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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 Now here's your host, Adam Bush.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 Good morning. Welcome to Your Morning Boost, brought to you by AWB Education
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 and of course sponsored by our friends at Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:00:25 --> 00:00:29 Happy Tuesday to all of you. I also want to give a special shout out to all
00:00:29 --> 00:00:33 of our working moms out there because tomorrow is National Working Moms Day.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:39 We appreciate your hard work and dedication, and of course, we hope that you have a wonderful day.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:43 Today, we're going to focus on a critical aspect of school safety and student
00:00:43 --> 00:00:49 well-being, and that is the vital role of school resource officers or our SROs.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 We're going to draw some insights from a recent article that was published by
00:00:52 --> 00:00:57 Raptor Technologies. It dives into the multifaceted responsibilities of SROs
00:00:57 --> 00:01:02 and how schools can foster a strong and positive working relationship with this role.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:07 Now, whether you have an established SRO program or you're looking to build
00:01:07 --> 00:01:11 connections just even with your local law enforcement, this episode is for you.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:16 So the traditional image of an SRO might be one of a law enforcement figure
00:01:16 --> 00:01:17 patrolling the hallways.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:22 But as this Raptor article highlights, the reality is far more nuanced than
00:01:22 --> 00:01:27 that. The National Association of School Resource Officers, or the NASRO,
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 they really emphasize that SROs serve three distinct roles.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:37 They are a teacher, an informal counselor and mentor, and a law enforcement officer.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:42 And increasingly, the roles of counselor and educator, these are starting to take center stage.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:47 This shift reflects this growing understanding that a proactive and relationship-based
00:01:47 --> 00:01:51 approach, this is key to creating a safe and supportive school environment.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 Now, one of the most compelling points I think the article made was the importance
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 of viewing SROs as educators.
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 Deputy Heather Norwood, an SRO that's featured in the article,
00:02:01 --> 00:02:05 she states, the thinking that our reason for being in the schools is just to
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 arrest juveniles couldn't be farther from the truth.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:13 This mindset underscores the potential for SROs to be valuable resources for students.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:18 They provide guidance on issues like drug and alcohol prevention and domestic
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 violence and other public safety concerns.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:25 They can lead some of our educational programs like DARE or Too Good for Drugs
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 and Violence or the MVP Mentoring Program.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:31 They can take lead roles in these. They can even offer some just informal learning
00:02:31 --> 00:02:36 opportunities like teaching students essential life skills as a proper handshake
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 or any of the other things that come along with their profession.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 The key here is that we are building positive relationships.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:47 When our students see our SROs, they should see them as approachable and caring.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 And if so, they're more likely to seek their guidance and support.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:55 Now, beyond education, SROs, they play a crucial role in supporting student
00:02:55 --> 00:02:56 well-being and healthy behavior.
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 This article emphasizes the importance of understanding the root causes of student behavior.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 Again, Deputy Norad notes that
00:03:03 --> 00:03:07 if we have a child that is behaving in a certain way, I want to know why.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:12 What's the root of that behavior? And by fostering a culture where our SROs
00:03:12 --> 00:03:16 are seen as trusted adults, we in our schools, we can create an opportunity
00:03:16 --> 00:03:20 for them to intervene and redirect students onto a more positive path.
00:03:20 --> 00:03:24 This means encouraging our SROs to participate in student activities,
00:03:24 --> 00:03:29 like join in on some PE games or even come in and attend some of our parent meetings.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:33 When our students and parents trust the SRO, they're more likely to share important
00:03:33 --> 00:03:37 information and concerns that are going to help the well-being of our school in general.
00:03:38 --> 00:03:42 Integrating our SROs into the learning community, it's essential for creating
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 a truly supportive environment.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:48 This involves fostering some collaboration between our SROs and teachers and
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 administrators, counselors and social workers. We want to try to help them feel
00:03:51 --> 00:03:57 like a member of the team, not an outside agency that just happens to office in the building.
00:03:57 --> 00:04:01 But our schools can also take a lead role in the SROs development as well.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:06 We can provide our SROs with specific mental health training and encourage them
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 to collaborate with our school-based counselors. So we have more of a direction
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 from the school versus always a direction from law enforcement.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:17 This team-based approach, it allows for more effective interventions and strategies
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 to support students with mental health needs.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 When we build on these positive relationships, it helps reduce school-based
00:04:24 --> 00:04:28 violence and bullying, and it's going to eventually create a safer environment for everybody.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:32 Now, the Raptor article does highlight the importance of intentional relationship building.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 Whether you have an SRO in your school or you are just looking to connect with
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 your local law enforcement, here's a couple points to consider.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 The open communication piece is huge.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 Create regular opportunities for your law enforcement, your SROs,
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 and your school staff to communicate and collaborate.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:53 Again, our goal is for safety for all of our students and to help educate our
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 families and community as well. Do this together.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:59 And really, that's kind of the shared training piece too. Try to include your
00:04:59 --> 00:05:03 SROs in training sessions, especially if they're related to student well-being and mental health.
00:05:03 --> 00:05:07 If they're patrolling the hallways or helping to provide lunch supervision,
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 they should have an understanding of what we're trying to accomplish as a school
00:05:10 --> 00:05:15 or what our priorities are or what our initiatives are, especially when it comes
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 to student behavior. Include them in that training.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 Then when we get to community engagement, we want our SROs to,
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 again, participate in school events and activities.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 If they're not already at all of your basketball games or football games or
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 coming to concerts, we want to try to encourage them to get there.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:34 And if it's a shared responsibility with your local law enforcement,
00:05:34 --> 00:05:38 work with them to try to figure out how that can be a priority for them in their workday.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 And then the last piece is trying to develop that mutual respect.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:45 We want to foster a culture of mutual respect and an understanding between our
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 SROs and students so we can truly work together.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:53 Just trying to build some of these bridges by doing so, school and law enforcement,
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 we can work together to create that safer and more supportive environment for
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 our students and families.
00:05:57 --> 00:06:01 If you want to learn more, I encourage you to check out the Raptor Technologies
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 article and maybe follow their blog for more information.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 We have that article linked into the description for this podcast episode.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 Thanks again for tuning into your Morning Boost. Just remember,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:14 building strong relationships is the key, and we can create a safe and supportive
00:06:14 --> 00:06:15 school community together.
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 We'll see you again next time for another Boost to Your Day.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 Thank you for listening.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 We will talk with you again tomorrow. You have been listening to Your Morning
00:06:21 --> 00:06:26 Boost by AWB Education in partnership with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:31 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:36 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:40 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.