Adverse Situations

Cassidy Tiehen

Grand Canyon University

EAD-536: Dr. Geier

November 10, 2021

implement goals, prioritize budget, maintain facilities, and develop external relationships

(Desravines, Aquino, Fenton, 2016).” This case study takes place at a K-8 school, Sunset Hills,

where I am assuming the role of the principal. The scenario is looking at safety protocol and a

decision must be made efficiently while ensuring to analyze management systems, operational

systems, human, fiscal, and technological resources, and the safety, welfare, and collaboration of

students, staff, and community members.

Management and Operational Systems

Sunset Hills is in Phoenix, Arizona where current temperatures are reaching 98 degrees

and rising. When observing learning throughout the building, staff and students are visibly

sweating, distressed, and the rooms are getting noticeably warmer. After observing both students

and staff visibly affected and distressed by the situation, I decide to call and emergency meeting

with the superintendent, school leadership team, and facilities manager. I must now decide on

whether the school is a safe learning environment for students and staff to be.

The decisions that must be made include determining whether the air conditioning can be

fixed within an appropriate amount of time that will allow students to continue to learn. If air

conditioning is working in some areas, the leadership team would decide where to move classes

to ensure their safety. If there is not enough room for all grades to safely learn, we would need to

evacuate the building. A decision will need to be made on when to notify parents and the

procedure used to get students to the library.

To adequately make an informed decision, I need to know if the air conditioning can be

fixed in an appropriate time frame. If the air conditioning is not able to be fixed within the hour,

we will need to start proceeding with our evacuation plan. I will also need to know that public
library is safe and clear for us to bring students into. This library is on the same property as us, so

buses would not be necessary for this portion of transportation. I will need to know if the bus

company is able to get to the public library in a timely manner. I will also need to be aware of the

students that have special education needs, physical, or mental impairments that need additional

support present to escort them out of the building before other students begin exiting.

Human, Fiscal, and Technological Resources

I will begin by collaborating with the facilities manager to discuss the air conditioning and the

timeliness of its repair. This collaboration period will be analyzing if we can get someone out to

fix the air conditioner, and if we can’t how do we begin the evacuation process.

If the air conditioning cannot be fixed, the administration team would begin by sending a

detailed email to teachers. After sending the email, the front office staff would make an all-call

announcement on the overhead speakers telling teachers to check their emails immediately. Once

teachers checked their emails, the leadership team would walk around to each classroom and

ensure the students and staff are prepared to leave the building. Once administrators have

checked in with each classroom, they will radio “all clear” to one another. Teachers must have a

roster, and their emergency folder when leaving the building. The students will be walked by

teachers and support staff across the parking lot to the library. During this time, the office would

be making robocalls and sending an immediate message to families stating the situation and that

students must be picked up at the local library. Teachers will need to keep a check list when

students are being picked up to ensure students are exiting safely with an adult. If a student is not

being picked up, the buses will need to arrive at the library and follow the bus route accordingly.

On the other hand, if an evacuation is not deemed necessary, the leadership team will be

collaborating to draft an email home to families explaining the situation and learning conditions
today. During this collaboration period, the leadership team would also create a question-and-

answer document for teachers to reference if a question from a parent arises.

Many resources will be needed to ensure this process is efficient and seamless. We will

need radios, staff members and support staff present, busses, computers, phones, class rosters,

emergency folders, and first aid kits. Students will also need their personal belongings in case we

need to leave from the library.

Safety and Welfare of Students and Staff

Wisconsin Legislature 118.07(4) (bm) states, “A school safety plan shall include all of

the following: General guidelines specifying procedures for emergency prevention and

mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Guidelines and procedures to address school

violence and attacks, threats of school violence and attacks, bomb threats, fire, weather-related

emergencies, intruders, parent-student reunification, and threats to non-classroom events,

including recess, concerts and other performances, athletic events, and any other extracurricular

activity or event (General School Operations, Wisconsin State Legislature).” Within our school

safety plan, we will have a laid-out evacuation plan that will be followed to fidelity. Staff will be

adequately, and thoroughly trained for emergency procedures which will help immensely in

preparation for our evacuation of students and staff.

The legal ruling of United States of America vs. City School District of New Rochelle

determined that a school district was wrongfully denying students with mobility impairments the

opportunity to evacuate the building as necessary. The school district did not adapt the building

for the students to exit the building from the second and third floors considering the elevators

were shut down due to a fire drill. A claim made states that the school district “Fails to make

reasonable modifications in policies, practices, and procedures when the modifications are
necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, (Martin, 2014).” We must ensure that

the students with severe needs and assistance necessary are evacuated first to ensure their safety

and well-being while also ensuring they are exiting the building.

