Seven Steps to a safer School

STEP 7: KEEP THINGS ALIVE

• Recognize the possibility of diminishing staff enthusiasm or competing mandates and take steps to keep safety issues “on the front burner.”
• The principal’s role at this juncture remains critical, and his or her enthusiastic support should ring out clearly to the staff.

Expanded Discussion:

It can happen that a school becomes enthusiastic about issues related to school safety in one year, but as new mandates and priorities begin to arrive (as they always do), the enthusiasm wanes.  Last year, everyone was eager to implement the new anti-bullying program, but now as the new school year begins, there is a noticeable lack of that enthusiasm among the staff. An essential function of the School Safety Planning Team is to recognize this possibility and become active in the effort to keep safety issues “on the front burner.”  It is important that successful programs and procedures that have a positive impact on school safety become embedded in the fabric of the school and are not seen as a one-year initiative or the pet project of one or two staff members.

The influence of the administrator cannot be overstated on this issue. He or she absolutely must take vocal and uncompromising leadership in the continuation and growth of the prevention program. It may be that the principal chooses not to be involved in the day-to-day operation of the program, preferring to delegate those duties to the School Safety Planning Team or a designee, but his or her enthusiastic support should ring out clearly to the staff.  With the principal’s support, the members of the School Safety Planning Team can:

• Get on the opening week inservice agenda and summarize the activities and progress of the previous year;
• Hold listening sessions with small groups of staff members to discuss the positive and negative features of the previous year’s effort and receive input on suggested changes;
• Recognize and reward staff members with an upbeat pot-luck luncheon at the beginning of the new year and again at mid year;
• Give the effort a catchy, descriptive name and provide regular electronic or newsletter updates;
• Publicize the effort in the local media, highlighting successes and ongoing challenges;
• Bring in local experts to speak to the staff on issues of concern;
• Continue with the formative Program Integrity and Support Scale with each staff member involved in the program and respond to concerns as quickly as possible;
• Look for grant opportunities through the state educational agency, Safe and Drug Free Schools
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/index.html, Department of Education or other government funded opportunities, http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov/
• Have your colleagues visit this website, www.teachsafeschools.org.