district devices, no

matter where the Chromebooks are being used. These consistent security measures have helped ease parent concerns about online predators and the misuse of the district’s one-to-one computer initiative by students.

Additionally, a proactive review of students’ emotional well-being is addressed through the district’s social-emotional curriculum, which includes a Signs of Suicide screening for all students in grades 7, 8, and 10.

A quick response by district employees to issues discovered through these screening tools is important to maintain the district’s reputation as an organization that cares for and protects its students physically and emotionally, as well as inside and outside of the classroom.

Successful school security plans are not featured on the evening news because the potentially dangerous situations are addressed before they

ever become violent. Through school security communications that avoid blame and strive to inform and unite all facets of the community in the process, Yorkville CUSD 115 has developed a multi-faceted system that has proactively identified issues and saved lives. 

Warren L. Shipley, 79, died August 16, 2020. He was a past member and president of the Girard School Board in Macoupin County.

Robert F. Sorrill, 91, died September 29, 2020. He served on the Liberty CUSD 2 school board.

Allen E. Stein. 85, died September 15, 2020. He served seven years on the Mascoutah CUSD 19 Board of Education.

Carlos Johnson (C.J.) Stilwell, 96, died August 7, 2020. He was a past member of the Pikeland CUSD 10 school board.

Dena Strell, 81, died September 1, 2020. She served on the board of education for Spring Valley CCSD 99.

Nicholas Strubhart, 87, died September 25, 2020. He had served on the Aviston SD 21 school board.

James Stukenberg, 81, died August 30, 2020. He served on the Leaf River Board of Education in Ogle County.

John B. “Sully” Sullivan, 80, died August 10, 2020. He was a

member of the Savanna School Board in Carroll County.

Robert Thurow, 84, died September 9, 2020. He sponsored high school students in apprenticeship programs at his tool and manufacturing company and served on the School District 72 school board in Woodstock.

Marvin Van Hoorn, 85, died August 24, 2020. He was a member of the Beason Board of Education in Logan County.

Frank Leroy Whitney, 76, died September 17, 2020. A lifelong farmer, he was a past member of the Winnebago CUSD 323 school board.

Ryan T. Williams, 36, died August 13, 2020. At the time of his passing he was a member of the Lincoln Elem SD 27 Board of Education. The community hopes to build a playground in his memory at the district’s Washington-Monroe School.

Daniel Wilson, 66, died August 3, 2020. He was a past member of the school board for Central CUSD 3 in Camp Point. 

Kristine Liptrot, APR, is INSPRA Past President and Director of Communications & Community Engagement for Yorkville CUSD 115.

Milestones Continued from page 38

Gary Oberg, MD, 74, died August 19, 2020. He served on the Crystal Lake CHSD 155 for decades and was recognized in 2013 as the longest-serving board member in McHenry County.

Harriett O’Daffer, 87, died September 27, 2020. She was named a McLean County Woman of Distinction in 1996 and served on the McLean Co Unit District 5 school board.

Kenneth Oesterle, 85, died August 25, 2020. He was a banker, barbershop singer, and a member of the High Mount SD 116 school board.

Ernest Peiffer Jr., 71, died September 6, 2020. He enjoyed a second career as a postmaster general and served also served his community as president of the school board for Prairie du Rocher CCSD 134.

Jean Karol Sherrick, 89, died September 15, 2020. She spent nine years on the Springfield SD 186 curriculum council and served two terms as a school board member.

November/December 2020  37

Milestones

In Memoriam Ralph A. “Andy” Andreasen, 95, died August 25, 2020. He was a past member of the West Aurora USD 129 school board.

William J. “Bill” Apple, 78, died September 15, 2020. He was a 20-year member of the Amboy CUSD 272 Board of Education.

John Armstrong, 69, died August 25, 2020. A lifetime educator, he was a member of the Wauconda CUSD 118 school board for 21 years, including 16 as president, and is remembered for inspirational welcome back and graduation speeches.

David K. Ashbrook, 88, died August 9, 2020. He served nine years on the McLean Co CUSD 5 Board of Education and was a represented the Corn Belt Division of the Illinois Association of School Boards as a director.

Jeremy Patrick Burns, 67, died September 22, 2020. He was a retired Chicago firefighter and paramedic and a former member of the school board for Fairmont SD 89 in Lockport.

Robert Campbell, 90, died August 27, 2020. He was a past member of the Roxana CUSD 1 Board of Education.

