Indianagram_April2024

School Safety

What is it about April that causes heightened concerns about school safety? Even in the early years of my career, April has always been a month for school administrators to be on heightened alert. From dealing with dysregulated student behaviors, to mental health challenges, to student fights, to bullying/harassment/ conflict/cyberbullying, the greatest concern for school leaders remains having an active shooter in the buildings due, in part, to the massacre at Columbine High School where twelve students and one teacher were murdered in April 1999. “If a mass shooting is defined as resulting in the death of four or more people, not including the perpetrator, 169 people have died such events in U.S. schools and colleges from Columbine to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas” The Associated Press, May 5, 2022.

The importance of school safety in K-12 education cannot be overstated. It is the foundation upon which we build an environment conducive to teaching and learning. Ensuring the physical and emotional well-being of students and staff is paramount, as it directly impacts the ability to teach and learn effectively. Comprehensive safety measures, including secure facilities, trained personnel, and clear protocols, are essential in creating a nurturing educational environment where children can thrive and grow without fear. Fostering a culture of respect and awareness contributes to a positive school climate that supports academic success and personal development.

School leaders play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of their schools. They can start by establishing a comprehensive safety plan that includes emergency procedures and regular drills to prepare for various scenarios. Collaboration with local law enforcement for security assessments and training can enhance preparedness. In our district, we use A.L.I.C.E., which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, or Evacuate. It is important to implement access control measures, such as ID badges and visitor management systems that monitor everyone who enters the building. The installation of security cameras, the employment of school resource officers, and the enforcement of strict access control measures all contribute to a sense of security.

But what are those tangible things school leaders can control? Our greatest job is fostering a positive school culture where students feel valued, seen, and heard, which can prevent many safety issues from arising. Regular communication with parents, staff, and students about safety policies is essential to maintaining a secure environment. Focus on mental health by providing counseling services and implementing anti-bullying programs. Regular safety drills and emergency preparedness training are also becoming commonplace. Furthermore, invest in technology such as Report It! apps to enhance communication and response times during emergencies. By taking these comprehensive steps, schools can actively work to create a secure and supportive educational atmosphere.

School safety is vital because it directly impacts the overall well-being and academic performance of students. A secure environment is fundamental for learning, growth, and development, as it allows students to focus on their education without fear of harm. It also fosters a sense of belonging and community. Ensuring safety in schools is a collective responsibility that involves administrators, teachers, parents, and students. This collaborative approach also helps prevent incidents that can disrupt the educational process, cause loss of life, and result in long-lasting psychological effects on our communities.

Dr. Crystal Murff Thorpe IASP President

Our April Indianagram is focused on School Safety and the articles you find inside are excellent. Having been trained (now a while ago) as a School Safety Specialist, and then seeing our efforts from a Central Office perspective, I know that Indiana takes school safety seriously. We have invested financially in hardware and personnel to keep our students and staff safe from any potential threats, and I know you all invest physically and mentally on this topic each day.

As I read through the articles this month, I’m stuck by how much they focus on the relationship side of education as a proactive step to elevating safety across our schools. Better hardware and reporting Apps do make a difference, but the key piece to keeping us safe, and making us feel connected is establishing, maintaining, and repairing relationships with students and parents.

The Culture Domain of the School Leader Paradigm is defined as: “The school leader’s efforts to create, foster, and sustain a student-centered climate and culture where all adults strive to build positive and unconditional relationships with all students, while ensuring equitable access and opportunities to high quality programs” We also know that within this domain is the key dimension of relationships, which our article authors well articulate. This focus on relationships not only ensures safety, but then connects students to adults so learning and growth occurs.

These relationships can be hard at times, especially as we work through the last few weeks of the school year. Actions and attitudes from students build, and our patience is tested as we work with a student for the 5th, 10th, or even 20th time. I know though, that each of you is up for the challenge, since we also know that students grow at different rates, and our investment this year ultimately pays off –maybe just not as soon as always hope for!

Thank you for all you and your staff do for our students and community as we build relationships and as we promote safety, well-being, and connections across the entire year.

Dr. Todd D. Bess IASP Executive Director

Future Indianagram themes

May: End of Year Reflection, Growth, & Celebration!

June: The BEST of 2023-2024

Share your thoughts on the Indianagram: https://forms.gle/sCmLHwnh4aYcTJdr8

IASP Executive Committee

Dr. Crystal Murff Thorpe President

Dr. Holly Arnold President-Elect

Jennifer Matasovsky

Vice President

Matt Shockley

Past President

Amy Niemeier

NAESP State Representative

Dave Strouse

NASSP State Coordinator

Steve Baker

Liaison to the DOE

Dr. Daniel Peo

Assistant Principal Liaison

UPCOMING EVENTS

IASP hosts events throughout the year to support the growth and development of Indiana school administrators and students. Each event is intentionally designed to encourage and engage all participants in the pursuit of learning!

Find A Full List Of Events at www.iasp.org/Events

Building Safe Schools

Dr. Katie Jenner Indiana Secretary of Education

Stephen Balko Dir. of School Building Security Indiana Dept. of Education

A note from Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education: For this article on safety, I’ve asked Stephen Balko, our director of school building security at IDOE, to talk about the importance of collaboration in order to create a safe school environment. To maximize the ability for our students to learn and our educators to teach, they must feel safe. We think about and prepare for school safety in a number of ways, including factors such as weather. We’ve seen this recently as spring storms have impacted several schools and communities across the state. As Stephen writes below, protecting our people from all elements takes cooperation from those both inside and outside of our schools. Thank you for the important role you play on your local school safety team and for all that you do to ensure a safe school environment in which our students can learn and thrive! Now, let’s hear from Stephen Balko…

Over the years, school safety has become an all-encompassing term focused on the physical, emotional, and overall safety of students and staff. Not only are there countless programs, templates, tools, and resources; but, there are also thousands of products marketed to schools. More and more, school administrators and those tasked with school safety are expected to be experts in all of the areas that encompass school safety. But, in order to build a robust and effective school safety infrastructure, collaboration is essential.

