Front Page

By Theresa Kelly Gegen

Among the many lessons learned, through the last several months of international, national, statewide, local, and personal strife, is that everything is connected, and every interconnectedness is further connected to public education.

This year in the Illinois School Board Journal, we’ve connected readers with topics of early childhood education, career and technical education, social and emotional learning, educational equity, and, with this final issue of the calendar year, school health, safety, and security. All of this was in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and demonstrating the vital interconnectedness and fundamental vitality of public education in our communities, as educators and caretakers of students and their futures.

Particularly in this issue, we look at the way social and emotional learning impacts school safety and security. As my IASB colleague Maryam Brotine points out on page 10, “… my mind goes to mental health and social-emotional learning — issues that have always been relevant to school safety and security, but whose importance for the entire school community has expanded considerably … the rollercoaster ride of uncertainty rolls on, leaving anxiety, stress, and trauma in its track. Are Illinois schools truly equipped to handle this ride and its aftereffects?”

As it studies incidents of targeted school violence, the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), a division of the U.S. Secret Service, has established threat assessment protocols for school districts. With the goal of preventing targeted violence and keeping children safe at school, law enforcement collaborates with the education and wellness communities to study incidents of school violence. Read more about the important work of threat assessment and its local application starting on page 13 and Safe2Help Illinois on page 30.

We also hear of the connectedness between SEL and school safety from Triad CUSD 2 school resource officer Kip Heinle, who shares on page 26, “Not only do we keep peace and order at schools and school functions, but we are also mentors to students. … We are parent figures to students who need a positive adult in their life for whatever reason. We are counselors with a listening ear for students, faculty, and staff.”

In Yorkville CUSD 115, according to Director of Communications & Community Engagement Kristine Liptrot, “School security often focuses on ‘physical’ safeguards such as entrance restrictions, visitor lanyards, metal detectors, security guards, alarms, and lockdowns, ‘emotional’ matters such as a positive climate, trusted adults, strong role models, supporting student voice, and mental health and wellness are equally important.” Read more about Yorkville’s work in Practical PR on page 35.

And in far Southern Illinois, Vienna-area schools, led by HSD 13-3 Superintendent Joshua Stafford, bring together stakeholders from the local mental health community, law enforcement, education, health care, and local institutions — so that when an urgent situation occurs, members of the response teams already know each other, the resources each cohort brings, and can work quickly together in an emergency. Learn more about Vienna’s work on page 20.

Even before 2020, we knew that social and emotional well-being impacts the health, safety, and security of our students. As stressors rise, as trauma increases across the board, schools remain vigilant about their students’ well-being. The locations may change, as the decision-making continues regarding remote learning, hybrid models, and re-opening classrooms, but the vigilance remains.

As I write this, it’s October 6, 2020 and my daughter is finishing up her first day of high school, actually in the high school. Although not a morning person, she was ready today, and even remembered at the last minute to pack a lunch. We hope that these things — being present and healthy in school, her early-morning readiness, and lunch — will continue. Hers is a fortunate story, one of two million stories of Illinois public school students and their ways and means — and too often insurmountable difficulties — of learning this year and experiencing the interconnectedness of the issues of these times.
 

Theresa Kelly Gegen is Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal and welcomes your stories at [email protected].