Welcome to #UTEdchat! Tonight we’re talking about #SchoolSafety. Respond to each Q using the A# format. Don’t forget to include #UTedchat in your answer.
Welcome to #UTEdchat! Tonight we’re talking about #SchoolSafety. Respond to each Q using the A# format. Don’t forget to include #UTedchat in your answer.
Excited for #utedchat tonight! I teach high school English, and I guess I'm really boring, because I can't think of any lines from goofy teen movies. All my favorites are from the 80s.
Hi, I'm a preservice teacher middle level math and science at Grove City College, and my favorite movie quote is "and in the morning, I'm making waffles!" #utedchat#gccedu
Deborah here, as moderator. I teach HS Social Studies. ND is so quotable...but all I can think of right now is "Are you gonna eat those tots?" #UTEdchat
A1: It's been 2 months now so a lot of the panic has calmed. I know of a teacher with anxiety medication now though. My principal is still working to improve procedures & our SRO offered to visit with teachers - a good step. We all know there's work to do. #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
A1 With new construction, much of the building has glass walls. Teachers and students are concerned. We had a lockdown drill, and it was a big consideration. #utedchat#schoolsafety
A1: It's been a pretty silent few months as far as school safety in my office. Perhaps once the new school year gets nearer new training will appear? #utedchat
A1 - We talk about different issues and make sure that training is up to date. It is really interesting to hear the different perspective given the national climate on school safety. #utedchat
#utedchat A1: I think #schoolsafety is so important. I always tell my students that my number 1 job is to keep them safe. At my building, teachers don't seem to be very concerned about safety regarding school shootings. I'm in a new facility and it is pretty secure. @lars3eb
There are plenty of things we can think through and be prepared with. At the extreme though, there are so many possible scenarios you can necessarily plan for them all. A few general principles are helpful though, starting with "Run, Hide, Fight." #UTEdchat
I've found there are plenty of Admins who really don't know what to do either. Sometimes it's easier to ignore things and hope they'll go away. That's where we need to persistently ask questions (respectfully, of course) until we are satisfied with the answers. #UTEdchat
A1: I’ve experienced lots of teachers on edge and being worried. They become worried that not enough is being done to tackle discipline, worried about entrances being unlocked, feel less supported by admin when they bring up these concerns #utedchat
Mike here. I teach 8th grade English. To quote Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you might miss it.” #UTEdchat
#utedchat A1 One concern I have about #SchoolSafety is substitutes. Most schools don't issue keys to subs. How are they supposed to lock the door during a lockdown?
A2: We definitely have more security measures: controlled access (locked doors) during the school day, cameras, & a School Resource Officer. There are also efforts to support students: MTSS & PBIS. I don't know if those programs existed back in the 90s. #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
Building design absolutely incorporates safety principles, but that alone is never a guarantee. I'm glad people are comfortable there though. I'm guessing you have controlled entry points? #UTEdchat High schools are so big that can be tough to manage.
A2 Our school has recently started keeping most outside doors locked during the school day. It's not perfect, but it does help limit access to the building. #utedchat#schoolsafety
#UTEdchat How can we get serious about securing schools with ridiculous attendance polices that allow students to run around everywhere with no consequences.