When we discuss school safety planning, central to success is building out a planning team. This team includes internal members of your school community who all serve in different roles. The idea is that everyone can contribute to the development of the plan and the subsequent training

that is conducted. As drills are scheduled and formed, it is helpful to include not only your safety personnel, but also your school nurse, counselors, and others. These individuals may be able to offer additional insights into your drills from a perspective that is often not considered.

Expanding beyond the school building or corporation level, county school safety commissions allow for collaboration and communication between all schools in each county, as well as their public safety partners and other child-serving organizations in their community. Collaboration in this sense allows schools to discuss emerging safety trends (violence, drug misuse, etc.), response coordination, and development of memorandums of understanding to solidify agreed upon measures to support each other. These commissions also allow for public safety and other local officials to share what they are seeing from a perspective that is outside of the traditional school lens. This continued diversity of thought helps to build out more effective school safety plans.

A new law in Indiana also establishes multi-disciplinary threat assessment teams at the school level. Recognizing the importance of building out a robust team, there are specific partners mentioned in Indiana Code which are to collaborate on the issues brought to the team. Each individual serves as an expert in their area and together, all voices can work to build the best possible response to the issue at hand.

Additionally, stakeholders who fall outside of our staff or public safety partners should also be included. Engaging with students and families can help to enhance school safety in a variety of ways. Students will often be the most informed on areas that lack supervision, where bullying occurs, and other issues that are impacting their daily lives. Including them as you develop your plans and procedures can really highlight those challenges of which staff may not be aware. Parents and families are often an under-utilized

group of stakeholders who are eager to participate. Recently, we have seen school districts develop parent/family safety academies, opportunities to see how the school operates in a variety of areas (transportation, nutrition, school safety, as well as opportunities for parents/families to participate in the safety planning process. Engaging with parents and families early can help a school anticipate, and hopefully, prevent issues before they arise.

The Indiana Department of Education seeks to model this collaborative process through the Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy. The Academy, celebrating 25 years in 2024, brings school personnel from all school types and from all corners of the state together for training on school safety. During this time, school safety specialists are encouraged to collaborate and solve shared problems. As we move forward with the everexpanding world of school safety, we must all be prepared to look outside of ourselves. Our collective knowledge, skills, and experiences will help to inform a variety of solutions that will have broad implications, or simply work to solve a problem in your corner of the world.

Understanding that we cannot do it alone, building collaborative relationships will not only enhance your schools safety and culture; but, it will also allow for flexibility in thinking and adapting to this ever-changing world.

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From the AP Lens: A Focus on Creating FELT Safety

Dr. Dan Peo Assistant Principal Avon High School IASP Assistant Principal Liaison

Lauren Pickett Assistant Principal Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Valparaiso

The April 2024 Indianagram topic is School Safety. When I think of School Safety, I usually begin to think of safety drills, tabletop scenarios, and many other topics that are covered as part of Indiana’s School Safety Specialist Academy (https:// www.in.gov/doe/students/school-safety-and-wellness/trainingopportunities/). If you haven’t gone through this experience, I highly recommend it! You can learn so much on a variety of topics, and it is a fantastic program that has been in existence for over 20 years! This month, my co-author Mrs. Lauren Pickett, Assistant Principal at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Valparaiso, speaks about School Safety through the lens of FELT safety. Do students feel safe at school? How can we create experiences and structures to support students in the school environment? At Thomas Jefferson, they have taken some intentional steps to address felt safety. I’m excited to turn the reins over to Lauren – thanks, Lauren, for sharing your school’s story this month!

FELT Safety at Thomas Jefferson

The need to feel safe is a basic human requirement, as outlined in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. School leaders have an obligation to both maintain a safe and secure building and create a school culture that makes students feel safe (emotionally and socially). In a time when mental health issues, such as anxiety, stress, and depression affect 1 in every 5 children, it is critical that students have a space where they feel safe enough to be themselves, ask questions, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of being judged. Only when these basic needs have been met and students feel safe can they achieve academic success.

So, the question becomes: How do we as educators provide this feeling of social-emotional safety to our students? Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and the entire Valparaiso Community Schools, have worked really hard over the years to do just that and it always comes back to relationships. Whether you are a principal, assistant principal, or a dean of students, as a building leader, it is your responsibility to set the tone of your school and lead by example.

Creating a feeling of “safety” starts as soon as students enter the building, and should be a constant focus all day long, and how we close out our day. At Thomas Jefferson, we have adults (administration, our SRO, and our counselors/social worker) posted at all entrances and we greet students every morningwelcoming them to the building and letting them know how happy we are to see them. Our goal is for every student to feel like they belong, that we look forward to seeing them everyday, that we WANT them to be here in our building. We also

spend time during all three lunch periods interacting with our students. This is a great time to ask about their day, notice a new haircut or a new outfit, sit by a student who may be eating alone, and if you are adventurous like me, participate in a Tik Tok dance or sing along with students as they break out Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” for no other reason than they are happy and having fun. We have a responsibility to show our students that it is okay to put yourself out there and be silly and make mistakes (I have not perfected a Tik Tok dance yet). We show them that school is a safe place to be yourself. At Thomas Jefferson, we believe it is important to end the day on a positive note as well. As students leave the building, we tell them goodbye and wish them a great night, and as they head to their bus or car we end with “We can’t wait to see you tomorrow morning”! They need to know that we WANT to see them again tomorrow.

As you are reading this, some of you may be thinking “Yeah, yeah, warm and fuzzy, but what do you do when this isn’t enough?” We thought the same thing in our building, we put so much effort into building relationships with our students and yet our kids were still having anxiety attacks and days of depression, leading to an increase of substance abuse cases and suspensions. Our students needed a “safe space” to go to when they were struggling and as much as we enjoy having them in our office or in student services, it just wasn’t sustainable. This led us to our “Viking Reset & Return” room and is quickly evolving to be even greater next school year.

A reset and return room is an intervention designed for both GenED and SPED students that is an alternative to In School Suspension (ISS). The ultimate goal is to have students in the classroom learning everyday, but we all know and understand there are times when students are unable to remain in the classroom and follow procedures. Our Viking Reset & Return room allows students to take a short break (15-30 minutes) in order to de-escalate and refocus on positive behaviors. After the allotted time, students then return to their classroom and proceed throughout the rest of the day.

