Spotlight: Violence Against Students

At Whitehead Road Elementary School in Athens, Georgia a paraprofessional has been put on leave after placing packaging tape over a student’s mouth. While the incident was immediately reported by the classroom teacher, according to The Huffington Post, the state of Georgia is one of 19 states that still allow corporal punishment in its schools. The incident, which allegedly took place because the student would not stop talking, is one that Clark Country Superintendent of Schools, Philip Lanoue, says is not allowed at the elementary school.

Is your staff trained on proper classroom conduct for students and staff? Does your staff have a way to effectively communicate concerns regarding student safety? Would they know how to respond quickly to an issue? Share your comments on our Facebook page.

Source: The Huffington Post

EmployeeSafe: Staff Training Saves Lives

Recently two Texas teachers, Kristen Goodgion and Brent Reese, came to the aid of Kylee Shea after being informed by students that she had collapsed in her school’s hallway. According to the Huffington Post, Goodgion says she and Reese relied on their AED and CPR training, despite the fact that they had never used the paddles before in a real-life situation. The quick action and prior training of both teachers led to the survival of this seventh-grade student who is currently doing well.

With PublicSchoolWORKS’ AED Staff Training courses, staff learn the necessary procedures and when to utilize an Automatic External Defibrillator which, in cases like Shea’s, could be the difference between life and death. Do you think your staff would know what to do if a student or another employee was in need of immediate medical assistance? What kind of training do you provide staff to ensure they know what to do when the time comes to intervene? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @PSWORKS.

Source: The Huffington Post

Spotlight: Homeless Education

Susan Castillo, the Oregon State School Superintendent, recently released some concerning information regarding the number of homeless students in the state. According to KTVZ.com, Castillo revealed that more than 20,000 K-12 students in the state of Oregon are homeless. The article states that the numbers are increasing due to the current U.S. economic climate. Because of this, school districts have an increasing need to be able to identify students who need help and provide the necessary tools to get them in and keep them in school.

With PublicSchoolWORKS’ Homeless Education: Providing Equal Access training course, staff will learn important information like: how to best handle a homeless student’s lack of documentation records in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and how to deal with the potential health risks a student may face as a result of a lack of immunizations. In addition, staff will receive important background information on the evolving homeless community in the United States. Do you have students in your school dealing with homelessness? Does your staff know what procedures to take in accordance with federal laws concerning student homelessness? How have you helped the homeless children you serve? Share your stories with us on Twitter @PSWORKS

Source: KTVZ Online

EmployeeSafe: Violence Prevention in Schools Course

In a recent article on ABC news, a student at Sequoyah High School in Madisonville, Tennessee said his school principal bullied him for supporting the establishment of a gay-straight alliance at his school. The 17-year-old student, Chris Sigler, claims that he was shoved, bumped in the chest and verbally assaulted after wearing a shirt reading “GSA We Got Your Back.” The Principal, Maurice Moser did not comment on the incident.

With the PublicSchoolWORKS Violence Prevention in Schools Course, staff can become educated about the psychological risks of youth violence, characteristics of a safe school, and tips for de-escalating events of violence.

Has your district experienced a report of staff showing violence toward a student? What did your district do about it? How do you ensure all staff are following a code of ethics related to safe schools? Share your comments on our Facebook page.

Source: ABC News

EmployeeSafe Suite: Prepare for Winter

As fall flies by and we start to prepare for winter, it is time to retrain staff on Slips, Trips and Falls. Districts can easily train staff with PublicSchoolWORKS’ Staff Training System, part of the award-winning EmployeeSafe Suite. The Staff Training System automates the training of staff and will get them thinking about how to protect themselves when walking on slick surfaces. EmployeeSafe is a suite of programs designed to implement anything from training only, to a comprehensive school safety program. EmployeeSafe includes training courses, written plans, programs and procedures, checklists, inspections, MSDS and other tools. In addition, suite programs can be customized to include tools and content provided by individual school districts. The EmployeeSafe Suite features eight different modules, including:

• Staff Training
• Employee Accident Management
• OSHA 300 Reporting
• Compliance Task Management (non-training)
• MSDS Now!
• Staff Safety Reporting
• Staff Sexual Harassment Reporting
• Staff Telephone Helplines
• Safety Document Management


To learn more about PSW’s EmployeeSafe Suite, email sales@publicschoolworks.com