AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased to present its revised School Safety and Crisis Planning toolkit, comprised of online resources to assist school district leaders during these very challenging times. Originally launched in 2018, added features include information addressing the critical issues of mental health, cybersecurity and physical safety, while our 24-hour hotline service is still available for the benefit of AASA members. Once again, we are grateful for the continued support provided by our partners in this important initiative.
Developed in partnership with:
The horrific school shootings we continue to hear about have created a turning point toward the issue of school safety. All children have the right to live and learn in a safe environment. As the nation’s largest organization representing the leaders of our public schools, we felt it was our responsibility to create a digital safety solution package, specifically tailored for AASA members as well as non-member superintendents in their plight against the gun violence that continues to threaten our schools and students.
“Everyone has the responsibility to provide a safe and healthy learning environment, whether you are a school district leader, administrator, teacher, parent, student, or other member of the community. Together, we can foster positive and inclusive environments, provide effective social-emotional care and mental health programs, improve critical safety technologies, and enhance risk-management processes to address whatever crises may come our way. ASBO International is proud to do its part by providing tools that districts need to help our children learn, grow, and thrive."
NSPRA is proud to partner with AASA and provide the necessary resources in our efforts to help ensure the safety of our schools and most importantly, our students. We know that speed and accuracy are critical components in any crisis situation for well trained school safety and crisis teams. Their plans should be reviewed and practiced on a regular basis.
Protecting the physical, social, emotional and mental health of our children is of upmost importance. NSBA and school boards across the country are committed to supporting the innovation that we’ve seen during the pandemic and the transformation that’s needed to bring public education into the future—a future that is more just and equitable and one where each child is safe and supported.
School districts must be prepared in order to ensure on-going school safety and respond appropriately when a crisis does occur. Key elements include balancing physical and psychological safety, establishing an appropriately trained school crisis team, addressing the mental health needs of students and staff, and having access to succinct, evidence-based information. School district leaders will find AASA’s toolkit a valuable resource in helping to guide these efforts. School psychologists are critical members of school safety and crisis teams, and NASP is pleased to contribute some of our expert resources to the School Safety and Crisis Planning toolkit to support effective prevention, response, and recovery.
In school crisis situations, it’s imperative that resources are readily available to help school staff, educators and administrators make important decisions. ASCA is dedicated to working with partner organizations to provide information and tools to help these leaders make sound decisions related to the care of their school communities.
Immediate and Aftermath of a School / Community Crisis
The intent and design of this toolkit is to provide a checklist of necessary procedures before, during and after a crisis that is easily accessible by school leaders and designed specifically for school superintendents. School superintendents are encouraged to share their findings with key stakeholders in their districts. In addition, school superintendents are further encouraged to share their opinions on this toolkit with the AASA Executive Leadership Team as this toolkit will always be presented as a work in progress.
What I need to know and do as the district’s superintendent pertaining to security and safety best practice:
- Have I cultivated a strong relationship built on mutual respect with the local safety officials (police chief) and do we meet regularly to discuss safety?
- Do I have in place a detailed safety and security plan that is easily understood by all stakeholders?
- Do I have in place an identified staff member or a technology platform which will broadcast all needed information to the school community and the community-at-large pertaining to a crisis?
- Do I attend district safety committee meetings to show my unyielding support for the work?
- Am I comfortable with the safety and security plan if my district was in a crisis?
- Can I assure the local school board that every staff member (including new staff) understands our safety plan before they are with children?
- If I was out-of-district during a school emergency have I mentored or met with the key staff member who would represent my work in the midst of a tragedy?
- As needed, do I meet with my school board (minimum three times per year) in executive session to address school safety and security?
- Have I examined existing resources to reallocate assignments to meet the needs of today’s safety and security most complex issues?
- Do I meet with district mental health providers to collaborate and to have strategies in place for our most complex students who bring with them safety concerns to the district?
What I need to do in the midst of chaos:
- Proximity – Where is the best place for me to be to lead?
- Messaging – Can I use my already prepared messages from our district’s messaging bank to be proactive with communication?
- Empowerment – Have I scanned the crisis for gaps in our plan, and if need be, fill those gaps with staff members embedded within my trust circle?
- Composure – Do I have the ability to remain composed or do I delegate the point person to a designee?
- Duration – Am I able to stay at point for the duration of the crisis, and if not, how do I need to prepare and transition information to my designee?
- Reunification – Do all stakeholders have the same understanding for the parent reconnect? If I am not at the site have I designated a point person?
- Student and Staff Most Impacted by the Tragedy – Are my messages a balance of compassion and filled only with accurate information?
- School Board – Have I or my designee sent a message to the school board chair that there is a highly complex situation evolving in the district and information will be forthcoming as soon as the issue settles?
