LM Nov-Dec.2019

Director of Safety and Security, the Illinois School Psychologists Association and the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools. Other school safety recommendations and initiatives As of October of 2019, the SSWG has made 15 school safety recommendations (click here to see the full list) including response protocols, the hardening of school facilities and behavioral and mental health recommendations. Understanding that public schools already have more than 200 unfunded mandates, almost all of the SSWG recommendations are best practice recommendations versus mandates. That said, the General Assembly passed and Governor JB Pritzker signed into law HB 1561, which includes two of the main SSWG recommendations. The first requires K–12 schools to form Behavioral Threat Assessment teams that might include school administrators, counselors, teachers, staff, mental health professionals and local law enforcement to review and determine what interventions, if any, need to take place based on the behaviors of students. A second part of that legislation allows school districts to use Health, Life Safety Tax Levy funds and/or funds from the County School Facilities Sales Tax (for the 51 counties that have passed that sales tax referendum) to hire School Resource Officers (SROs) and/or mental health professionals. Those two tax funds previously have been limited to physical improvements to facilities. Other SSWG recommendations that are currently being implemented include: • The distribution of bleeding control kits as well as offering the 90-minute hands-on American College of Surgeons Stop the Bleed training. The ITTF is distributing one bleeding-control kit to every public and private K–12 attendance center in the state and an additional five kits to every attendance center where at least five teachers/staff members have completed the hands-on training course. The kits are being distributed by the ROE offices. For information, contact Stop the Bleed Project Manager, Barb Oliff, at baoliff@ileas.org . • Free Behavioral Threat Assessment or Site Security Assessment training through the Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center at Western Illinois University. For information, call 309–298–2646 or email schoolsafety@iletsbei.com . For information about any of the SSWG recommendations or initiatives, or to schedule a speaker, please contact me at mike.chamness@illinois.gov or my assistant Deb Clark at Deborah.clark@illinois.gov .

Educationand trainingarekey components The helpline may be the most tangible part of the Safe2Help initiative, but the education and training components of the program may be even more important in terms of prevention and the long-term goal of changing the school safety culture. The Safe2Help program will feature a comprehensive, public- facing website focused on the idea that prevention and early intervention is the key to preventing violence and saving lives. As part of the program’s outreach, trainers will be hired and a school safety curriculum and resources are being developed. We are looking to provide age-appropriate training and resources regarding these topics/issues: • In the lower grades, the difference between “tattling” and “telling” and a “Be Kind” initiative to try at the earliest ages to start to combat bullying. • In the middle grades, adding Internet safety and drug awareness to the curriculum. • At the high school level, adding to the curriculum suicide prevention and a direct appeal to share information with a trusted adult or through the Safe2Help program to get help for students before they harm themselves or others. While the Safe2Help line can offer a way in which to receive and share critical information the day it is activated, the education/training efforts may produce even more benefits over the long term. IASA has been a valuable member of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force’s School Safety Working Group ever since it was formed in the days following the school shootings in Parkland, Florida in February 2018. IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark was one of the original members. Other IASA representatives on the SSWG include Dr. Roger Alvey, superintendent of Illini Bluffs CUSD #327; Dr. Seth Chapman, assistant superintendent of St. Charles CUSD #303 and Dr. Steve Webb, superintendent of Goreville CUSD #1. In addition to state and local law enforcement agencies and associations, the SSWG also includes the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Principals Association, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Chicago Public Schools

21

LM Month 2019