When it comes to school safety, prevention is our strongest lever. Much of that prevention is due to processes in place that are aligned with the district’s mission, vision, and core values, along with best practices around school safety nationwide. Behind the scenes of every disciplinary case in the Wauwatosa School District, there is a lot happening in terms of strategic intervention and careful safety planning around each individual student’s needs.
In this episode of Talking Tosa, Chief of Pupil and Family Supports Luke Pinion and Director of Student Success Emily O’Connor break down how preventative processes play a significant role in school safety. #TosaProud
Sound bites:
"I think it's important to continue supporting the development of an atmosphere in which the rights and duties of student policies are acknowledged. So, really, all of us have an opportunity, and I think even an obligation, to seek to understand that behavior is a form of communication, and so, when students are experiencing challenges, what is that telling us and can we respond in a supportive and healthy way for that student? That's really what research demonstrates will be effective longterm is really putting in place those supports and strategies."
-Emilie O’Connor, Director of Student Success
"It's really important that we all approach these needs and these situations with a lens of curiosity and inquiry rather than judgement and making assumptions."
-Emilie O’Connor, Director of Student Success
“It's very important to know, just because a student has a piece of paper that says they're expelled, that does not equate to more safe schools. In fact, you look at Sandy Hook, Uvalde–those students had a piece of paper that said they were expelled. So even when you go that far, it is crucial that we're still doing safety planning around the student's needs.”
-Luke Pinion, Chief of Pupil and Family Supports