A View from the IU

Summer time is a great time to check the batteries in your Go Kits or other emergency gear you have stored. While we hope that we never need to use this stored equipment we can't forget that it does require some ongoing care to make sure it's ready when we need it.  Failing to check and change batteries can be very costly and reduce your readiness.  If the batteries rupture I've seen them erode electrical terminals on flashlights and radios and even dissolve holes through the bottom of Go Bags. Don't let something simple like battery maintenance result in the loss of expensive  equipment.   Here's a few things to consider:

It should be every schools goal to have an All Hazards Plan (AHP) the is consistent with the model provided by Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).  That is the standard established for us in both School Code and Title 35.  By clicking the link below you can review the model plan and the newer annexes for yourself.  You shouldn't have to hire a consultant to do this.  It is all pretty straight forward. PEMA MODEL.

On July 2, 2019 Governor Wolf signed SB-621 into law as Act 67-2019.  In this new Act legislators attempted to clarify several issues related to school resource officers (SRO), school police officers (SPO) and school security guards that previously lacked clarity in either Title 35 or PA School Code

   The simple fact is that most students who engage in or threaten violence in school have significant social, emotional or mental health issues as a result of the lives they live at home and in their community during non-school hours.  It is in these often harmful settings that a student's mental health and overall well being are determined.  Their concerning school behaviors are simply a bi-product of an otherwise unhealthy and broken home life.  By the time they get off the bus much of the damage to that student is already done.