Dear Colleague

Chapter IV

SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS

Recognizing that school communities and physical plants differ and thus present a variety of safety problems, Article 10 of the UFT contract requires each school to have its own safety plan.

The principal must prepare this plan in collaboration with the chapter committee and the parents’ association. According to the contract, the safety plan must be reviewed and, if needed, revised annually using the same consultative process. It is important that every staff member receive a copy of the safety plan. A faculty meeting early in the year should be devoted to reviewing the plan. Safety plans should address the real problems of the school as well as the potential ones. It should provide for routine safety procedures and various emergency situations. In buildings which house more than one school or program, there should be an overall plan.

ROUTINE PROCEDURES

Times Covered

It is important that the plan state the hours of operation, i.e., "This plan is in effect between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m."

Chain of Command

Regardless of who is absent or otherwise out of the building, some individual must be in charge. Since it is vital to eliminate any possibility of "no one in charge" during an emergency, a chain of command should be spelled out.

Safety Officer Assignments

A chart of these assignments should be included in the plan and posted in the office. Staff members should know where the nearest safety officer is assigned.

Communications/Response

Whom should you call when there is an impending emergency? Who will respond? Your school should have an intercom equivalent to 911.

Exit Security

Ensure all exit doors are in good repair. Frequent patrol and door checks should be made. Anti-trespass and visitor procedure signs should be posted. All exiting visitor traffic should be directed to the main exit using signs such as "FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, PLEASE LEAVE BY THE MAIN ENTRANCE."

Visitor Screening

Follow the provisions of Special Circular #4—"Uniform Visitor Control Procedures" or simply incorporate it into your plan.

The memorandum includes the following:

Visitors must produce valid ID to the security officer at the desk and the officer will record the information in the visitors’ log.
If the office is out of sight of the desk, the school safety officer should call the office informing staff that a visitor is on the way.
The security officer will issue a pass to go only to the general office.
Only visitors with appointments may proceed from the general office to elsewhere in the building.
Visitors must carry a color-coded pass specific to the floor.
A visitor without an appointment must wait in the office until the staff member he or she wishes to see is free to come to the office.

Passes

All passes should be large and non-foldable. Stick-on badges are just as good; however, they have been known to damage some types of clothing. The purpose of the pass is to identify the visitor as someone who has been screened and has legitimate business in the school.

Times of School Day

All the considerations in Chapter I regarding various times of the school day should be covered in the safety plan.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Intruder Alert Procedures

An intruder is an individual who has no legitimate business in the school. All staff members must report suspected intruders. Your plan should include rapid response, which should include a coded warning over the public address system designed to alert staff without alarming students. An example: "Officer Jones, report to the library." This indicates the presence of an intruder and the location. Police should be notified if the intruder is suspected of being dangerous. Apprehending most intruders should be left to security staff and the police. An "all clear" message should be used when the danger has passed.

Major Disruptions

Notify police, transit police, Division of School Safety and the superintendent. Make emergency assignments for all staff members. These should be designed to minimize risk of injury to students and participating staff members. Emergency patrols should be group efforts that include a supervisor and a safety officer with a radio.

Ensure Clear Communication

This would include posting of regular situation reports. Frequent safety committee meetings and rumor control efforts are essential.

CHANCELLOR’S REGULATIONS

The chancellor has promulgated several important regulations and circulars involving safety and security. Rather than copy them into your safety plan, simply add the following line to your plan: "All regulations and directives of the chancellor concerning school safety, security and student discipline are hereby appended." The Division of School Safety’s "Safety Plan Shell" includes the tagline as an addendum.

These include but are not limited to:

A-410 Maintenance of Public Order on School Property.
A-440, A-441, A-445 Suspension Regulations.
A-412 Security in the School.
A-414 Safety Plans.
Special Circular #4—"Uniform Visitor Control Procedures."
Discipline Code.

DISCIPLINE CODE

Every district and central division must have a discipline code based on city-wide guidelines. Like the safety plan, the code must be updated every year. The codes are issued by the central board and community boards and are therefore Board policy. The Superintendent must suspend any student K-12 who possesses a gun or other illegal weapon, uses force on a staff member, causes serious injury to anyone or sells drugs. You can file a grievance if a school or district fails to enforce the code.

If there are concerns regarding the implementation of the discipline code in your school, consult Chancellor’s Memorandum No. 48, 1986-87. There is a three-step resolution process involving first the principal, second the superintendent, and third the chancellor’s office. Chapter leaders, district representatives and the staff at central UFT will be involved in that process. That memo also describes the role of the teacher in implementing the code. Nine separate directives are included, none of which can be fulfilled unless the teacher has a copy and is familiar with the discipline code.

Chancellor’s Special Circular No. 9, dated Aug. 25, 1988, outlines the role of teachers and other staff members in formulating discipline policy and also details distribution and monitoring procedures.

SCHOOL SAFETY COMMITTEES

The chancellor has mandated that every school must have a functioning school safety committee. The Chapter should play a leading role in the committee. Important roles of the committee would include:

Monitoring implementation of the school safety plan.
Tracking incidents in order to identify trouble spots in time to plan corrective action.

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