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Advancing the discipline of risk management in public education.
In This Issue
Nurse "First Call" Webinar
Risk Manager Priorities
Steering Committee Volunteers
Quick Links
SchoolRisk News 
Join Our Mailing List
Corporate Partners 
Munich RE

Arthur J. Gallagher

SchoolDude

CBIZ

JDI Data Corp.

Markel Underwriting Mgt.

PublicSchoolWORKS

Holborn

Genesis
Underwriting Mgt.

Willis

Company Nurse

Target Safety

Norman Peterson & Assoc.

Selective Insurance

MediCor

 
to learn more about our sponsors and links to their webpage or to find information about the corporate partner
 program
please go to

 
Founding 
 School Risk Groups
 
Florida School Boards Insurance Trust
 
Minnesota School Boards Insurance Trust
 
New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal
 
Schools of Ohio Risk Sharing Authority
 
Pennsylvania School Boards Association Insurance Trust
 
Founding
 School Districts

City of Atlanta
 
City of Chicago
  
Clark County

City of Cleveland 

Dekalb County
 
Fairfax County

 Francis Howell
 
Fulton County
 
Miami-Dade
 
Rockdale County
 
San Francisco USD

Wake County 



Other districts that are direct or associate members now number more than 350 and the total number represented by school risk groups is nearly 1,000.

To find out how to join, click here!

www.schoolrisk.org
/join

School leaders who are members can search the directory and find districts with similar risk management interests

I
f you are a member of PSRI,
remember to use the Institute's

 Fast Answer

 for access to top risk management professionals. Reports are compiled, distributed and archived to save time and money.

April 2009                                                                      Issue 6

Risk management is... a vital business process.
Webinar features Nurse "First Call" for Work Injuries

RNSchool districts and self-insurance groups looking for immediate cost savings in their workers' compensation programs will want to take advantage of a May 13 webinar  hosted by the Institute.  The webinar will feature information on a 24/7 nurse triage injury reporting service with time-saving technology.
 
"The oversight presence of an RN during the first critical minutes of a mishap has been shown to significantly prevent claims and reduce the severity of injuries," said Lee Gaby, Executive Director of the Public School Risk Institute. "A streamlined injury reporting and day-of-injury initiative will save money in school districts and self-insurance groups."
 
Webinar Date/Time: May 13, 2009, 11 am - 12 Eastern, 10-11 am Central, 9-10 am Mountain, 8-9 am Pacific
 
Presenters:
Lee Gaby, Executive Director, Public School Risk Institute; Mike Florio, Risk Manager, Dekalb County Schools, GA;  Martin Brady, Executive Director, Schools Insurance Authority, Sacramento, CA; Dennis Chandler, Director, Company Nurse;  Mark Lane, RTW Specialist, Company Nurse
                  
To register now, click here
Short lists add up to numerous risk-related priorities


Compass
During the month of April, several school risk managers from large districts were asked to provide a short list of their priority issues and interests.   There was very little duplication or repeat of items from person to person.    Shown below, in alpha order, are the 19 items that were included on the lists.   
  1. Allocating costs back to departments in order to drive loss prevention and improvement.
  2. Allocating excess collected insurance premiums or retained losses to schools/facilities to measure their commitment to operate safely.
  3. Complying with the new Section 111 Claims Reporting requirements of the CMMS Extension Act of 2007 by Oct 1., 2009.
  4. Determining the risk tolerance of the district and the limitations that should be placed on self-insured exposures.
  5. Drawing attention to the cost savings benefits of enhanced risk management activities.
  6. Encouraging administrators to use preventive training for all district personnel.
  7. Evaluating certificate of insurance tracking vendors and methods.
  8. Seeking the experience of other districts with consultants for RFP and service provider selection.
  9. Finding districts with large liability SIR and learning how they manage certificate of insurance issuance.
  10. Helping administrators understand the reasons for having different types of coverage.
  11. Identifying techniques used by other districts to drive down their total cost of risk (TCOR).
  12. Initiating an enterprise risk management process to evaluate some of the operational vulnerabilities of the  district; developing a methodology to conduct the various assessments, risk analysis, and mitigation efforts.
  13. Learning the extent to which employee benefits is included in the risk management organization of other districts.
  14. Learning what other district brokers provide in the way of  services in student violence prevention.
  15. Moving everything we do to metrics for the purpose of benchmarking internally and externally; justify existence and show management value of risk management to the organization.
  16. Preventing race discrimination in employment.
  17. Addressing risk management issues related to the new 403 (b)  rules
  18. Setting up coverage requirements for vendors based on specific risk criteria.
  19. Sex Abuse risk management.

For each of these items there are resources available and opportunities for districts to work together. Elegant solutions can be found even for the toughest challenges.      

Of course, this list does not include all the risk-related issues and interests facing school district administrators.  
Steering committee seeks volunteers
Projects and initiatives of the Institut
Compass
A national steering committee will be formed to
help provide guidance and suggest priorities and
timetables for the research and/or publication projects that the Institute undertakes.
 
If you are available to volunteer to serve on the steering committee,  please contact the Executive Director.

Some of the items the steering committee is likely to be asked to consider include:  
  • "Blueprints"-Tools for Risk Management Administration, Performance Review, Planning and Continuous Improvement
  • Risk Management 101 for School Officials
  • What School Risk Managers Need To Know
  • Supplemental Retirement Plans: Guide to Avoid Liability
  • Vendor Insurance Requirements: Best Practices
  • Insurance Coverage Specification Guide
  • Risk Management Handbook for School Business Officials
  • Best Practices for Use of Tasers and AEDs
  • School Risk Assessment:  A Best Practices Guide
  • Managing Service Provider Selection:  A Best Practices Guide
  • Risk Management Guide For School Board Members
  • Construction Risk Management Guide
  • Review of Material Safety Data Sheet Services
  • Review of Bullying Prevention programs
  • Review of Acquired Brain Injury Prevention programs
  • White Paper: Total Cost of Risk in Public Education
  • White Paper: Reaching for Strategic Risk Management -Evolution of an ERM Discipline in School Districts

Status reports, drafts and related materials are available for each of these items.

New ideas and suggestions are also desire.   
"The longest way is a shortcut. "
We hope you find the Institute's newly updated website useful.  Please visit regularly and let us know how we can support your efforts to advance risk management.  Your input and feedback is greatly desired and appreciated.
 
Sincerely,
 
Lee Gaby, Executive Director 
Public School Risk Institute  
[email protected]
NEW Phone  (706) 715-3381