Sandra Charlson, 61, died August 23, 2020. She was a school board member for the Unity Point SD 140 in Carbondale from 2007 to 2015.

Sybil Jane Davison, 91, died September 7, 2020. She served on the Christopher Elementary Board of Education in Franklin County for 18 years.

Harry Nelson Dillon, 91, died May 31, 2020. He was president of 38  Illinois School Board Journal

the Class of ’46 at Crystal Lake High School and later served on its CHSD 155 Board of Education.

Kenneth Drew, 77, died August 13, 2020. He was a past member of the school board for Carterville CUSD 5.

Jackson “Jack” Drew, 84, died September 11, 2020. He served as mayor of Cisco and was an 18-year member of the Monticello CUSD 25 Board of Education.

Edgar Feldman, MD, 84, died August 6, 2020. He served for 11 years and three terms as president of the Schaumburg CCSD 54 school board.

Donna Rae Flammini, 60, died March 13, 2020. She was a registered nurse, bookstore owner, and member of the Zion SD 6 school board for 20 years.

Harold Fleig, 89, died September 5, 2020. He was a past member and president of the Northbrook School District 27 Board of Education.

Joseph Forzley, 93, died August 25, 2020. He served as a member and president of the Lemont THSD 210 school board.

Lyle Fritsch, 100, died August 18, 2020. He was a member of the school board for the Shabbona school district in DeKalb County.

Craig Harlan Gathmann, 55, died August 5, 2020. At the time of his passing he was a member and vice president of the Midwest Central CUSD 191 Board of Education.

Robert J. Henderson, 83, died September 12, 2020. He was a past member of the Geneseo CUSD 228 school board.

Merle R. Hendren, 95, died September 12, 2020. He had served on the school board for Bellflower High School in McLean County.

Michael Hennenfent, 75, died August 2, 2020. He was a past member and president of the school board for Knoxville CUSD 202.

LeRoy Jordan, 78, died September 5, 2020. He was the first black male teacher in Springfield public schools and served as vice president for academic affairs at Sangamon State University, now the University of Illinois at Springfield. He served on the Springfield SD 186 school board as member and president and later as the district’s assistant superintendent for research, assessment, and development.

John H. Klingberg, 93, died August 13, 2020. He was a past member of the CHSD 94 school board in West Chicago.

Michael “Mike” L. Leckey, 70, died September 21, 2020. He served as a member of the Kewanee School Board from 2003 to 2019, achieving the status of Master Board Member and Leadership Academy Fellow.

Clyde J. Martin, 97, died August 18, 2020. He served two terms on the Deer Creek Mackinaw CUSD 701 Board of Education.

Kenneth Meyer, 87, died August 9, 2020. He served the Burlington Central CUSD 301 school board for 12 years.

Louis Myers, 88, died September 1, 2020. He was a past member of the Springfield SD 186 school board.

Continued on page 37

Insights “The backbone of [learning loss] projections is the idea that students essentially went on an extended summer break when school buildings closed, and that remote learning was a total wash.

That was certainly true for some students. Teachers, particularly in high-poverty areas, reported widespread absences during remote instruction, and some students became disconnected from school entirely. Many students lacked internet access, necessary devices, and critical in-person support ...

But is it fair to assume that the average student learned nothing — and in fact, lost learning as if it were summer? That’s less clear.”

— “How much learning have students lost due to COVID? Projections are coming in, but it’s still hard to say,” by Matt Barnum, Chalkbeat Chicago, October 2, 2020

“Cyberattacks against schools have been on the rise for years prior to the pandemic, and widespread remote learning only heightens the risk … Cybersecurity priorities should include installing intrusion prevention/detection, malware scanning, and secure access control; implementing two-factor authentication for logins; instructing students and parents to avoid accessing school materials on personal devices when possible; training teachers to be judicious and proactive when opening emails and detecting cybersecurity threats ...

— “How to Balance In-Person and Remote Instruction,” by Mark Lieberman, Education Week, July 22, 2020

“CDC continues to believe, based on current science, that people are more likely to become infected

the longer and closer they are to a person with COVID-19. [The] update acknowledges ... people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than 6 feet away or shortly after the COVID-19-positive person left an area. In these instances, transmission occurred in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise. CDC’s recommendations remain the same ... People can protect themselves ... by staying at least 6 feet away from others, wearing a mask that covers their nose and mouth, washing their hands frequently, cleaning touched surfaces often and staying home when sick.”

— Media Statement, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, October 5, 2020

November/December 2020  39

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