Teacher’s Guide to School Safety
While every teacher has a general duty to maintain custody and control over students, school districts have a legal responsibility to establish and enforce the discipline policy that circumscribes teachers’ supervisory efforts. The Board Members and administrators are responsible for general school administration, including enforcement of the school district’s discipline policy. (5 Cal. Code Reg. 5551)
Irvine USD information about drills, safety plans, etc. is available via IUSD’s Intranet under “Emergency Management.”
School Safety Plan (Ed. Code 32280-32289)
To prevent campus crime and violence, and to promote safe educational conditions, each school district shall adopt a comprehensive “School Safety Plan.” The Plan shall be drafted by the school site council or by a school safety committee made up of the principal or designee, teachers’ union representative, classified employee union representative, and parent in consultation with law enforcement. The school site council or safety committee must review and update the plan by March 1 each year, and each school must report the status of its school safety plan in its school accountability report card.
Communications (Ed. Code 17077.10)
To enhance pupil safety, all elementary and secondary school classrooms should have telephones connected to a public network.
Injury & Illness Prevention Programs (Labor Code 6401.7)
A school district shall establish, implement, and maintain an effective injury prevention program (see Risk Management at IUSD.org) which includes at least the following:
- Regular work site inspection
- Safety training
- Methods for identifying and correcting unsafe conditions in a timely manner
- If you are injured, call the Nurse Hotline 1-877-230-9693
Drills (Ed. Code 32001)
Fire, earthquake and lock down drills should take place regularly. State law requires monthly fire drills at elementary schools, four per year at intermediate schools, and one each semester at high schools.
Bathrooms (Ed. Code 35292.5)
Every restroom shall be maintained and cleaned regularly, fully operational and stocked with toilet paper, soap, and paper towels or functional hand dryers at all times.
Classroom Interruptions (Ed. Code 32212)
Each school district Board formally needs to address the problem of classroom interruptions and adopt a policy to control those interruptions.
School Disruptions (Ed. Code 44811)
Any parent, guardian, or other person disrupts class work or extracurricular activities in a place where a school employee is required to be working is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Notification of Violent Students (Ed. Code 49079)
The school district shall inform the teacher about a pupil who has engaged in, or is suspected to have engaged in, any of the acts that are grounds for suspension and/or expulsion (Ed Code 48900) from the previous 3 school years, based upon records it maintains or receives from law enforcement. The information shall be received in confidence.
School Site Security
No outsider shall enter or remain on school grounds during school hours without having registered with the principal or front office. (Pen. Code 627.2)
Any person who willfully disrupts any public school or any public school meeting is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine. (Ed. Code 32210)
Any person other than a student, parent, guardian, or employee of the school district shall promptly leave the school site during school hours when requested to do so by the school principal or designee and not return for 7 days. The request to leave shall be made if the continued presence of the person would disrupt or interfere with classes or other school activities. (Pen. Code 626.8, Ed. Code 32211)
Every minor over 16 or adult not a pupil of the school who enters any school site and willfully interferes with a class or school activity to disrupt, obstruct, or inflict damage or bodily injury is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Ed. Code 44810)
Notification of Law Enforcement (Ed. Code 44014)
Whenever any school employee is attacked, assaulted, or physically threatened by a pupil, the employee and the supervisor who has knowledge of the incident has a duty to report the matter to law enforcement authorities promptly. Failure to make such a report is an infraction punishable by a fine. Any school employee who attempts to impede the required report is guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine. No Board member or school district employee may impose any sanction against a person for making this report.
Student Suspension by Teacher (Ed. Code 48910)
A teacher may suspend a pupil from his/her class for any act specified in Ed. Code 48900, for the day of the suspension and the day following. The suspension must be immediately reported to the principal, and the student sent to the principal for further action. The teacher must also request a parent/teacher conference as soon as possible. The pupil shall not return to the class without the concurrence of the teacher and principal.
Suggestions
- Review and update your site’s safety plan yearly and ask for all staff members to have updated copies.
- Maintain first aid and crisis response boxes at your site. If there is a safety problem, work first with your site administrator.
Contact ITA’s representatives on IUSD’s Safety Committee to remedy concerns or your ITA Site Reps for help with safety concerns. They can seek further help from ITA leadership if needed.
Teachers have contractual rights to a safe and healthy workplace.