Our “reset room” was implemented in January of this year with a small pilot group. We started by asking our teachers to work together by grade level (6th, 7th, and 8th) and identify students who they felt 1) struggled to follow classroom procedures, 2) had to be redirected multiple times during a class period,or 3) would often just shut down and refuse to complete work. Then the administration team looked at students who were often in the office for minor disciplinary reasons (would not stay in their seat, talking too much during class, off-task repeatedly, etc.) and this became our pilot group.

Rather than sending a student to the office or writing up a referral, teachers were instructed that they could send these students to the “Viking Room” for a short break. Teachers email our Viking Room instructional aid and administration. Our aid uses google sheets to document who enters, at what time, who sent them, and the reason. Currently, after about ten minutes, I will stop by the room to speak to the student(s), and determine if they are able to return to class. We have found that most of the time, students are calm, ready to return to class, and finish the rest of the day without any further issues. If you are like me, you want a real life example, because everything sounds good in theory, right?!

We had two seventh grade students (a male and a female) that were sent out of the classroom because they threw their math binder across the room. They had been in our “reset room” for about 8 minutes when I entered the room. They were quiet and sitting apart from each other. Our aid informed me that they both had chosen to work on the class assignment and that there had been no further issues. I quietly asked them to explain to me why they were in the Viking Room and not in class and then I listened to them. It is very important that students have a chance to share their thoughts and feel “heard” by the adults in the building. The whole point is that they feel safe and secure even when they have made a bad choice. Both students admitted to throwing each other’s binder around the room because and I quote “they are friends and had a lot of energy that day”. Middle school age kids do have a LOT of energy and they often ACT without thinking through the consequences. I thanked them for being honest with me, and then I shared with them reasons as to why throwing a binder is a bad idea: the binder could hit someone and cause an injury or the binder could break (at which point, one of the students held up half of what was left of his binder) proving my point. We also talked about the importance of not disrupting the learning environment for other students and being respectful of the teacher, other students, and each other. I then shared my high expectations for their behavior and asked if they were able to conduct themselves in such a way. Before letting them return to class, I was very clear in my expectation that this behavior should not be repeated; however, I understand that everyone makes mistakes and if it were repeated both students would have an after school detention. Our “reset & return” room is not about removing discipline, it’s about proactively trying to reset a behavior and minimizing the loss of instructional time. Both students returned to class after 17 minutes and had a productive rest of the day. This short interaction showed students how to properly communicate and work through a problem. I was able to have students be accountable for their actions, share the high expectations that we have for them, and model for them how to be respectful and kind to others.

Our reset room is a safe space where students are allowed to communicate and work through a problem in a way that works best for them. Thomas Jefferson Middle School has found a lot of success over the last few months and has plans to expand and improve our Viking Reset & Return room for next school year. Rather than have an instructional aide in the room, we are going to set up a rotating schedule for our two counselors, social worker, and behavior specialist and they will be the adults in the room. We feel that after a student has time to de-escalate, a short discussion/conversation is vital to restoring positive behavior and we feel these individuals are best

equipped to work with all of our students and share appropriate coping strategies. We are also creating sensory spaces within our reset & return room to help students de-escalate. In our experience students de-escalate in various ways. Our reset room, will have a “cozy corner” for students who need a quiet space to rest, we will have a standing punching bag, nerf hoops, exercise bands, etc. for students who need a physical release, there will be music stations for students who like to listen to calming music, and other sensory objects such as putty and fidgets, just to name a few. We are in the process of creating a google form for students to fill out after they speak with the trusted adult in the room and before they return to class. This will allow us to keep data and gain valuable insight into what may be “triggering” students- is it a certain class, a specific day of the week, or time of the day, so that we can find ways to better support our students and make them feel “safe” at school and keep them in the classroom.

Lastly, we have plans to use this room during our Viking Time Advisory classes. Teachers will be put on a rotation and will bring their students down during their assigned time and participate in various SEL activities. We believe it is important that all students have access to this room and as we continue to brainstorm with our counselors we are finding more ways that our Reset & Return room can be a valuable resource within our building. All of us at Thomas Jefferson are very excited for the future and creating a space that allows students to feel socially and emotionally safe.

Mrs. Pickett can be reached via email at lpickett@valpo.k12.in.us.

SAFETY

The WELCOME Mat

Jack Birmingham Principal Valley Mills Elementary School, Indianapolis

In the 60s and 70s one of my favorite things to watch on TV as a kid was any variety show that highlighted that man or woman who would keep 8, 9 or sometimes 10 plates spinning. I used to think how are they doing that? Then oftentimes I would wonder, what kind of job does this guy or gal have in real life or is this all they do? As I have grown wiser in age I have determined that they probably started out as school principals, with their ability to manage those spinning plates!

As a principal faces all of these responsibilities placed upon them, at times, those that are the most important get lost in the minutia of state/district requirements, staff/ parent concerns or student issues. Thus, I needed to create a reminder for me as a building leader to make sure I focus on my building’s safety and with all of the other needs, THIS plate was going to be the one I make sure never comes crashing down.

I created a simple reminder to have a WELCOME “mat” for all who are there or visit. This reminder helps us all to focus on the various areas that we can control to keep our schools safe. Each letter of the word WELCOME, represents a unique strategy that can be used by any building leader.

The W stands for walk-arounds or walk-throughs within your own building to ensure its security and to be aware of anything that might affect it. I try to do a simple walk around the outside of my building at least once a week and walk through classrooms daily to keep my eyes open for things that may seem strange or pose any hidden dangers.

The E stands for the “education” of my staff, students and community about school safety. I continue to teach them about school safety and ways that we all can keep our school a safe place. This builds trust with them by simply reviewing different strategies and making the time to focus on safety drills such as fire, tornado and lock downs.

The L stands for “last calls” and these are my favorite! Last calls are simply phone calls that I make at the end of the day that started as a way of me ending my day on a positive note. By making these calls, it sends a positive vibe to your school community that in turn makes your building an enjoyable place to be and creates a sense of ownership.