Collaboration with Faculty and Community

There are many stakeholders involved and affected by the decision and process in this

scenario. The stakeholders include students, teachers, certified staff, faculty, families,

community members, board members, local law enforcement, bus company, and the public

library staff. During the evacuation, support staff will need to be present throughout the

evacuation path to ensure all students are exiting in a safe manner. I will be collaborating directly

with the leadership team, facilities manager, district leadership, bus company, staff, and students

during this evacuation process.

Solution and Rationale

The District Handbook states, “Each classroom has evacuation routes posted for fire and

tornado drills. To ensure timely and smooth evacuations, fire drills are practiced monthly and

tornado drills are practiced yearly during tornado season. Parents/guardians or emergency

contacts will be notified in the event of an actual emergency. Only authorized persons will be

allowed to pick up scholars (The Lincoln Academy, 2021).” This ensures that teachers and staff

are routinely practicing the evacuation plan and can do so precisely to fidelity.

Additionally, the handbook states, “Sunset Hills provides a safe environment for all

scholars. Safety is of the utmost importance for scholars to obtain high academic standards and

positive social and emotional wellbeing. A comprehensive safety plan has been developed to

ensure that all scholars are safe from any harm (The Lincoln Academy, 2021).” The leadership

team and I will be working diligently to ensure that a decision is made quickly with the correct
information to ensure that student and staff safety is our number one priority. The action steps of

the plan are as follows:

1. Collaborate with facilities manager to determine situation and repair scheduling

2. I will make the decision to begin evacuating the school at 12 since that is when the first

lunch begins.

3. I will immediately notify the Public Library to ensure they have air conditioning and

forewarning the staff that students will be released from there.

4. Once the library is aware, I will directly be in contact with the bus company to explain

the early pick-up time for today due to unsafe conditions in the building. Students will be

picked up by buses starting at 1:00.

5. Next, I will gather the leadership team and superintendent to begin working with office

staff to immediately develop emails, robocalls, and messages that will be notifying staff

and parents of the evacuation plan due to unsafe conditions in the school.

6. Once the messages are sent, I will make a speaker announcement for teachers to check

their emails.

7. I will immediately radio the Special Education department to evacuate special education

students with physical or mental impairment that may need more assistance evacuating.

8. After those students are out of the building, I will have the leadership team checking

classrooms and ensuring students and staff are radio to go.

9. Once leadership team members have radioed “All Cleared” classroom teachers will begin

to their evacuation route.

My proposed solution protects the welfare and safety of students and staff, complies with

laws, rights, and policies, and involves the appropriate stakeholders. Evacuating students in a
time sensitive matter, to a location that is safely air conditioned ensures that we are diligently

working to provide a safe environment for our students and our staff. “Successful warnings are

those that are taken seriously and responded to in a timely and effective manner (FEMA, 2014).”

Although this situation is not a warning per say, it is a serious situation that must be responded to

immediately and by the immediate response of the administration team, the students and staff are

at the forefront of our minds and their safety is our number one concern. The Wisconsin State

Statue listed above ensures that our school is participating in and running a drill every month to

ensure that we are not only following the laws, rights, and policies but that our staff is

comfortable with our routines and procedures for emergencies. In order to ensure ALL students,

have equitable exits the students with disabilities will exit first to ensure their safety and

wellbeing. Teachers will be held accountable for the students in their class during the evacuation

process. They will be documenting student attendance to ensure accountability of student

whereabouts.
 References

Desravines, J., Aquino, J., & Fenton, B. (2016). Breakthrough Principals. Wiley.

Martin, Rebecca. (2014). United States of America vs. City School District of New Rochelle.

Retrieved From: https://www.ada.gov/new_rochelle_complaint.htm

The Lincoln Academy. (2021). TLA Family Handbook.

Retrieved From: https://080b369f-a79b-46dd-83e9-

e7974b464a35.filesusr.com/ugd/a8cee6_f9062f9106a64c019a4b3e1ccdf041e6.pdf

United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2008). FEMA Communicating in an

Emergency. Washington, DC: FEMA,

Wisconsin State Statue 118.07(4) (bm). Wisconsin State Legislature.

Retrieved From:

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/118/07/4/bm?view=section