Safety and Security

Through my studies and professional work I have shown safety and security competence by:

1. demonstrating the ability to develop and implement policies and procedures for safe and secure educational environments;
2. demonstrating the ability to formulate safety and security plans to implement security procedures including an articulated emergency chain of command, safety procedures required by law, law enforcement assistance, communication with the public, and evacuation procedures;
3. demonstrating the ability to identify areas of vulnerability associated with school buses, buildings, and grounds and formulate a plan to take corrective action;
4. demonstrating an understanding of procedural predictabilities and plan variations where possible; and
5. demonstrating the ability to develop plans that connect every student with a school adult, eliminate bullying and profiling, and implement recommended threat assessment procedures.

Reflection:

With the way our world is working, school safety and security must be paramount in a principal's priorities. In order for learning to take place, students must feel safe and welcomed in the the learning environment. If there are concerns of safety and security, that will pose as a distractor to not only the students but also the staff and teachers that are also tasked with keeping the school and the students safe. Placing safety and security first means having action plans in place for various crises and communicating those plans to teachers and staff even before the first day of school. Practicing those safety measures with teachers and students is essential, so when a situation does arise, quick, decisive action can take place. Finally, revisiting safety practices and making adjustments when determining a better action is needed is critical to safety and security.

Through my school and practicum experience, I went through both online and in-person training in ALICE to gain a greater understanding of the options we have when faced with an active shooter situation. Then, I was one of the staff members responsible for forming a brief curriculum on ALICE and deciding how we as a staff will teach our students about ALICE. After determining the curriculum, I then taught my students over a span of three days the different parts of the acronym and how there are procedures in place to keep all students as safe as possible. Taking the initiative towards being prepared gave me the experience I needed to be able to make quick decisions and formulate plans to keep myself, my students, and the school safe.