The C stands for cleanliness. As the building leader I try to focus on keeping our school clean in as many ways as possible. I meet regularly with our custodial staff to discuss areas that need to be addressed and also find ways to help them out as well. My philosophy is by keeping our school clean, we create a sense of pride and more importantly, people will WANT to come to our school.

The O stands for the organization of drills, plans and other important documents that I can easily get to. My “WELCOME mat” has a primary focus on school safety to help fortify the trust of the students, staff and stakeholders. It is important that I show them I am knowledgeable when it comes to their safety. Being organized with my fire and tornado drills as well as school lockdowns will create a sense of comfort that adds to the trust I am trying to build.

The M reminds me to monitor my surroundings. Be in tune with not just inclement weather, but also take note of strange cars, odd noises, unique smells, etc. Develop that sixth sense as a school leader so you are aware of different things as you walk your hallways.

And lastly the E within our welcome mat stands for eyes and ears. These are very important to have your students and staff focus on everything they see and hear. First reporting is crucial to teach them the importance of sharing strange things that occur even if it’s the most mundane concept. It’s not wrong to simply say that there is somebody outside or something is not right. I educate them that we can always check that later.

This WELCOME “mat” is a great tool to help us focus on the most important things. Have it posted in your office and take a look at that every morning to see which of these letters you need to hit that day. This will go a long way in building the safe environment that you so desperately want to build in your school and keep all of the most important plates spinning!

The School Safety Connection

Dr. Jeremy Coleman Assistant Clinical Professor Department of Educational

Leadership Ball State University

If we don’t take action, our students will suffer. There is an inconspicuous threat looming in all of our schools. What is this threat? Disconnection. Disconnection can erode the cohesion of our schools while limiting our student’s potential. However, if we take action and leverage socio-emotional learning skills for all students, connection can be a powerful catalyst for achievement!

Safety is one of our most basic needs. When we experience safety we are social, productive and optimistic about our future. In the absence of safety, however, our actions are less community focused and, at worst, destructive. Within the context of schools, safety is at the core of learning communities. As educators, our highest priority is to make sure our students are physically and psychologically safe. We carefully plan, frequently train, and regularly prepare to keep our learning community safe. But sometimes our efforts fall short. On March 4th,1908 the Lake View School in Collinwood, Ohio became international news when a basement fire consumed the entire building, claiming the lives of 172 students and 3 staff (Badal, 2020). This would become the most devastating “loss of life” school fire in U.S. history.

Since the Lakeview School tragedy, enhanced fire safety protocols have produced significant improvements in physical safety. In recent years, there have been no mass school fire events (Badal, 2020). Mass event refers to more than ten student deaths. In light of this bittersweet data point, one student injured due to fire, is one student too many. We still have work to do. Despite our attention to fire safety, other threats are a clear and present danger. School shooting incidents continue to plague our learning communities. Just as sure as we can expect the sun to rise and set each day, students in U.S. schools can expect a school shooting incident with nearly the same consistency. According to US News and Reports, there were 346 school shooting incidents in U.S. schools in 2023. Of those events, 248 school aged victims were wounded or worse, killed (Wolf, 2024). We still have work to do.

In the last 20 years, our country has massively invested in security personnel and infrastructure to enhance safety (Adair, 2023). According to new estimates from researchers at the Urban Institute, funding for school resource officers exceeds $2.5 billion each year and spending on school security guards has increased to over $12 billion. In spite of the financial investment, many staff and students report feeling unsafe in schools. In fact, 46% of teachers reported feeling less safe compared to 2019 (Peetz, 2023). The numbers are almost as troubling for students.

According to the State of School Safety report, nearly one third of U.S. students reported feeling unsafe at school. Why

is this important? People don’t stay where they feel unsafe. The result is more teachers and staff leaving the profession. More students are disengaging from school, withdrawing from social activities, and dropping out altogether. None of these outcomes are good for our learning communities. What can we do? We can create psychological safety.

Psychological safety was first espoused by Amy Edmonson and later made more widely known by Google’s Project Aristotle. This term refers to how psychologically safe members of a group feel. The idea underpins a broader sense of socio-emotional well-being that schools must work diligently to create.

Imagine a learning community where students' socioemotional growth is as important as academic outcomes. Consider the implications of culture so developed that students shape school decisions and classroom power dynamics? Think about the message sent to students when they are invited to evaluate their teachers. Picture an environment where students feel safe enough to be vulnerable, supported enough to bring their true selves to school,andempoweredenoughtodaregreatly.Ibelievewehavetherightpeople; wejustneedtherightpractices.Startbyusingthesefourpracticesinyourlearning communities:

■ Begin with Belonging

■ Get Connected

■ Provide a Platform

■ Reframe Redirection

Schools that focus on belonging ensure students feel seen and heard. Connecting students’ lived experience to curriculum ensures engagement and provides an academic platform for student success. Seeing redirection as a chance to understand unwanted behavior will help students feel like they are a part of the learning community. When you regularly integrate these practices into your schools, the result is a culture of psychological safety. This is our chance to create schools that are physically safe and socio-emotionally safe. Our students deserve it. Our staff deserves it. We can support our students. We can support our staff. We can create conditions in our school for connection. The only thing we can’t do is wait to take action!

References

Avila-Acosta, M., & Sorensen, L. C. (2023). Contextualizing the Push for More School Resource Officer Funding.

Adair, K. (2023, August 30). Indiana schools receive 30 million for safety projects, nearly two-thirds funding resource officers. PBS.

Badal, James Jesson. The Collinwood Tragedy: The Story of the Worst School Fire in American History. Kent State University Press, 2020.

Leiberman, M, Peetz, A. (2023, September 25). After teachers, America’s schools spend more on security guards than any other role. EducationWeek.

Peetz, A. (2023, June 23). Here’s how educators feel about their safety at school. EducationWeek.

Wolf, C. (2024, January 5). School shootings by state. U.S. News and World Reports.

