Community Update On Tangible Ways MISD Making Immediate and Longer Term Changes To Support Student Safety
Fred Rundle
Dear Mercer Island Community,
Alleged and confirmed cases of sexual assault/misconduct by former staff members continue to challenge us at the personal, system, and community levels. While we cannot change the past, we can interrupt and disrupt what are extremely frightening national statistics that we are not immune from on Mercer Island: 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience sexual abuse in childhood. One student survivor of sexual misconduct, whether by a fellow student or adult, is too many.
Our schools and district are committed to improvement, using the past and present to highlight where we can make our schools safer and more supportive. Readiness to move forward is neither linear nor on a universal timeline. Thus, we will continue supporting those still trying to make sense of the recent allegations while at the same time taking steps toward a better tomorrow. I struggle just like others with the personal and professional implications of staff misconduct, but remain steadfast in my commitment to leading alongside others efforts to reform our systems.
I want to thank our staff, students, parents, and broader community for their support and feedback. In our commitment to ongoing communication and improvement, here are some tangible ways we are making immediate and longer term changes.
District and Administrators
I will be sharing more soon, but we are partnering with Praesidium, a nationwide abuse-prevention and intervention firm. They offer hotline support for administrators seven days a week, staff training, risk assessments for schools and the district, policy recommendations, and more.
District administrators will be taking part in virtual trainings and workshops through the winter and spring. The first, coming on January 14, is titled Preventing Child Sexual Abuse and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries. This training and workshop is one of many aspects of our partnership with Praesidium.
When we know better, we will do better. We know we need to improve, so Praesidium, as well as King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC), Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS), and UW/Harborview, will be invaluable partners moving forward.
Students
We are expanding access to what our staff already use for annual training called SafeSchools, vetting online courses offered to students. We will identify different modules for each level (elementary, middle, and high school) to add to the school year experience.
KCSARC joined MIHS staff for a portion of their day on Monday, sharing examples of student education and training they provide to help students recognize boundary violations by adults, identify grooming behavior, and empower them to report.
Alongside our teachers, particularly our Health and P.E. experts, we will consider our current educational opportunities for all students and look to add even more, building upon existing Safe Touching/Boundary units in our elementary schools, health lessons in middle school, and ongoing education throughout each of the four high school years at MIHS.
Staff
This is a time of vulnerability, concern, and question. Our school and district are committed to elevating those aligned with our values through responsive training tailored to their needs, listening to their concerns, acting on their requests, and encouraging them to continue showing up for our students each day without reservation.
Staff are seeking and we will be providing additional training to make them even more equipped to support students who report, identify concerning adult behaviors sooner, and make reports themselves with the confidence and reassurance their disclosure will create action.
KCSARC and others are sharing resources and training opportunities in the short and long-term on professional boundaries, sexual misconduct, grooming, and the many ways to maintain positive relationships with students that uphold the standards of our profession.
Parents
Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) and MI Parent Edge are collaborating with KCSARC to provide a parent education program on having conversations with their students around personal safety. Titled, “Moving Beyond Stranger Danger: Personal Safety Conversations for Today’s Youth,” MIYFS has confirmed a program date of December 8 from 6:30-8:00pm at the MI Community and Events Center. The presentation is appropriate for parents and caregivers of children in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Community- Student Safety & Well-Being Committee
This Committee held their first meeting on Tuesday, November 4. The committee of over 30 students, parents, and community members gathered to bring together varied perspectives with the goal of ensuring there are systems in place to safeguard and protect every student.
In the first meeting the committee started the process of looking at what policies and practices are in place to determine what is working and what might be improved as well as consider whether the needs of the community are being met and to ensure that practices reflect community values. The committee will provide a recommendation to the Board and Superintendent with respect to suggested practice improvements and/or policy revisions.
We have built a Student Safety & Well-Being webpage to keep our community informed of the committee’s work. This web page also has a FAQ that we will be updating regularly with questions and answers we were not able to get to in the Student Safety & Well-Being Webinar we held with the PTA Council on October 30. More answers are coming, but we have started this work.
We know the Student Safety & Well-Being Committee will be a great benefit to our community and instrumental in supporting student safety moving forward.
Like many, I have felt the personal and professional weight of recent events, yet I remain unwavering in my commitment to lead with integrity, partner with our community, and advance the work needed to strengthen our student safety practices and systems.