- Incident Command Center – Do I have all that I need from the ICC, and if not, how do I ascertain the information as quickly as possible?
- Personal – Have I kept my immediate family informed of the crisis and have I been able to honestly assure them of my own personal safety?
What I need to do in the aftermath of a tragedy:
- Self-Regulating – If you are taking care of everyone, who is taking care of you?
- Press Conference and Communication – Who should attend, and should there be a joint message from police and school?
- Families of Loss (If applicable) – Have I designated a point person to serve as a direct connect to the most impacted families and my office?
- Return to School – Have I consulted union presidents before finalizing my return-to-school broadcast?
- Debrief – Have I sat with all who were in the front line of the tragedy to better understand the “why” and to fully understand lessons learned?
- Support – Am I able to be present on site (out of my office) to appropriately support staff?
- Tragedy Roll-out – Do I take full ownership of the issue and if so, how?
- Human Resources – Have I met with the Human Resource department to fully understand the appropriate message to all impacted staff pertaining to need and return-to-work?
- Daily District Ritual – As the superintendent, I am spending nearly every minute of the work day navigating the tragedy; therefore, have I appropriately assigned and empowered a school leader to run the teaching and learning aspects of the school day?
- Sustainability and Recovery – Have I begun to think about who needs to be around the table when we address the inherent recovery and rebuild of the district?
Physical Safety
Violence Prevention
-
-
-
- School Violence Resources
- Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM): Best Practice Considerations for K–12 Schools
- Behavior Threat Assessment and Management in the Virtual Environment
- School Violence Prevention: Tips for Parents and Educators
- School Violence Prevention: Guidelines for Administrators and Crisis Teams
- Responding to School Violence: Tips for Administrators
- A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools
- Responding to Civil Unrest in Schools: Prevention to Response
- Protecting Students from Exploitation
- School Administrator: Securing Your Schools
- Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence
- Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools
-
-
Communication
Crisis Response
-
-
-
- Natural Disaster Resources
- District Crisis Support
- Best Practice Considerations for Schools in Armed Assailant Drills (Updated 2021)
- Mitigating Psychological Effects of Lockdowns
- School Safety Drills and Exercises for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Tips and Resources for Educators
- Promoting Acceptance and Compassion in Crises
- Reunification Following a School Evacuation: Guidelines for School Administrators and Crisis Response Teams
- Recovery From Large-Scale Crises: Guidelines for Crisis Teams and Administrators
- Responding to a Mass Casualty Event at a School: General Guidance for the First Stage of Recovery
- PREPaRE School Safety and Crisis Response Curriculum (crisis team training)
- The School Counselor and Safe Schools and Crisis Response
- School Administrator: The Opioid Crisis Hits Home
- School Administrator: Leadership Before, During and After a Crisis
- School Administrator: Management After a Crisis
-
-
Legal Considerations
-
-
- COVID-19: Preparing for Widespread Illness in Your Community: A Legal Guide for School Leaders
- Setting a New Course: A Legal Guide to Operating Schools in the Pandemic Era
- Setting a New Course: A Legal Guide to Operating Schools in the Pandemic Era | Addendum
- Fostering Safer Schools, A Legal Guide for School Board Members on School Safety
-
Mental Health
Suicide Prevention
-
-
- Model School District Suicide Prevention Policy
- Preventing Suicide: Guidelines for Administrators and Crisis Teams
- Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips for Parents & Educators
- Save a Friend: Tips for Teens to Prevent Suicide
- Conducting a Virtual Suicide Assessment Checklist
- Preparing for Virtual School Suicide Assessment Checklist
-
Trauma
-
-
- Supporting Students Experiencing Childhood Trauma: Tips for Parents and Educators
- Preventing Childhood Trauma: Guidelines for Administrators and Crisis Teams
- The School Counselor and Trauma-Informed Practice
- Anniversaries of Traumatic Events: Guidance for Educators
- Adverse Childhood Experiences
- School Administrator: Compassion in the Face of Trauma
-
Mental Health/Wellness
-
-
- Mental Health Resources
- School Reentry Considerations: Supporting Student Social Emotional Learning and Mental Behavioral Health Amidst COVID 19
- Supporting Children’s Mental Health: Tips for Families and Educators
- Comprehensive School Mental and Behavioral Health Services
- School Psychologists: Qualified Health Professionals Providing Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health Services
- The School Counselor and Student Mental Health
-
Care for the Caregiver
Cybersecurity
School Safety and Crisis Planning Toolkit Hotline
School leaders can have an immediate direct connect to their safety concerns by dialing 520-565-4111.
Janet Robinson is a former member of the AASA Governing Board and retired superintendent who led Newtown Public School District during the Sandy Hook crisis.