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The Importance of Collaborative Training between Schools and First Responders

Pam Hall Principal Jeffersonville High School

No students participated in the summer 2023 active shooter training sessions conducted at Jeffersonville High School during the summer of 2023. All training exercises involving active shooter scenarios during the summer period were exclusively conducted by faculty, staff, community volunteers, and designated emergency responders

As education leaders, we spend a significant amount of time focusing on how to keep our students and staff safe. We understand that prioritizing school safety involves prevention and preparedness efforts. We work diligently to implement proactive measures to prevent incidents from occurring, such as security protocols, mental health services, lockdown drills, and even threat assessments. But what happens if these proactive measures aren’t enough? What happens after the first shot is fired?

Last summer Jeffersonville High School collaborated with first responders including the Jeffersonville Police Department, Jeffersonville Fire Department, Clark County Central Alarm, and other local fire and police agencies in a comprehensive 3-week active shooter training. The goal of this comprehensive training was to prepare both school staff and first responders in how to handle the complexities of an active shooter situation, which includes neutralizing the threat, assisting victims, managing casualties, and evacuating students and staff. The intensive training at Jeffersonville High School was an eye-opening experience which identified glaring deficits in our school’s response to an active shooting incident.

This large mass casualty training exercise has evolved over the past few years since Jeffersonville Police conducted its first annual training on

our high school campus. Our district safety director and SRO actively participated in these training sessions while our administrative team observed and attended debriefings. This partnership allowed our local first responders to develop comprehensive active shooter response plans tailored to the specific needs and layout of Jeffersonville High School. This involved assessing potential risks, identifying safe areas for evacuation and eliminating other obstacles to first responders. A major issue identified during one debriefing was how to evacuate classrooms and offices when students and staff are behind locked doors. After this issue was identified and discussed, the decision was made to equip every Jeffersonville Police Officer with a master key which will open all exterior and interior doors on our campus.

During the 2022-23 school year, a joint lockdown and evacuation training was planned and implemented during the school day. A lockdown was announced and Jeffersonville Police Officers used their master key to unlock every classroom door and address students as to the evacuation protocol. This small but crucial component of any active shooter training is rarely, if ever, implemented during the school day.

The mass casualty active shooter training was conducted over three consecutive weeks with the Jeffersonville Police Department developing and implementing each module. Each morning, police officers and the Jeffersonville Fire Department

met to discuss their roles in specific drills. The collaboration between the police and fire departments in Jeffersonville was the first time both agencies have worked side by side to clearly define their roles and responsibilities before engaging in afternoon scenario-based simulations. Jeffersonville High School administration and staff spent each day observing the different agencies' training, were given directives on what to expect or how to respond in specific situations and then allowed to participate in scripted scenarios.

Each afternoon, active shooting scenarios were conducted with school personnel and community volunteers acting in roles of fleeing students, injured students or students locked down behind closed doors. Scripts were provided with specific instructions detailing when and where to flee, what to say to the police as they entered and moved around the building or what to scream if you were an injured victim. Blood soaked life-like dummies were dressed in bullet-ridden clothing and placed in the path of the active shooter. Imitation blood was spread liberally around the floor and lockers as well as on the volunteers to create an actual shooting scene. This attention to detail was startling and gut wrenching when observing bodies of our “students” shot in our school hallway and staircase.

Most of the scenarios began with an active assailant, or assailants, “shooting” their way in the front door. There were no police on campus but rather typical, routine office procedures were being followed by the administrative team when the first shot was fired. These actions and sounds were panic-inducing as we immediately ran for safety and placed a 911 call. Clark County Central Alarm Dispatch was part of this training and answered the frantic calls from me as well as my administrative team. This specific part of the training had not been scripted due to first responders wanting to elicit authentic reactions from all participants. This was one of the most eye-opening parts of the training for me. When the 911 operator asked specific questions about the shooters (shirt color, type of hair, face coverings, type of gun) I could not answer. Another shocking realization was that I called 911 BEFORE announcing a lockdown. This is why we train!!! After debriefing the very first scenario, I ensured that a lockdown was called each time before I placed the call to central dispatch.

Once 911 was called, first responders rushed to campus and entered with weapons drawn, hunting for the active shooters. The police stepped over

bodies and passed screaming victims while on the hunt for the shooter. With large groups of police officers searching for the shooter, another set of officers, with guns drawn, escorted the fire department in to find victims and move them to a casualty collection point to render aid. A casualty collection point is not at all what one might think. It is not a collection point for deceased individuals, but is rather a safe spot in a warm zone where the most seriously wounded victims are moved. They are immediately evaluated, aid is rendered and victims are evacuated based on clinical severity of injury. Other fire officials remained outside by fire trucks which were positioned so fleeing students could seek shelter behind them and seek assistance. Once the shooter was neutralized, officers then began identifying evacuation routes to minimize the movement of students and staff past horrific scenes of the deceased.

The identification of evacuation routes was the conclusion of each scenario. Immediately after this was concluded, a debriefing occurred with all agencies evaluating their performance. Trainers provided feedback identifying areas for improvement, as well as uncovering needed procedural next steps. The immediate after-scenario reviews were invaluable for school officials. They allowed our administrative team to be evaluated during a stressful situation and improve on missteps which may, in the end, minimize student and staff fatalities. These debriefings also uncovered alarming misconceptions that school officials may have in regards to procedures such as transportation to hospitals and reunification sites, as well as the inconceivable task of having to identify deceased students and staff in our school.

From building staff to the mayor’s office and everyone in between, active shooter training is truly a community effort. Partnerships that have developed strengthen our ability to provide students with the safest environment possible. Safest environment possible? Unfortunately, we cannot predict the actions of those who wish to destroy, so our “possible” is ever-changing. Each training brings our remaining weaknesses to the forefront and adjustments must be made to address them. I encourage all educational leaders to seek out community partnerships when it comes to student safety.

Please be advised that HEA 1104 takes effect July 1, 2024, the following is from our 2024 IASP Legislative Summary.

HEA 1104: School Safety: School safety plans “must” establish an “armed intruder” drill protocol. Requires safe school committees to develop a policy that considers the effect of armed intruder drills on the safety and mental health of students, faculty, and staff. Prohibits an armed intruder drill that includes “sensory components” from requiring student participation, or taking place during regular school hours if a majority of the student body is present on school property.

Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore, Jeffersonville High School Principal Pam Hall and Major Josh Lynch of the Jeffersonville Police Department collaborating at an active shooter training at Jeff High in 2023.

Ensuring Safety: A Principal's Perspective on Protecting Students, Fostering Relationships, and Promoting Academic Success

Kelly Nigro, Ed.D. Principal Hazelwood Middle School, New Albany

As a school principal, I have the pleasure of working closely with parents of the students I serve. Recently, I had a conversation with a parent about being a school principal. We were discussing the various aspects and demands of the job, and the parent asked me how I would define the job in just one word.

The very first word that jumped into my mind is safety. The parent was surprised by my response and was interested in learning details as to why I felt that word was so important. We proceeded to talk about safety on multiple levels, beginning with physical safety, moving to emotional safety and finishing with academic safety.

Over the years I have worked in education, I have watched numerous tragic events occur in schools, the most devastating being school shootings. School principals wrestle with how to ensure student safety, appease parent fears and empower teachers to continue with the daily work of teaching and learning and know that they are in a supportive environment. It is definitely a tough task and puts many extra demands on our job. So how do we ensure safety for everyone under our care?

The first and most important place for principals to start is to help ensure everyone’s physical safety. Safety starts the minute a student enters a school bus, or enters the doors of the school. Principals can start by creating safe oncampus spaces in classrooms, hallways, lunch rooms and outdoor areas. This is done by providing supervision and communicating expectations to students and staff on a regular basis. This does not end when the bell rings at the end of the day. School officials need to ensure students get home safely. Tight, carefully coordinated and practiced systems need to be in place for this to happen smoothly. Communication to parents about safety procedures and protocols lets families know that the school cares about and values the physical safety of its students.

The second most important aspect is emotional safety. Students need to feel they are in an environment that nurtures and preserves relationships among students and with their teachers. Every child should have at least one adult with whom he or she feels a connection with and they feel safe going to in a time of need. It is the school leaders responsibility

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to communicate the importance of relationship building with staff members. Many times, this trusted adult may be the only safe person a student has to depend on.

The last effort is on academic safety. Teachers are advocates for student learning. Teachers are tasked with providing students with the tools to be successful academically. In order for this to happen, students must feel safe taking risks, asking questions and tackling challenges. When a student has a positive relationship with their teacher, they feel supported in the academic environment and as a result will give greater effort resulting in greater academic success.

When we work closely with teachers and students, maintain focus on schoolwork, provide routine and comfort in uncertain times we provide a safe and supportive environment for our teachers and students. Reflecting on my conversation with this particular parent, it helped me to realize the importance of taking a moment to reflect on my current school community to ensure I create and support a safe environment for all students and teachers.

IPLI Updates

Dr. Kelly Andrews Director

Indiana Principal Leadership Institute

IPLI is a premier professional development opportunity for the practicing principals of Indiana. We support you, encourage you, and provide growth in your leadership as we learn together, lead together, and connect.

SAFETY WITH AI IN OUR SCHOOLS

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly finding its way into our schools, revolutionizing many of the aspects of teaching and learning. As we embrace this new technology and its rapid adoption by our students and staff, it is important to prioritize safety, ethics, and responsible implementation.

BENEFITS OF USING AI

In a recent Education Week article (March 2024), Andrew Ng asserted that “AI will have as much impact on our lives as the advent of electricity.” This bold statement underscores the transformative potential of AI in various domains, including education.

I participated in a short introduction to AI just weeks ago, and since have been intrigued by the possibilities for our schools. What I have learned is that technology will continue to evolve, and harnessing the best aspects can support our work. While ethics and safety of using AI are at the forefront and can be a big cause for concern, there are a few ways AI can revolutionize education systems by promoting inclusivity and preparing our students for a better future. A few things come to mind:

1. Equitable Learning: AI can accelerate the transformation of education systems toward more inclusive learning. By using AI, educators can create personalized learning experiences that meet students' diverse needs. Whether it is adapting content, identifying struggling students, or providing target interventions, AI can provide a more significant experience for each student.

2. Teachers can harness AI tools to enhance their teaching practice, such as:

■ Analyzing vast amounts of student data to identify trends and patterns that might go unnoticed to inform instructional decisions and help tailor teaching approaches.

■ Routine parent communication frees up teacher time for more meaningful interactions with students and parents.

■ Differentiated lesson planning to benefit individual student profiles addressing varying learning styles and abilities.

3. Principals can leverage the benefits of AI through

■ Scheduling efficiency that considers factors like teacher availability, classroom resources, and student needs.

■ Common assessments can be designed and evaluated, ensuring consistency and fairness.

■ Time maximization: AI’s ability to detect subtle patterns and trends allows principals to focus on relational work

instead of getting bogged down in administrative tasks. They can then invest time in building relationships with staff, students, and parents.

While there is so much more to learn, AI holds boundless potential for education. Our education systems will need to consider many aspects for policy implementation, ethics, and safety as we continue to evolve with technology in our schools.

IPLI REGISTRATION FOR COHORT 12

The Indiana Principal Leadership Institute Cohort 12 applications remain open until May 1! This is your opportunity to embark on a transformative two-year professional development and leadership growth journey. IPLI empowers principals across Indiana with the knowledge, skills, and network necessary to excel in their roles.

Visit the IPLI website www.indianapli.org/ipli-cohort-12applicaitons/ to access the application portal. Ensure you submit all required materials by May 1, 2024. Cohort 12 begins in July 2024. Don’t miss the chance to be part of a dynamic community of educational leaders committed to excellence. Join IPLI Cohort 12 and take the next step in your professional journey.

IPLI EXTENDED 2024-25

IPLI Extended will have multiple opportunities for our graduates to grow professionally next year. You will hear from great speakers like Summer Seminar 2024

■ Dr. Joe Sanfileppo: Lead From Where You Are Cohort 11, Year 2 - Marzano Institute.

