School resource officers and security personnel have an important role to play in keeping schools safe and creating a culture of respect at the school. Here are some ideas to get started.
This article will include the following:
- A tip sheet for sharing
- A slide deck that features a professional learning session
Getting to Know Students
Introduce yourself.
- Greet students and families with a smile and introduce yourself. Let students know you are there to help them.
- Remember that each adult in a school community can make an important difference to an ELL.
Treat students and families with respect.
- Greet students each day.
- Treat students and families respectfully through positive body language, tone of voice, and patience. These interactions can contribute to a positive school climate.
- ELLs (and their families) also may be nervous! This is very common among students who are new to a school.
- Avoid any disrespectful comments about students' language, dress, culture, accent, appearance, religion, or home country.
Keep in mind that ELLs may be new to your school.
- ELLs may have never been to your school before. They may get lost and need some help finding their way around.
- Students may also not be familiar with school policies and procedures. If something unexpected happens, keep in mind that it may be due to miscommunication and students may need some extra support or information.
Review safety rules.
- Use signs with visuals.
- If possible, use bilingual signs or add translated terms to safety signs.
- Review safety rules with students early and often.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
- You will have important insights about what's happening around school. If you have any concerns, speak up!
Address safety issues promptly.
- Help students understand safety rules related to different areas of the school and how to stay safe in different situations.
- If a safety issue arises or you notice a recurring issue:
- Talk with a supervisor or administrator first.
- Find out if better communication is needed.
- Share your ideas for how to address the issue.
- Keep in mind that students or families may need more information or reminders in their language about specific policies.
Educator voices
Carlos arrived from El Salvador in January and enrolled in 9th grade. On his first day, his Dad drove him to school and dropped him off at the main entrance. It was 7:10 and school was scheduled to start at 7:30, but the door was locked. He could not get inside, so he waited for someone to come and open the door. It was a cold winter morning with some snow on the ground and there was no one in sight.
After about an hour of waiting, a man in a uniform appeared at the front door, unlocked it, and pointed to the clock on the wall. Carlos couldn't understand what the man was saying, but he was glad that he could come into a warm building. Soon after, teachers and students began arriving at the school. There had been a two-hour delay due to the weather. Carlos and his family did not know about school delays.
—Excerpt, Lessons Learned from Immigrant Families
Communicating with Families
Support family communication.
- Find out what steps you should take if a student's family needs to be contacted.
- If a situation escalates, determine if language support is needed to help clarify communication.
Go over emergency procedures.
- Find out what to do in case of an emergency, including whom to contact that speaks families' languages.
- Keep in mind that students who speak English may revert to their language in an emergency.
Preventing Bullying
Watch out for bullying.
- Address any bullying outside of the school immediately.
- ELLs and their families may not be familiar with school policies on bullying and they may be afraid to report any incidents.
Be aware of why ELLs may be bullied.
Students should not be bullied for any reason, including:
- Language
- Accent
- Country of origin
- Immigration status
- Cultural customs
- Food
- Dress
- Religion
Immigrant Students
Know immigrant students' rights.
- All students have a right to a free public K-12 education, regardless of their (or their parents') immigration status.
- School staff should never ask or refer to students' or families' immigration status. This includes school resource officers and security personnel.
- It is not the school's job to check on, monitor, or verify students' immigration status; doing so may result in legal action against the school.
Ask for training on important policies.
It's important to know what steps to take if law or immigration enforcement approaches your school.
Ask supervisors for legal guidance and training on your district's policies about:
- Student privacy
- Interactions with law enforcement
- Interactions with immigration enforcement
Share ELL success stories.
- Share success stories about working with ELLs and ELL families with your colleagues and supervisors, no matter how small.
- This can help create a positive culture that supports students.
Celebrate achievements!
- Celebrate the ways that security resource officers help students every day — and the ways they help their community!
- Look for ways to participate in your school community informally as a volunteer so that you can get to know the community.
Ideas for Administrators
Here are some recommendations for administrators.
- Introduce school resource officers to family liaisons so that they already know each other if they need to partner together to address an issue.
- Include school resource officers in staff training as appropriate, particularly on issues related to school safety.
- Invite school resource officers to open house, back-to-school night, or other events where they can meet families.
- Keep in mind that the site of an "official" uniform may make some families uneasy and even keep them from coming to school. Look for opportunities to share information about the school resource officers' roles on a regular basis.
- Provide training related to immigrant students' rights and policies related to immigration enforcement near or at the school. The better trained all staff members are, the more likely that they will respond appropriately should an urgent situation arise.
- Create a procedure for addressing behavior issues. For example, this might include a meeting with an assistant principal, families, students, school resource officer, interpreter and/or family liaison.
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