Safe and civil schools focus of summer Administrator Leadership training

Safe and civil schools focus of summer Administrator Leadership training
During their annual summer Leadership Academy, district administrators spent two days discussing strategies for making Walla Walla schools safer and more civil. The meetings were held at the district office.

The first day of the training district Risk Management Consultant and Bullying Prevention Specialist Mark Thompson presented information on how to make schools safer and more civil following recommendations from The Respectful School by Stephen Wessler.

The district's Safe Schools model is as follows:
- Prevention
- Management 
- Recovery

Core Values
Every child has the right to be physically and emotionally safe at school. Children cannot learn and cannot grow to their fullest potential when they fear for their safety. It is possible to create schools and classrooms where a climate of safety and respect enables all children to thrive and succeed.

Administrative Support
Administrators must create anti-harassment policies that are clear and fair. Policies include:
- Discrimination & Sexual Harassment
- Bullying, Intimidation and Harassment
- Hazing
- Retaliation

Teacher Intervention
Teachers and staff must also speak up by responding immediately, consistently, and firmly when students engage in harassing conduct or use degrading language or slurs. Walla Walla teachers have been receiving this training for many years.

Peer-to-Peer Leadership
Providing students who are viewed as leaders and role models by their peers with the knowledge, empathy, and skills to speak up for respect is an essential component of any comprehensive strategy to change school climate and to reduce harassment and violence.

On the second day of the training district administrators learned more about developing a districtwide Student Safety Assessment Team to help analyze threats in the district. Former Edmonds police officer and threat assessment expert Martin Speckmaier (http://www.school-safety-intervention.org) presented to administrators on this issue.

Assistant Personnel Director Liz Campeau will serve as the district level team leader for this program. This model helps school districts establish building and district level teams to assess threats and to put procedures in place to best manage these situations. The district level team consists of district staff and community experts.