The ability for teachers to submit anonymous/confidential tips, along with access to the latest technology tools to help inform school leaders, 9-1-1 callers and first responders of emergencies more quickly, can contribute to increased safety and better outcomes.
TOP COMMUNICATION CHANNELS BEFORE AND DURING EMERGENCIES To help prevent emergencies from unfolding, 43% of parents report that they are able to submit anonymous or confidential tips via an online portal/website (43%), a hotline (38%) or through SMS text messages (36%). Slightly less than half of teachers (48%) report that they are able to submit anonymous or confidential tips. Like parents, teachers rely on submitting tips via an online portal/website submission (15%), a hotline and SMS text messages (10% each). When it comes to real-time response, 84% of teachers report that they have been notified of emergency incidents unfolding at or near their school and instructed on the actions they need to take. In the event of an emergency, though, 57% of teachers said that they would typically use the classroom phone to call the main office—a time-consuming approach that does not simultaneously loop in school district officials, 9-1-1 call handlers or first responders who may need to act fast. School communication with parents during an emergency is swift: 89% of parents say their child’s school has an alerting system to immediately contact them via phone, text and/or email during an emergency. In the event of an emergency evacuation, 32% of teachers would be notified in-person when it is safe to bring students back to school or if students should be taken to a reunification point. Twenty-one percent would be notified via SMS message from school safety personnel or administrators, and 20% would be notified via two-way radios. On a positive note, the research also revealed that more than half of teachers (57%) feel as though they and their colleagues have the safety technology and resources they need to support students with access and functional needs during an emergency. This includes students with physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities or those that have limited English proficiency.
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