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Advancing the discipline of risk management in public education.
In This Issue
Uncharted Fiscal Waters
Roadmap for Excellence
Communication Creatures
Graduation Safety
Sports Injury Studies
RFP Relief
FERMA Highlights
Article Archives; FY11
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June  2010                                                             Issue 17                

Risk management is... a vital business process.
School Safety and Cost of Risk in an Uncharted Fiscal Environment

Reporters continue to examine educational program cutbacks, staff reductions and efforts to raise money in creative ways for schools.  Many business officers have had to make difficult choices about risk financing strategies and insurance programs.


Two insightful commentaries about dealing with uncertainty in the current fiscal environment  were published this month in Risk Central, the interactive knowledge center of the Public School Risk Institute. 

Kevin Supple of the Francis Howell School District wrote on June 1 about Managing Risk in the Budget Development Process.  He  reminds readers about the challenges facing finance officers as they seek to "evaluate all the risks and settle on a course of action that makes strategic use of reserves and maintains a level of programming that can be reasonably supported in the long run."  He also suggests that school leaders remember three basic lessons from the Deepwater Horizon accident in order to navigate safely in uncharted waters:

  • Don't ignore warning signs
  • Exercise caution
  • Listen to the experts

 

The spill in the Gulf can also be used as a reminder that an enterprise risk management process is needed to identify the greatest vulnerability of a district. 


Bill Clayton of Southern California Schools Risk Management wrote about Budget Sensitive Risk Management on June 2.  His message included these lessons:

  • The reality of good risk management culture goes beyond shopping for better insurance rates 
  • Culture change is Top Down, Time-Consuming, People-Powered and Accountability-Driven.  Commitment to all four of these ideas produces permanent change. 

 

School business officials and safety committees can use this summer to take a fresh look at the practices and traditions that define their safety culture.  Analyzing catastrophic accidents usually reveals some combination of these underlying factors:

  • cost cutting flaws

  • weak links in critical decision paths

  • faulty protection devices 

  • groupthink under extreme pressure.

Risk management helps districts deal with the economic uncertainty and increase resiliency.  Astute business officials can help their districts deepen their thinking about risk and operate safely when resources have been stretched. 

Creating a Roadmap for Excellence in School Risk Management


Guided by project manager Catherine Bennett, five task forces began mobilizing on June 1 to write and edit content for the core activity elements in a continuous improvement model for school risk management. This model addresses risk management from a comprehensive perspective. It represents the first attempt to bring together a large nationwide community of professionals to set a framework for excellence and a means of process benchmarking.  The five categories in which the core activity elements are currently arranged in the model are: Leadership & General Administration; HR Practices; Risk Financing; Incident Prevention Practice; and Injury Management.   In addition, the current vision of the model includes nine other categories, arranged into three sections - Support & Recovery, Risk Improvement, Insights & Analytics.

 

The first drafts are expected to be available for review by August 15. A prototype using ideas from several sources was designed to help the project manager and task forces. Producing a complete model is expected to take 18 months and involve more than 60 volunteers in 14 task forces and a steering group.

 

Initial funding to launch the project was provided by Munich Reinsurance.  An invitation for sponsorships has been created and will be extended to any company interested in advancing the discipline of risk management in schools.  

 

An introductory paper is available from the Institute that describes the objectives, process and timetable for the project.  The introductory paper also includes sample pages from the prototype and other exhibits.To learn more or to volunteer for this project, please contact the Executive Director.

Bears, Elephants and Parrots Are Just Some of the Possible Communication Creatures for School Risk Management


We all know that Smokey the Bear helps prevent forest fires.  Mascots and celebrity creatures are easier to manage than high profile human spokespersons.  A talking horse, a big mouthed mouse or a happy hippo may be able to help your district get more engaged in prevention of injuries and losses.

An idea that started in Detroit elementary schools became the foundation for a communication program in Canada that is now more than 50 years old.  Elmer the Safety Elephant was born in 1947.  To see how the Canadian Safety Council uses Elmer and the history behind this successful creation,  go to http://elmer.ca/about-elmer.php

 

Denver Public Schools has Pazi the parrot, who says, "Get to School Safely" and "Play Cool at School."  The communication program of the risk management department, led by Stephen Finley, continues to win awards at the national level.  Their new 4-part video series "Getting Safety to School," was chosen as the PRIMA 2010 Top Product. It also received a National School Public Relations Association Award of Excellence

 

Simplicity and ubiquity are two secrets of successful communication campaigns with promotional creatures. Allowing students to help pick a name was a simple way for Denver schools to get started. AFLAC's duck and GEICO's gecko don't even have names.  However, just like these high profile TV stars, Pazi seems to be everywhere.  You can see Pazi and learn more about Denver's PS risk management at http://riskmanagement.dpsk12.org.

 

Editors note: Are you having difficulty remembering the character Loudmouthed Mouse? YouTube has plenty of video clips from vintage Sesame Street. 

Distracted Driving Prevention:  Laws Differ and Texting Bans May Not Be Enough 

The efforts to reduce distracted driving may not result in lower rates of accidents  until all use of cell phones while driving is banned and effective training is offered. 