■ Dr. Mario Acosta and Dr. Phil Warrick -HRS Framework Levels 1, 2, & 3 Cohort 12, Year 1 speakers will include

■ Dr. Rhonda Roos: The Deliberate and Courageous Principal

■ *Dr. Nate Regier and Dr. Ryan Donlan: Personality & Leadership: Stewardship of Your Greatest Assets

■ Dr. Todd Whitaker: What Great Principals Do Differently

■ Dr. Steve Gruenert: School Culture Rewired 2.0

If you want to sign up for one or more sessions, the link to the application is on the IPLI website, www.indianapli.org , under the IPLI Extended tab at the top. Take time for your professional development and networking with Indiana leaders who have completed IPLI like you! And meet principals currently in the 2-year journey to support them as they learn. We encourage you to bring teacher leaders ($25 each) with you to the session(s) to participate in solid professional development that will keep you being the learning leader you are meant to be.

*September 25, 2024 - Cohort 12, Year 1: This seminar will be led by Dr. Nate Regier, a clinical psychologist, and Dr. Ryan Donlan, an ISU Professor, who are both Master Certified Trainers in the Process Communication Model. If you are interested in attending this seminar and want to receive a PCM Leadership Profile to be more fully engaged, please indicate that on the extended application; the inventory will be sent to you prior to the seminar. An additional charge of $100 will be required.

When you complete the Extended application, you will be invoiced for all seminars and the PCM inventory if indicated.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to grow through IPLI as a graduate and continue networking to increase your leadership capacity. One session or more sessions can give you time to regroup and share your professional thinking with others. Sign up today!

District or School Leadership Team Seminar

Unlock Your Leadership Potential with IPLI Extended! Are you ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? Look no further! Join our exclusive District or School Leadership Team Seminar hosted by IPLI Extended. What’s in Store for You?

■ Personal Leadership Capacity Enhancement: Dive deep into strategies and techniques that will empower you to lead with confidence, empathy, and vision. Whether you’re a seasoned district leader, principal, or an emerging teacher leader, this seminar is tailored to elevate your leadership game.

■ Process Communication Model (R): Discover your unique communication style and learn how to leverage it effectively. Each team member will receive a personalized PCM Leadership Profile, unlocking insights into your communication preferences, motivators, and stressors.

■ Problem-Solving Excellence: Tackling real-world challenges requires innovative solutions. During our oneday seminar, you’ll collaborate with like-minded educators on your team to address a problem of practice specific to your school or district. Together, we’ll find actionable steps to drive positive change.

■ Expert Guidance: Your seminar will be facilitated by a certified PCM trainer with years of leadership development experience. Additionally, expert IPLI leaders will share their wisdom, ensuring you gain practical tools to implement immediately.

Who Should Attend?

■ District Leaders: Superintendents, curriculum directors, and central office administrators.

■ School Leadership Teams: Principals, assistant principals, and teacher leaders.

■ Educators Passionate About Growth: If you’re committed to continuous improvement, this seminar is for you!

How to Apply?

■ Ensure at least one team member is a principal graduate or a teacher leader who has participated in IPLI.

■ Visit our website at IPLI Extended and submit your application.

■ Secure your spot early—limited dates are available!

■ The cost and date of the seminar will be determined based on your team.

Don’t miss this opportunity to ignite your leadership journey. Register today and be part of a transformative experience!

For inquiries, please contact Dr. Kelly Andrews @ kelly. andrews@indstate.edu or visit us at www.indianapli.org.

ISU COURSEWORK THROUGH IPLI

Did you know that ISU offers four courses to principals during their 2-year cohort with IPLI that connect directly to their work in IPLI? Tuition is half the cost for these courses if they sign up during their cohort years. In addition, these courses may lead to entering the ISU Ed.S. program or transferring the credits to another Indiana institution.

In Spring 2024, over 26 principals are enrolled in coursework through IPLI at ISU toward their next degree!

The goal is to support our principals who may seek higher education while participating in research-based inquiry work. This is just another perk of participating in IPLI.

As Director of IPLI, I am excited for the future of schools in Indiana as the aligned system for principal professional development has never been more significant. INALI, IPLI, and IPLI Extended Learning Opportunity meet the need. IPLI is grateful for your ongoing support, trust, and dedication to education and educators during these challenging times, showing Indiana’s commitment to growing our schools and students.

Riley Kids Caring & Sharing Update

Susan Miles

Officer, Kids Caring & Sharing TM Riley Children’s Foundation

Riley Hospital - the most wonderful place you hope you never need

Now that it is officially spring, kids are outside riding bikes, skating, running on playgrounds, hanging about lakes, ponds and streams and generally enjoying the excitement and joy warmer weather and sunny days can bring. Their thoughts do not generally turn to an increased need for physical safety. And while prevention is key to keeping kids out of hospital emergency rooms and physician clinic offices, it’s good to know that when accidents do happen, Riley Hospital is ready to help!

Riley Trauma Services

If a child does suffer a traumatic injury, you want a hospital and healthcare team with the most experience in pediatric trauma care. Riley Hospital for Children has been verified by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center since 1993. With an in-house trauma team available 24/7, children receive the highest level of care in a center specifically designed for children with traumatic injuries, from a team specially trained in caring for infants and children up to 18 years old. As part of the state’s largest and most skilled pediatric health system, Riley at IU Health provides the leading-edge medicine and patient- and familycentered care children deserve.

Riley at IU Health's commitment to comprehensive trauma care extends throughout the entire hospital. Pediatric trauma surgeons, as well as specialists in emergency medicine, critical care, radiology, and anesthesia are always available in the hospital and are pediatric fellowship trained. Patients benefit from immediate access to the most highly qualified experts, with specialists from every field of pediatric medicine and surgery in-house or on call.

Prevention starts in your home community

The impact of the Trauma Department at Riley at IU Health extends across Indiana through injury prevention programs and training for emergency and hospital personnel throughout the region.

Matthew Landman, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACS, Director of Trauma Services at Riley notes that one component of being a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center is having active and accessible injury prevention programs. Riley offers multiple programs including bike helmet safety, car seat training and helping mothers addicted to opioids learn how to prevent injury to their child.

