Make these considerations to emulate the district's efforts in your buildings when school returns:

Select SSCs who already have connections with students. Choose paraprofessionals who already have strong relationships with students and go above and beyond in maintaining those connections to be SSCs, Jarrett says. For example, educational assistants who run groups in school, such as a social-skills lunch bunch, and are involved in activities with students in the community, such as coaching a youth sports team, make good candidates for being SSCs at District 287. "They are natural relationship-builders," he adds.
Ensure SSCs are highly visible. Safety coaches must be proactive, Jarrett advises. They informally screen all students as they get off their buses in the morning by seeing how they're doing. Then they spend time in the hallways, classrooms, and their office so students and staff can seek their aid throughout the day if needed. If a student in a morning class begins to show signs that he is struggling and refuses to do an assignment, for example, the teacher can contact a safety coach via walkie talkie to come check on him and figure out what's bothering him before it bubbles up around lunch time, Jarrett says. An SSC may come into the class and monitor the behavior for a little while. He may ask the student to take a walk and ask him what's going on. The coach then can help negotiate a resolution, such as time for the student to do a preferred activity for staying on task for a certain amount of time. "I'll say, 'I'll tell the teacher what you were thinking, but we have got to be satisfied with what they say and I'll support you, whatever they say,'" he says.
Train on crisis prevention and intervention. SSCs receive training in crisis prevention and intervention with a heavy emphasis on de-escalation techniques, Jarrett says. When the district had school resource officers in the building, they gave students tickets and criminalized their behavior. "We don't want to criminalize mental health," he adds. A lot of times, coaches help students save face when they're "stuck," Jarrett says. They may feel out of control or embarrassed, so an SSC might say, "You're stuck and I want to support you and figure out how to get you unstuck and back to class," he explains. "We try really hard not to blame and shame our students and preserve their dignity." Indeed, if a student's behavior escalates, the rest of the students may be removed from the classroom rather than the student. This avoids having to flex power over the student, making the situation worse.

"A lot of times students feel super comfortable when they see SSCs come and let go of their aggression because they know we're not there to hurt them," Jarrett says.

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Student safety coaches an alternative to school resource officers

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