Safety Thought: School Safety Policies

Albany Middle School in California is now using a “safe school ambassadors” program to keep the peace and build bridges among the school’s cliquey sixth through eighth grade students. According to the Albany Patch, 41 students who were considered influential to various cliques and social groups were selected to receive training in an effort to get rid of the bullying. Throughout their training, students learned how to talk, care and stand up for each other, no matter their background or clique. The “safe school ambassadors” have been given the tools to diffuse bullying, while being empowered to stand up and intervene when someone is being mistreated. The “safe school ambassadors” program is now being used in 900 schools around the country.

Knowing students have the power to influence each other, do you think a “safe school ambassadors” program would work well at your school? How have your students worked together to put an end to bullying at your school?

Source: Albany Patch

Youth violence: Victims who strike back

When victims of bullying have come to a breaking point and have finally had enough of the taunting and abuse, the situation often does not end well. Recently a video from an Australian school, where 7th grader Ritchard Gale bullied 10th grader Casey Heynes one too many times, went viral. The video, taken by another student, shows Gale taunting then punching Heynes multiple times. Once Heynes had enough, he fought back, eventually picking up Gale and slamming him on the ground. According to WXYZ, Gale was suspended from school for 21 days while Heynes was suspended for four days.

Why did it have to take a physical reaction from Heynes to stop the bullying? Do you agree with the punishment given to both of the students involved? What does your school do to punish the bullies, as well as the victims who react? Did this video teach a lesson to all of the bullies and bullied students who watched it?

Source: WXYZ.com

StudentWatch: Students Bullying Teachers

Student behavior at three schools in Bakersfield City School District (BCSD) in California has left many teachers anxious and afraid to go to work. Teachers say the student behavior at Curran Middle School, Walter Stiern Middle School and McKinley Elementary School is out of control and students are not being punished properly. The students are now bullying the teachers. At these schools, teachers are experiencing physical and verbal abuse such as shoving, slapping and yelling.

Many teachers suspect the district‘s goal to decrease suspensions is the reason students are not being properly punished. They believe the district is trying to prevent losing the funding that schools get for having students in class each day. According to Bakersfield.com, the BCSD Superintendent Michael Lingo said the district will put Curran, Stiern and McKinley “under a microscope” and he asked for a task force to be formed to study district discipline policies and issues.

With PublicSchoolWORKS’ Student Behavior Management System, BCSD could put their disciplining issues behind them. The system manages student discipline and other behavior data. It ensures that all staff and administrators maintain consistency in addressing student behaviors in compliance with board policies and federal, state and local regulations.

Source: Bakersfield.com

School Bookkeeper Charged with Fraud

Fraudulent activities committed by employees are a financial drain on a school system and can go unnoticed for quite some time. Without an online fraud reporting system, employees who notice fraud may have an uncomfortable time reporting it. A former Detroit Public Schools bookkeeper, Allen Swayze, was indicted in December by a federal grand jury on charges of fraudulently obtaining money from the district. United States Attorney, Barbara L. McQuade, said while employed at Breithaupt Career and Technical Center, Swayze issued $148,000 in fraudulent checks to himself and his company, Swayze Management Industries, between August 2006 and May 2009. If convicted, Swayze faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

PublicSchoolWORKS Fraud Reporting System, which is a part of its EmployeeSafe Suite, provides school staff with the ability to file anonymous reports, complaints or suspicious activity. This helps schools address behavior that could otherwise go undetected for long periods of time before ever being investigated. Has your school or district been a victim of employee fraud? Share your stories with us on Twitter @PSWORKS.

To learn more about the Fraud Reporting System, contact PublicSchoolWORKS at 513-631-6111 or via email at sales@publicschoolworks.com.

Source: ClickonDetroit.com December 9, 2010
http://www.clickondetroit.com/education/26079256/detail.html

Playground Safety

Its almost back to school time. We are sure many of you are eager to get your schools ready for the return of students and staff.

Your outdoor spaces might be the last place you may think about making safe. However, these spaces are just as crucial as your indoor spaces.

Check out this informational piece on playground safety: ASBJ's "State of Play"
http://www.asbj.com/MainMenuCategory/Archive/2010/August/Making-Playgrounds-Safe-and-Secure.aspx

Does Your District Have an Effective Plan to Handle IED/Bomb Threats?

As student violence and unpredictability grows on today’s school campuses, it’s important that school officials have developed and implemented effective crisis plans to protect students and staff in the event of emergencies.

During ASBO’s conference in Orlando, Florida on Friday, September 24, 2010, Steve Saltsman, Captain of the Bomb Squad for the Columbus Fire Department and Tom Strasburger, Vice President of PublicSchoolWORKS, will present a unique learning opportunity for school administrators for preparing effective responses to IED and bomb threats. The discussion will include ideas for training, what to consider, who to involve and other topics.

Because of domestic terrorism and international terrorism events across the world, IED has become a household term. Captain Saltsman will explain training and techniques for schools when dealing with bomb threats and other IED issues. Bomb threats in schools have increased over the past decade and cannot be taken lightly. This discussion will include a basic history of Bomb Threats, explosives, and Improvised Explosive Devices; how they work, along with how and where to look for them.

In turn, Tom Strasburger will explain the offerings of PublicSchoolWORKS which puts programs in place for students and staff to anonymously report suspicious activities before they have detrimental results.

Make sure to catch this informative and explosive presentation.
See you at the show!

Presentation Information:
Title: Bomb Threat & IED Response to Schools: The Importance of Planning for Effective Communication, WS168
Track: Ancillary Services
Time: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location/Room: Workshop 08
CEUs: 0.3

Are We Missing the Signs of Fraud in our Schools?

There is more pressure than ever on teachers to meet district requirements and ensure that students meet standards. So much so that some educators would even risk his or her job if it meant a raise. This type of behavior is a growing trend that leaves our students as victims and our districts with a huge social issue: Fraud.

Recently the staff of Normany Crossing Elementary, outside Houston, eagerly awaited the results of their state achievement test this spring. For administrators higher scores would mean stellar rankings in the state, for 5th grade math & science teachers impeccable scores would equal bonuses upwards of $2,850.

When test results were tallied the scores were even higher than expected. Many in the community thought the outcomes were too good to be true, so an investigation began into the recent testing that had taken place. After the investigation began, the principal, assistant principal and three teachers resigned because of this horrific scandal over test tampering.

Come to find out educators in the district had compiled a detailed study guide on the state science test. However they didn't just rip open the booklet and copy the questions-they 'tubed' it which means they squeezed a test booklet without breaking the paper seal, to form a tube so they could just see the information in the guide and not get caught. Why not spend your time teaching and not think of ways to cheat the system? You might also be thinking this must be an isolated incident, but investigations in Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Virginia among other places have encountered similar incidents of cheating by educators.

Are higher test scores attained with cheating ever worth the worst case scenario outcome IF and WHEN you get caught? Does anyone else see that we are cheating our students out of an education to win bonuses? Lets get it right we aren't helping our students. This is one of the most selfish acts of adult behaviors against our education system that is already struggling to keep a vast amount of students at grade level.

If this district had a fraud system in place, an administrator or fellow teacher could have put their foot down to stop the reckless behavior. With PublicSchoolWORKS Fraud Reporting System staff could have anonymously reported behaviors and alerted staff to the cheating.

Don't let fraud go unnoticed in your district and remember fraud doesn't just get committed in the accounting office.

Story Courtesy: New York Times

Read all the details here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/education/11cheat.html