Riley Hospital’s participation in the nation-wide Think First program, just one of the many outreach programs available through Riley’s Injury Prevention Program, sends a Riley

injury presentation coordinator to your school/classroom to educate your students on ‘Thinking First’ to protect their brain and spinal cord from serious injury. Topics covered include bike safety; safety in and around vehicles; weapon safety; safety around friends; and even safely crossing the street. Visit the link or call 317-948-9431 to schedule a Riley safety program for your school!

The One Stop Shop for All Your Safety Needs

Another amazing service provided by a partnership between the Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Health and supported by generous donations to the Riley Children’s Foundation, the Safety Store at Riley Hospital is in the Riley Outpatient Center and open to the public 9 am – 4 pm, Monday – Friday.

The Safety Store sells over 150 safety products for infants through senior citizens at low prices. This includes items such as car seats, locking medicine boxes, smoke alarms, life jackets, infant sleep sacks, weather radios, and bike helmets. The Safety Store also carries safety products for special needs such as medical ID bracelets, door alarms, and specialized safety kits for autism and developmental disabilities.

Safety Store employees are trained educators who can provide a free safety assessment and free safety education materials, or help you schedule an outreach event for your school or community event. Education materials can be downloaded from the Safety Store website and outreach events can be requested online. Shop in-store or online. For questions about directions, products, or available outreach events, call 317.944.6565 or visit the Safety Store online.

Kids Caring & Sharing gift submission deadline approaching

Please be sure your school treasurer has the correct address for our secure lock box to mail in your KCS donations for 2023-2024 by June 1.

Riley Children’s Foundation

P.O. Box 3356

Indianapolis, IN 46206-3356

Attn: KCS/Susan Miles

Please send all other correspondence to my attention at our foundation office:

Riley Children’s Foundation

500 North Meridian Street, Suite 100

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Attn: KCS/SusanMiles

KGR Law Briefing: Social Media, Blocking, & the First Amendment

Séamus Boyce Attorney Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP

Keith Butler Associate Attorney Education Law & Policy Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP

A recent Supreme Court of the United States decision, Lindke v. Freed (March 2024), addresses when public officials can block someone on social media. In this article, we provide insight on: (1) when a public school employee is considered a public official; (2) when a public official’s social media posts are considered state actions, and (3) the impact on public school employee use of should social media.

As is the case with almost all Supreme Court decisions, the facts are critical. In Lindke, James Freed created a Facebook profile sometime before 2008 while in college. Eventually, he came close to a 5,000-friend limit and changed his profile from private to public. In 2014, he was appointed as City Manager of Port Huron, Michigan. He changed parts of his profile to reflect his new position including putting links to the city’s website and work email address. He also stated that he was the City Manager in his profile description. While most of his posts were personal, he did post about work-related items including periodically answering questions from residents about Port Huron city government. During the pandemic, he continued to include a mixture of personal and work-related posts. A constituent, Kevin Lindke, began commenting on many of Freed’s posts including calling the Port Huron pandemic response “abysmal”. In response, Freed deleted some of the comments and eventually blocked Lindke. Thus, Lindke could still see Freed’s posts, but could not comment on them.

Lindke sued claiming that being blocked was a violation of the First

Amendment. Only the government and public officials can violate the Constitution. Therefore, if Freed acted as a private citizen, there would not be a First Amendment violation. As the Court’s decision described, “if Freed acted in his private capacity when he blocked Lindke and deleted his comments, he did not violate Lindke's First Amendment rights—instead, he exercised his own.”

The Supreme Court determined that Freed was a public official for this analysis. In other words, a public employee does not have to obtain some higher level of government authority to be a public official. As the Court explained, “[t]here are approximately 20 million state and local government employees across the Nation, with an extraordinarily wide range of job descriptions—from Governors, mayors, and police chiefs to teachers, healthcare professionals, and transportation workers. Many use social media for personal communication, official communication, or both—and the line between the two is often blurred.”

Therefore, government employees, including public school employees, need to consider whether their social media communications are public or private. The Court used the following formula to guide the analysis: “speech is attributable to the State only if the official (1) possessed actual authority to speak on the State's behalf, and (2) purported to exercise that authority when he spoke on social media.”

It is not enough to have mere perceived authority. “In sum, a defendant like Freed must have actual authority rooted in written law or longstanding custom to speak for the State. That authority must extend to speech of the sort that caused the alleged rights deprivation. If the plaintiff cannot make this threshold showing of authority, he cannot establish state action.” Use of a disclaimer that an account is personal, not professional, is entitled to “a heavy (though not irrebuttable) presumption

that all of the posts on his page were personal.” The Supreme Court did not decide whether Freed’s posts were official or private. Instead, the case was remanded back to the lower court to decide the case based on the two-part test developed.

The Supreme Court released a decision on another social media case the same day. O'Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier involved public school board members. Some board members used Facebook pages to post school board related content, including board-meeting recaps, application solicitations for board positions, local budget plans and surveys, and public safety updates. The appellate court found there was a close nexus between the use of the pages and the board member official pages, therefore the First Amendment did apply. However, the Supreme Court remanded the case back to the lower court to decide the case using the rule adopted in the Lindke decision.

What is the legal lesson from this brief?

First and foremost, never post anything on the internet without being prepared for it going public and being subject to scrutiny. If, however, a public employee wants to take measures to keep your social media content private, it is critical to use separate professional and personal social media accounts. And on personal pages, clearly disclaim that it is personal and does not represent the views of the employer. “[T]he views expressed are strictly my own”, is the language specifically suggested by the Supreme Court.

We at the KGR Legal Help Desk are here to address these education and any non-personal employment legal issues for IASP members. Until the next KGR Law Brief, stay legal!

Save the date.

NAESP and NASSP are once again bringing together school leaders by hosting UNITED: The National Conference on School Leadership next July 15 – 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee.

We hope you’ll join us.

Photo courtesy of Lifetouch.

11025 East 25th Street

Indianapolis, IN 46229

1-800-285-2188 or 317-891-9900

www.iasp.org | iasp-info@iasp.org

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AM-C04780 (Feb. 24)