Odd that the Admins aren't taking ownership on that. I wonder if they feel they need more district support? I was very interested in a presentation to my School Board after Parkland. Agreed with most of what I heard, but not all has filtered down to bldgs yet. #UTEdchat
As for subs who don't get keys or even teachers who forget their keys at home, Nebo has a new way of doing things. We put a magnetic strip over the door latch so the door won't lock until you remove the strip. #UTedChat
A2: I have been teaching for 8 years. Not much has changed safety wise in that time. I imagine one thing that has changes is that buildings are more secure with locked exterior doors. #SchoolSafety#utedchat
I think the focus on student welfare has increased, as well as the focus on security measures. We no longer normalize sexual harassment, hazing or bullying as we used to. #utedchat
That's ABSOLUTELY a problem. Back in my subbing days, I was actually in a school when they held a lock down drill. My puny wrists couldn't hold the door shut from the inside - I'd complain about that for sure. It's not keeping kids safe. #UTEdchat
That seems to be the wave of the future. Elementary buildings in my district are being retrofitted with that type of system. Access is definitely part of the answer. #UTEdchat
Ditto. All doors but front entrance are locked...or suppose to be. However, after a recess I walk by and there are doors ajar. The wind keeps them open sometimes. #UTedChat
We do that too. It does create an issue once in a while when I remember I have to grab something from my car during my consultation hour and then I can't get back in...but the students know me and eventually one passes by with a hallpass and let's me back in. #UTEdchat
Q3: What communication strategies are in place to ensure accurate and timely #SchoolSafety information gets to staff during an incident? Parents? The Community? #UTEdchat
#utedchat
A2: I think schools are doing more in regards to general security with name badges etc. and I think kids are generally kinder than a generation ago. More awareness on bullying, etc.
A3: Within the bldg, it's primarily the PA system. The school & district put out information on FB and Twitter. Some schools use the Remind App internally. School phones get tied up quickly & distract from incident management so those aren't useful. #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
We certainly do name badges too. I don't know how helpful they actually are, but it's a thing. Awareness of and efforts to stop bullying are certainly positive though! #UTEdchat
Magnets are always covering the door latch. When I want to secure the room. I move the magnet and place it on the metal door frame. Works well. Over time they start to show signs of wear from use and "student use." #UTedChat
I like those - we have them on one entrance only though - diametrically opposite side of the building. Also, I've asked to have my badge put in the system several times and it's still not done. Ugh. Better follow up again. #UTEdchat
A3 We have callout systems to place calls to parents during an incident. In the building, we use the PA. Students and teachers are encouraged to use cell phones to call 911 in an emergency. #Utedchat#schoolsafety
Answer to Q2: I feel like a lot of my teacher training focused on listening to students and anticipating their needs. Students that feel as if their educators are truly meeting them halfway are trying to live up to their teacher's high expectations. #UTEdchat
A3 My school did a reunification drill a few months ago. I felt like it was pretty smooth. I know our district posts information on their home page. I guess I need to ask my admin what we have in place. #SchoolSafety#utedchat
Surveillance is more reactive than proactive, I think. It has a place in catching problems after the fact and helping with resolution, but I don't see it as a deterrent. Privacy concerns are valid too. Most film never gets looked at. Not sure how long it gets stored. #UTEdchat
Jordan district had a great video explanation-- I watched it the year I was hired. It focused on how parents would be reunited with children in the event of an emergency-. I hope every parent gets the chance to see it, but I don't know how. #utedchat
Q3: What communication strategies are in place to ensure accurate and timely #SchoolSafety information gets to staff during an incident? Parents? The Community? #UTEdchat
Q3: What communication strategies are in place to ensure accurate and timely #SchoolSafety information gets to staff during an incident? Parents? The Community? #UTEdchat
A3:There was an incident at my son's school and I received an email, voicemail, and text. The messages weren't consistent though. One message said it was a drill, the others said it was a lockout. #Utedchat
A3 Years ago my school had an actual evacuation drill due to a gas leak down the road. Parents were notified via email & phone. It worked! I was happy to see parents knew what to do in an emergency! #UTedchat
Absolutely. There are some issues though - not all parents use SM. Not all teachers have smart phones... I never have my phone during the day because I see it as a distraction. Result: students were telling me what was up during lock downs. Better tha nothing though! #UTEdchat
I totally agree! The surveillance videos are mostly used to catch or confirm student related problems. There is a screen in the office with all the camera feeds. It's possible they could catch something and warn faculty or keep it from escalating. #utedchat
I don't like that process at all. We're supposed to report over email too - but how can anyone manage reports from 100 teachers while the phones are ringing off the hook? #UTEdchat
A4: I'm in a suburban HS, and it's pretty normal stuff: occasional fist fights, truancy, drug use, etc. We've intervened to help suicidal students. There have been several guns found on campus. That makes people more nervous now than maybe it did before. #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
Answer to Q3: My school, like many of yours, have procedures in place for all types of emergencies (fire, earthquake, active shooter, etc.). Our district uses an instant messaging (sometimes email) service to contact us with sensitive information. #utedchat
Q3: What communication strategies are in place to ensure accurate and timely #SchoolSafety information gets to staff during an incident? Parents? The Community? #UTEdchat
Oooh. Inconsistent communication BAD. Was communication managed centrally or was the school trying to communicate the same time as the district? That can get messy. #UTEdchat
#UTEdchat From my perspective we have no real attendance policy. We have students running all over the place on our campus and all the fast food places nearby. Besides hurting educational outcomes it is hard to secure a school with this.
