Can a school protect my child?

Many Parents ask this question.

Many Parents ask schools this question. This question usually comes as a family is entering a new school or a new grade. It may come when an issue happens, such as a bullying incident or a fight with another student.

So the question is, is this something that a school can do? Can a school truly protect a child?

The short answer is a school can do its best, but it cannot guarantee your child’s safety.

A school can do its best to ensure a child’s safety by monitoring groups and putting plans in place. But just as in mainstream society, city officials can’t ensure your safety neither can a school.

If a child is having issues in school, the parent can request a meeting with the appropriate school officials to try to resolve the issue.

The purpose of having a meeting with school personnel such as the principal, assistant principal and lead teachers is to identify the problem and come up with solutions. The purpose is not to point fingers and be accusatory, that does not help the situation. In most schools, the personnel who work there day after day care for students and want the best for them. They also want to protect them. So, identifying the issue with the parents, child and school personnel involved will allow all sides to be heard so that there is a clear understanding as to what is taking place.

A school can develop a safety plan.

If the meeting doesn’t resolve the issue, then a safety plan can be created to protect the child from whatever the harm or potential harm is. A safety plan consists of steps to ensure the safety of a child whenever they are presented with possible harm in a particular situation. Some items that you may see on a safety plan are special accommodations for lunch if the potential harm is present, a set time to transition classes to avoid the potential harm and designated entry and dismissal procedures. This plan is only effective when it is simple enough to be implemented by the school and when there are designated people on the plan to monitor it.

If all else fails, a Parent can request a change in placement.

This would be a decision that usually is not made by personnel at the school but those who supervise the school. Each district has a different process however if a parent feels as though their child is in an unsafe environment and the school cannot keep their child safe, they can make this request. It is helpful if the parent has documentation of the steps that were taken before this request is made so that everyone has a full picture of what has been going on. This is always a last resort however in some extreme cases it is necessary for the child’s well being.

At the end of the day, the most important thing in these situations is doing what is best for the child. If all parties involved are on the same page, it makes the process of protecting the child much easier.