Introduction
The following information will analyze the case “From Rookie to Reality” in regards to Standard 4 of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards: collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
Summarize the Case
Shoreline Elementary School is a kindergarten through fifth-grade school with approximately 720 students. The school is in a good community, has a low crime rate, and parents are actively involved in the school. In a neighboring district, a school was recently evacuated because a home-made bomb was found and diffused outside a classroom. This incident was highly publicized and on the minds of many parents
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In this scenario, parents should be informed as soon as any facts about the situation are known. Safety is the number one priority, but accurate communication is just as important. Utilizing the school’s messenger system or other available resources, parents should be notified of the situation and the steps taken to ensure the safety and security of all individuals. If this event turns into a police matter, then the district should work in conjunction with the local authorities to release a combined press release with all relevant factual information. Unfortunately, in today’s age and social media, word travels fast and parents will know before the principal contacts all district stakeholders.
Bomb Threat Safety
It is the belief of the author that administrators should not have bomb threat safety training. Administrators should be trained in how to react in crisis situations, but trained professionals need to deal with bombs. This would be the same scenario if an active shooter. Administrators do not carry weapons to defend the school but mobilize resources and train staff to respond to crisis situations.
Follow-Up Interventions and In-Service
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In regards to this incident, it might be useful to use information from local authorities as well as ideas from resources by experts. Fein (2002) discusses threats to school on a larger scale with the intent of preventing future attacks from happening. In addition to this resource, training staff on the Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Communicate and Evacuate (ALICE) procedure would be beneficial. If all staff members are trained on this procedure, they might understand their role when responding to a crisis