A3: We had an incident at our school last year and all of our information came from students hiding in cars in the parking lot and their snapchat stories. #UTEdchat
Washington District. All students were taken to the gym and sat by last name. If students had multiple last names in their family, they sat with the oldest sibling in the school. Parents came with IDs to get them. #utedchat
A4: In one of the schools I frequent there is legitimate concerns with gang related incidents. There was even a shooting down the street in the middle of the day involving a student just getting out of school. #UTEdchat
A4 There is concern about student mental health and the ramifications of anxiety, depression, and stress. We need to help struggling students, which should help with #schoolsafety issues. #utedchat
Q2: We're always refining and sharpening the saw on our safety policies. We practice them as well so our students know what to do in case there is an emergency. Knowledge is power and saftey. #utedchat
So sad! Gangs are definitely real concerns. My admin today commented that we get fights at school because students know it's safe - no one will pull out the weapons at school. So maybe those zero tolerance policies do some good. #UTEdchat
Our older high schools have several buildings on its campus. How do you secure all the buildings? Hopefully the bond passes in November! Those three high schools are ready for a new building. #UTedChat
A4: My biggest worries are identifying people in our building. We have plans to make common hall passes for all teachers and visitors so we can identify individuals from a distance and know if they are supposed to be in our building. #utedchat
Something went done during lunch at another high school a month or so ago. Turned chaotic real quick. That's planning no one wants to think through but it needs attention! #UTEdchat
Q5: People are talking about everything from anti-bullying efforts to arming teachers. #SchoolSafety is a multifaceted issue. If we could only do ONE thing, what do you think would be most effective? #UTEdchat
Good luck with the bond! I'm really glad the @GraniteSchools bond passed last Fall so we're able to do some badly needed remodels and rebuilds with #SchoolSafety in mind. #UTEdchat
A4 Often in elementary schools parents feel there is no harm in going directly to a class to get their kids. It's important to follow the procedure set up in the office. Teacher's cannot let kids go without the office notifying them. It's about safety! #UTEdchat
A3: I heard from our counselors that the UTSafe App has really helped our studnets. Our Peer leaders and HOPE Squad have really made a huge factor in the lives of a lot of our S's. But social media has been great for us to get out info quickly #utedchat
A5: I want more Social & Emotional Supports: increasing counselors so they can know their students & help them, encouraging incorporation of social emotional learning (SEL) in class, & school leaders ensuring all students are connected to adults in school. #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
Giant ugly yellow Visitor Badges - that's what we use. Most adults are good about getting them at the office. They have to stop and ask for directions anyway since the building is such a maze. #UTEdchat
A4 Students in elementary are so scared they start seeing things. A couple years ago a student thought they saw a guy who lived across the street have a gun. Kids came inside, cops called, turned out it was nothing. Better safe than sorry. #UTedChat
Ours isn't police surveillance. The camera feeds play on a screen in the office and the files are kept for a certain amount of time before they are deleted. I think it has been helpful for reacting to problems, but also helps monitor outside doors. #utedchat
