Date: 09/22/2015
Final
John-Michael Keyes, I Love U Guys Foundation
SCHOOL SAFETY AND YOUTH IN CRISIS
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09:16 AM -- John-Michael Keyes, I Love U Guys Foundation
Senator Scheffel, Chair, welcomed the committee and audience members. John-Michael Keyes introduced himself and spoke about the committee's charge under Senate Bill 15-214. He discussed his experiences and expectations as a parent. He told the committee about events at Platte Canyon High School on September 27, 2006, during which his daughter Emily was held hostage and killed by a gunman, who was later killed by Jefferson County law enforcement authorities. He explained that his foundation is named after the last text message his daughter sent before her death. He spoke about standard response protocol (SRP), a program of the I Love U Guys Foundation which is based on programs in Tennessee and Broomfield, Colorado. The protocol starts with lockout (secure the perimeter), moves to lockdown (which places an emphasis on the ability of teachers and substitute teachers to lock classroom doors from the inside), then evacuate, and finally shelter. He spoke about the need to create time barriers for active shooters, to give law enforcement time to gain control of a situation. Mr. Keyes spoke about the foundation's method for distributing the program: Download It Yourself (DIY) and told the committee that the foundation's programs are available at no cost to districts, departments, and agencies. He spoke about version two, with audience-appropriate versioning for a variety of age levels. He showed separate materials for prekindergarten through second grade. He explained the posters that are available, and handouts for parents, and that training is offered to K-12 institutions, and higher education, as well as law enforcement agencies. He discussed the growth of his foundation, from its first presentation in April 2009 to a national safety conference in July of that year and the use of his program in 163 schools in Jefferson County by September. He said that by the end of the 2009-2010 school year, dozens more schools and districts across the country had adopted the SRP. He discussed schools in Colorado using the SRP, explaining that 1,400 schools in Colorado are currently using it, and that 76 percent of all schools in the state have adopted the program. Mr. Keyes said that across the country, 10,000 schools use the SRP.
He spoke about his presentations, and mentioned that he has delivered presentations on the SRP over 300 times. He said that SRP is only a thin slice of the school safety pie, but explained that he thinks of it as a catalyst to ignite the conversation and present the topic in non-threatening ways. He spoke about what he has learned about partnerships between schools, law enforcement, and other first responders. He reviewed who had spoken to the committee and suggested that some voices are missing from the conversation.
Mr. Keyes discussed partnerships in Texas, such as the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, and an organizational partnership between the Texas Association of School Boards and its risk management fund. He said this is different in Colorado, where the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) is separate from the Colorado School Districts Self Insurance Pool (CSDSIP). He mentioned Oregon, where the Oregon School Boards Association and the Property and Casualty Coverage for Education are joined together, to insure all but three districts in the state.
Mr. Keyes reviewed legislation in other states. He mention Oregon House Bill 2661; Indiana IC 5-2-10.1-9, which creates model academies and training for school safety specialists; and Wyoming Section 336: 2, which requires full-time safety specialists to assist schools and is funded by the Department of Homeland Security. He stated that in Colorado, the state has created several mandates, but has not provided sufficient funding to see them through. He discussed threat assessment practices in Jefferson County Public Schools and Denver Public Schools, and explained his thoughts on the concept of a checklist. He talked about the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) system and how the San Juan BOCES can serve as an example. He encouraged the committee to invite Kathy Morris from that BOCES to come speak and discussed the geographical challenges of BOCES.
He encouraged the committee to undertake a statewide survey of school safety and threat assessment and fund a data analysis of the survey results. He discussed the school to prison pipeline and the mandated reporting system and how data analysis was not funded originally. He spoke about the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado and encouraged the committee to hire that Center to conduct a statewide study.
09:38 AM
Mr. Keyes responded to questions from the committee. Senator Newell thanked him for coming and asked him to advise the committee on what action they should take first. Mr. Keyes suggested that the committee focus on collecting and analyzing data. Representative Moreno spoke about the difficulty of determining best practices when schools and districts are not homogeneous. Mr. Keyes responded that there is a need to accommodate local differences and celebrate them, because there is no single answer. He spoke about efforts in Indiana and New Jersey, and how both states have legislatures willing to fund school safety programs. Representative Salazar thanked Mr. Keyes and asked whether Mr. Keyes recommended having an individual in each school or school district responsible for implementation. Mr. Keyes spoke about Indiana's policies requiring a specialist at every school, and said that training there is available through the Academy system. He said he thinks Colorado does have people at every school responsible for safety, but explained that he is not sure if it is legislatively required. He stressed the importance of looking at practice as well as policy. Heidi Ganahl asked about programs that measure results. Mr. Keyes spoke about the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado. Senator Scheffel discussed the Center's study of the Davis family's arbitration process. Ms. Ganahl spoke about the challenges of adding to the burden of schools. Mr. Keyes spoke about the time and money required to do the research necessary. Senator Newell asked why schools are not using SRP. Mr. Keyes spoke about the challenges of change and the necessity of maintaining local control, and distributed a handout to committee members (Attachment A).
Attachment A can be viewed at Legislative Council.