Medical emergencies can happen in any school at any time. They can be the result of preexisting health problems, accidents, violence, unintentional actions, natural disasters, and toxins. Premature deaths in schools from sudden cardiac arrest, blunt trauma to the chest, firearm injuries, asthma, head injuries, drug overdose, allergic reactions,…

It is impossible to ignore how technology is infiltrating education. Interactive projectors and other technologies give teachers and students the opportunity to bring lessons to life. Some districts are replacing textbooks with digital content, allowing students to interact with content in new ways. Galion City School District in Galion, Ohio, is…

Those who spent time in the classroom recognize the need to formulate well-designed lesson plans before they can provide a first-rate education. A lesson plan provides guidance on what they will be teaching, the tools they will need to teach a lesson, and their expectations for the outcomes of the lesson--what kids will learn. The same is true for…

Providing a comprehensive approach for achieving the goal of a safe environment where the priority can be teaching and learning is vital to every district's success. To attain this goal, school districts must educate students, staff, and the community and provide tools that help anticipate potential problems and prevent them from escalating into…

Bedbugs are a growing problem in schools today. Bedbugs are often confused with other insects, and their signs are hard to recognize. School officials should work with an experienced pest control company to confirm whether the insects are bed bugs and, if they are not, to identify them so they can be treated effectively. Education and vigilance…

On June 12, 2008, the local creek had flooded one-fifth of the city in Cedar Rapids. When schools buildings are flooded and the systems are in jeopardy, one has to act fast and learn from his/her mistakes. In this article, the author recounts his experience after the disaster in Cedar Rapids and shares what he learned from the disaster.

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) may not be the only aspect of a green school, but it is one of the most significant. Advanced environmental instrumentation technology now provides school business officials with tools to measure the factors that contribute to their schools' IEQ. These new devices make it possible to identify the toxic or…

Risk management is a huge task that requires diligent oversight to avoid penalties, fines, or lawsuits. Add in the burden of limited resources that schools face today, and the challenge of meeting the required training, reporting, compliance, and other administrative issues associated with a safety program is almost insurmountable. Despite an…

For most people, a safety audit entails the completion of a long list of very routine, relatively mundane tasks because someone, somewhere, thought it was important. They usually comply grudgingly because it is yet another duty that has been added to their already full plate. Safety audits are usually required by insurance companies or some other…

The concept of zero tolerance dates back to the mid-1990s when New Jersey was creating laws to address nuisance crimes in communities. The main goal of these neighborhood crime policies was to have zero tolerance for petty crime such as graffiti or littering so as to keep more serious crimes from occurring. Next came the war on drugs. In federal…

On December 8, 2008, "USA Today" published the article "The Smokestack Effect: Toxic Air and America's Schools." The article reported that as a result of computer modeling of the potential dispersion of contaminants into the air (not actual tests of air samples) done by the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University,…

If one word can characterize what may be troubling about risk management in today's schools, it is "complacency." Complacency is a negative behavior that could entrap people into letting their guard down. In "The School Business Administrator," authors Kenneth Stevenson and Don Tharpe write: "A successful school business administrator has a…

New legislation or modifications to existing federal and state education legislation often mandate more training for district staff and more documentation to prove compliance. These regulations come with heavy penalties for noncompliance; yet these initiatives are usually unfunded, thus making it difficult to ensure that staff members receive the…

Preparing for every possible contingency seems daunting, but with teamwork and some help from the government, it's almost do-able. There is a great system out there that will help business professionals and educators develop a strong, effective emergency preparedness plan. If they haven't done a good job of implementing a solid emergency response…

School system leaders never know when disaster may strike. Having a plan in place to protect vital data and systems is crucial. School system leaders need to be actively involved in crisis preparedness, planned response, and recovery to ensure student and staff safety and to make certain that all important operations, services, processes, and…