In reply to
@anderbrooke, @coachbpreece, @DeborahGatrell1
A5 Taking the word bully off the walls and replacing it with the word kindness. Why do we continue to put the word bully in kids' thoughts? Let's talk kindness!! #utedchat
Q5 going back to the simple fact that we need #Softskills - if we learn how to work and live together learn how to make #WINWIN situations and how to work out conflicts ... that is the ONE thing I feel would supersede all other efforts #UTEdchat
A5 I think if I had to pick one thing, I'd say it would be emotional support for students. They need to feel loved, connected, comfortable. Somehow, we need to be sure every student has someone to turn to when needed. #utedchat#schoolsafety
When a student shoved paper into the lock on my Relo door once upon a time it was useful to figure out whodunnit so it wouldn't happen again. Totally couldn't unlock the door and no one would rat out the offending student. Video feed saved the day. #UTEdchat
In reply to
@marrica5, @anderbrooke, @coachbpreece
Lol...at one school you have to walk across the yard to the office window, stand on a ventilation grate and knock on the window, then you run back to the sidewalk, and up the stairs to the front doors. #UTEdchat
A5: Have a plan for how to educate students who are violent. If you turn them away from education, that is no solution. If you only let them be around other violent students, that is also no solution. #utedchat
Q5: People are talking about everything from anti-bullying efforts to arming teachers. #SchoolSafety is a multifaceted issue. If we could only do ONE thing, what do you think would be most effective? #UTEdchat
#utedchat
A5: I think all things suggested are good things. Overall, one message (and it might be controversial) is that we all need to know mass school shootings are extremely rare. I don't want our students to be too stressed out about this.
A5: I maybe naive, but I really thing a good PBIS system will change the culture of the building, inside and out. We can't control people on the outside, but we can control all that goes on in our schools. #utedchat
A5: This might vary by age. As a junior high teacher, I wish my school spent more time on digital/online safety and anti-bullying. Teachers don't need to be armed; they need to arm their students with knowledge about the reality of the world they live in. #utedchat
Q5: People are talking about everything from anti-bullying efforts to arming teachers. #SchoolSafety is a multifaceted issue. If we could only do ONE thing, what do you think would be most effective? #UTEdchat
So true! There needs to be services for students who are troubled. 'School to Prison Pipeline' shouldn't be a thing. Data bears out that it is a real thing. Important that we keep educational opportunities at the back end too - in juvenile justice and prison system. #UTEdchat
Q6: At what policy level (e.g. Federal, State Legislature or Board, District, School) should #SchoolSafety solutions be discussed, decided and implemented? Why there? #UTEdchat
A6: The real decisions should be made at the local district and school level because contexts are so unique across the state. HOWEVER, other levels can help with broad outlines of areas they will support with expertise in planning, training and funding. #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
You are correct- rampage killings and school attacks are rare. However, if we approach the problem(s) right, we'll also be dealing with the same issues that result in student suicide. That's far more common. #1 killer of 10-18 year olds in Utah. #UTEdchat
https://t.co/UcsoJrUfVs#UTEdchat The students need to have a structure and I agree - the students need to be armed with the knowledge of how to deal with their own world...
