New Course Highlight: Active Shooter

PublicSchoolWORKS has added two active shooter training courses to its catalog: Active Shooter Response - Lockdown, Barricade, Escape and Active Shooter Response - Lockdown, Barricade, Escape, Counter Attack.

Both courses teach employees to identify when it is safest to secure or barricade a classroom, as well as when it is appropriate to hide and/or evacuate in the event of an active shooter situation. The courses also instruct staff how to interact with law enforcement officials during and after active shooter situations so they do not hinder law enforcement efforts

In addition to this information, the Counter Attack course helps staff understand when it is best to flee in a manner that will save the most lives such as running in a zigzag pattern and spreading out and, as a last resort, using physical aggression to scare off or surprise and overpower the shooter.  To learn more about this course, email sales@publicschoolworks.com.

New Course Highlight: Permissible Use of Seclusion and Restraint

PublicSchoolWORKS has launched the Permissible Use of Seclusion and Restraint course to help districts meet the U.S. Department of Education’s new guidelines.  Designed to address the 15 new guidelines put out by the U.S. DOE, the course trains educators how to appropriately restrain students in the event they become physically harmful to their peers, identify when physical restraint or seclusion is necessary and how to accomplish restraint or seclusion following the 15 new standards. To learn more about these 15 guidelines, click here. To learn more about this course, email sales@publicschoolworks.com.

New Course Highlight: Suicide Prevention (Jason Flatt Act)

As of 2012, The Jason Flatt Act has been implemented in ten states nationwide. The act mandates that educators receive suicide prevention training along with their other annual required in-service courses. The training helps educators identify the warning signs of children contemplating suicide and teaches them how to appropriately handle and report the situation. To find out more about the act and the Jason Foundation, click here. To learn more about this course, email sales@publicschoolworks.com.

PSW Program Highlight: Student Bullying & Violence Prevention Program (SBVPP)

PublicSchoolWORKS’ SBVPP is the only complete program to help school districts support students experiencing bullying, violence and other school safety issues. The program includes a Task Scheduler that auto-manages the timing, notification, tracking and completion of all associated tasks, such as period posting and distribution of anti-bullying posters, periodic or annual distribution of labels and meeting with key internal and external parties to review data.  This ensures schools are in compliance with district, local, state or federal requirements.

Courses are available to train students on violence and bullying concerns and how to report them and to train staff t on how to effectively handle bullying and violence issues. Students can use the provided reporting tools - the Student Bullying Reporting System and Student Safety Reporting System - to anonymously report bullying and violence concerns. The SBVPP also provides schools with informational posters, handouts and stickers for students to remind them to use the resources available to them.

To complete the system, SBVPP also comes with the Parent InfoCenter. The Parent InfoCenter gives parents access to the reporting systems and national crisis hotlines, as well as access to the same bullying training that students and staff receive at school.

Cleveland Independent School District (ISD) began using the SBVPP this year to manage bullying and violence training for staff, as well as the reporting and tracking of bullying and violence incidents. “With all of the duties our district is tasked with on a daily basis, this system gives us the ability to focus more on education and less on tracking down staff and following paper trails,” said Karin Miller, the assistant superintendent of Special Programs at Cleveland ISD.

An effective anti-bullying and anti-violence program includes effective strategies along with reporting mechanisms, training and other tools for staff, students and parents. To learn more about how your district can use the SBVPP, email sales@publicschoolworks.com.