As business professionals, we rely on one another to advise, inform, support, learn (and laugh), and do our jobs knowing that we have a network behind us. Our duties regarding safety and security should be no different.
While the public and the news media are consistently focused on school shootings or the threat thereof, our schools face diverse challenges.
Schools come in different shapes and sizes. When I worked in New Jersey, my schools were essentially boxes with windows. Everything happened inside, including lunch. Very few schools had fences that closed them off from public access. In reality, anyone could approach a classroom window and look inside.
In California, our campuses are more spread out and wide open. Students must walk outside to go from one class or building to another. Students eat lunch outside. All our campuses have some type of fencing that surrounds the school property and limits entry to specified, and usually staffed, areas.
Preparing for All Emergencies
Regardless of your district’s layout, it is important to consider the landscape of school safety and its significant transformations over the years. Gone are the days when safety measures focused solely on fire drills and basic first aid.
While the public and the news media are consistently focused on school shootings or the threat thereof, our schools face diverse challenges. For example, Florida has hurricanes; Midwest schools deal with flooding; the Northeast has snowstorms; and the West Coast has earthquakes, mudslides, and wildfires.
As school business professionals, we must make sure that our district is prepared for a range of potential natural disasters in addition to acts of violence. We cannot let the need for comprehensive safety protocols be minimized by the unfortunate rise in and publicly dominated incidents, such as shootings, bullying, and cyber threats.
Because we live in an era marked by technological advancements, we can be easily swayed by the latest safety-related equipment or training services. While corporations are helpful and supportive and provide necessary information to guide us, let’s not overlook the importance of our fellow school business officials.
A Wholistic Approach
As we contemplate our responsibility, remember we do not need to “reinvent the wheel” each time. One of the most useful tools I rely on is ASBO International’s Global School Business Network.
Because school safety extends beyond mere physical security, it requires a holistic approach to address potential threats and emergencies. Whether responding to a flood, fire, earthquake, fencing, or other safety-related incident, someone has likely had experience dealing with it. And if you don’t find an answer on the website, post a question. You will surely get a response or a referral. The importance of networking with other school business professionals to support our preparedness cannot be overstated, as each of our roles, like each of our campuses, varies widely.
Collaboration among our school business professional networks promotes the sharing of best practices, lessons learned, and innovative solutions. Engaging with one another provides valuable insights into the different challenges we each face. Exchanging information allows for a more nuanced and adaptable approach to safety knowledge.
Our networking creates a collective knowledge base that transcends individual school boundaries, contributing to more robust plans and better-informed school business professionals.
School safety and security preparedness is a multifaceted endeavor that requires a proactive and prepared approach. The importance of networking cannot be overstated. Learn from it, contribute to it, and keep the cycle going for the good of our profession and, ultimately, the safety of our students and staff.