A6 At ALL levels. There should be policies to guide local decisions, but ultimately, every school/every building is different. They have their own needs and specific situations to deal with. #utedchat#schoolsafety
Definitely an important part of connecting with kids! PBIS has to be legitimate with buy-in though. When it's a check the box exercise it's not effective. #UTEdchat
A6: I think they need to be discussed at all levels. Each district and school is unique with unique issues and problems. Legislation and the state needs to be there to give needed resources and districts and schools need to decide what is best for them. #UTedChat
A6 at all levels... it isn't the responsibility of the Top-down, nor the initiative from the bottom-up. It needs to be on the discussion table at all levels... #UTEdchat
A5. I like the idea of informing Ss that it is OK to share information about their friends or something they see with Ts. I heard this communication saves lives. Admin can stop the incident before it happens. Ss probably know more about what's going to happen than Ts. #UTedChat
Absolutely true! The SafeUT App has facilitated a lot of those interactions as well in cases where students might not have a connection with an adult they can talk to. We need to be better at forming those connections in the secondary world. #UTEdchat
A6 Financial support at the state level, but more authentic decisions can be made at the district level. Our districts are so diverse in geography and culture. #UTEdchat
A6: I would want at least state-level reporting of how these policies are applied. People turning a blind eye to local decisions may foster environments where students of color are unduly targeted. #utedchat
Q6: At what policy level (e.g. Federal, State Legislature or Board, District, School) should #SchoolSafety solutions be discussed, decided and implemented? Why there? #UTEdchat
A6 I like the idea of funding coming from the state or feds and then let the local schools decide what and where they need it. Most newer schools are up to date. The older schools need funding to modernize them and improve security. #UTedChat
I have my reservations about an App saving lives... the real "APP" is "About People Participating" and becoming aware of the world around them and reaching out as human beings ... #UTEdchat
It's a great App. Trouble is it gets attention for a while, then gets crowded out by all of everything else. Personnel change over, students move in and out. It has to be brought up again and again. Minimum at the start of each year. And posters around the school. #UTEdchat
A6: District support, but it has to be implemented and created at the school level. There's not a blanket saftey plan. As a parent, I would want my S's admin team to have a plan that helps keep every kid in the school safe and makes them feel safe while they're there #utedchat
A7: Speak up and support research-proven solutions! Too many non-educators are trying to drive the narrative & that's not helpful. Have conversations with the SRO or Local Law Enforcement. Ensure your students feel wanted. Share ideas with decision makers! #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
Totally agree that the human connections are the primary means of making a lasting impact. I also see a benefit in multiple lines of defense and access points for the conversations to happen though. High school students are different from littles. #UTEdchat
#UTEdchat
A7: Keep involved but work on improving school culture and schools generally. There is an element of not overreacting which is key here. And T's need to be part of the solution, not policy makers dictating stuff at us.
A7: Speak up, be involved. Contact superintendents, board members, legislators about ideas solutions and issues. Create your own committee of parents, teachers, officers, mental health professionals, gun advocates, etc. to talk about your own community. #UTEdchat
A7 Being informed and prepared to act in the best way possible in an incident. Also, creating an environment in my classroom/school in which students feel welcomed and supported. #utedchat#schoolsafety
This may be part of the answer as well - it's certainly a way to help students find connections, improve their lives, and stay out of trouble... #UTEdchat#SchoolSafety
A6: I think it is important to involve people from other community agencies as we collaborate about school safety. In many instances good communcation withthose entities is critical.#UTedChat
A7 take the blinders off and wake up to reality. We need to be more proactive and have plans in place, as we go about implementing plans, we need to continually bring everyone on board and practice, practice, practice common sense #UTEdchat
Aaaaaaaamen! We've got a lot of great things happening in #uted and we need to toot our own horns a bit more often. If we don't others will tell a different story - often a negative agenda driven one. #UTEdchat
A7: You have to continue to promote and talk about all the good things that are happening at your school and district. Students, parents and community members need to know how great our schools are!!! #utedchat
If you're politically motivated or feeling a case of activism coming on, there are events this Saturday around the country as well. Student voices and concerns need to be part of the conversation. #UTedchat#uted#SchoolSafety There are lots of things we can do. Find what fits.
On April 20th, NEA will join with students, educators, parents and communities across the nation for a National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools. Find out how you can join to #protectourschools: https://t.co/X3UsZPyBRF
This might be because I've been in my PLT Praxis book too much, but Abe Maslow suggested safety is the thing students need right after physiological needs. Students can't rise to expectations without feeling safe. How often do we consider if someone truly feels safe?
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A7 Small reminders through out the year. We don't tell our kids once how to cross the street. Instead, we give constant, short reminders. Same thing for school safety. We need to remind students to have constant vigilance. #UTedChat
Agreed. Things feel like they are starting to fade somewhat, but the @March4LivesSLC students aren't going away and I think that's critical so the conversation stays focused. #UTEdchat
Thanks so much for joining tonight's #UTEdchat conversation on #SchoolSafety! We hope you found some actionable ideas on ways to improve safety in your schools. @HSG_UT Hope to see you next week! #uted