An insurance industry study released in January 2010 found that states banning only the use of hand-held devices or text messaging while driving have not resulted in fewer vehicle crashes.  The study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HDLI) examined insurance claims from crashes before and after the bans took effect in California, New York, Connecticut and Washington, D.C.  It found that claims rates did not go down after the laws were enacted. There was no change in accident patterns compared with nearby states without such bans. It has been suggested that  increased use of hands-free devices may have offset gains from decrease in handset use.  HDLI  president Adrian Lund was reported to have said that the finding "doesn't bode well for any safety payoff from all the new laws."   

 

The National Safety Council (NSC) favors a ban of all cell phone use while driving. The NSC is documenting the trend of employers to adopt their own bans. Tables available on the website of the NSC  shows states with cell phone laws, whether they specifically ban text messaging, and whether they are enforced as primary or secondary laws.  Go to http://www.nsc.org/safety road/Distracted_Driving/Pages/StateLaw.aspx


Numerous localities have also enacted restrictions on cell phone use while driving.  The use of all cell phones while driving a school bus is prohibited in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Bans on driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone are in place in eight states and the District of Columbia. 

 

In order to heighten the awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, DuPont Sustainable Solutions has produced Driven To Distraction, a groundbreaking training program. Viewers will see and hear the main character as this ever-present traveling companion who delights in using food, drink, make-up, stress, radios, cell phones and even other drivers as constant distractions.  The malevolent companion expresses no remorse about causing accidents - from minor fender-benders to fatal crashes.

 

Many thanks to Sandra Greene of DuPont Sustainable Solutions, Training Solutions for her assistance with this article.  For more information about  Driven to Distraction, visit www.driventodistraction.com and preview this program free online.

District Passes Graduation Safety Challenge:  Protecting the President


Kalamazoo Central HS was selected as the winner of the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, earning the school the right to have President Obama as its commencement speaker.   Supt. Mark Bielang of Paw Paw MI, who currently serves as AASA president, filed a report for AASA on his experience at the June 7 commencement program of his alma mater.    He stated, "It was an evening of celebration, pride and joy. Those gathered took in the significance of the evening as they celebrated not only the graduation of nearly 300 "K Central" students but also the life-changing impact of the Kalamazoo Promise - four-year tuition scholarships to all KPS graduates."

Obviously it took a lot of hard work behind the scenes by district leaders, administrators and staff to host the President and ensure a safe event for all concerned.
Studies Show Frequency of Injury by Gender and Type of Sport 
Do more concussions occur in soccer because of player collisions or headers?
"Girls are more prone to concussions and heat illness," according to a June 22 article in the Wall Street Journal.(WSJ)   Numerous studies about the frequency of different types of injuries and injuries by sport are mentioned.   One  study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital provides injury rates for football, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball. Baseball came out with the lowest number of injuries per 1,000 times a player takes the field. The study also found that soccer injuries occur about twice as often in the second half of a game.  There doesn't appear to be any position in soccer that is more hazardous.  A study by a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia showed that girls suffer concussions most often from collisions with other players.  The findings on susceptibility to heat illness among girls appear to be backed up by another study of participants in a large youth soccer tournament, the Swan USA Cup. 

The WSJ article also pointed out that the National High School Federation (NHSF) sets standards for shin guards in soccer, along with other types of athletic equipment,  and during this past school year NHSF adopted a rule requiring clearance by a medical professional for participation following a concussion. 

To learn about differences in injury rates between football and soccer, which gender of soccer players has more injuries, and several sources of athletic injury data, please contact the Executive Director.    In the near future, you will be able to find additional reference information in  Community Resources at Risk Central.

Green Relief for the RFP Process


Some simple changes to "RFPs as usual" can lead to a more efficient, successful and rewarding process. Districts now have a way to cut down on phone calls, have someone facilitate their pre-bid conference and take advantage of additional options, including accepting proposals electronically.

"Like most people these days, I was seeking an efficient and effective way to go through the RFP process without killing trees and wasting a lot of people's time and money attending meetings out of their area," stated Cathy Aguilar, claims manager of the San Francisco Unified School District.

Pre-bid conferences facilitated on the Internet are a good way for the school district to get the information it really wants in the most efficient format to help save time and resources.  Districts can get access to added tools that can make the process virtually paperless.  The practice can be further simplified by using a dedicated website for release of the RFP, to post addendums,  manage incoming questions, facilitate correspondence and accept proposals electronically.

Districts don't have to pay for the green RFP service.  Vendors are willing to put up the money for a qualified independent administrator.  A typical cost for a vendor in a "green RFP process" is less than $250.  Fees usually cover audio/video reproduction of the pre-bid meeting, as well as a copy of the electronic sign-in sheet.  Vendors may save thousands of dollars by attending pre-bid conferences via webinars and reduced printing and mailing for proposals. 

 

According to Aguilar, San Francisco USD wanted claims service providers to participate in its RFP process with minimal cost and found a company that could deliver excellent results.  "Green Proposals was just what SFUSD needed to assist us in not only helping the environment and saving money, but also managing the entire RFP process," stated Aquilar.   "They did everything," she added.  "From distributing the RFP materials to managing the questions to facilitating the submission of proposals electronically - all was included in the process.  Green Proposals conducted the pre-bid conference via webinar and their service was invaluable since it was so organized as well as being economical for all concerned.  I think this is the way all RFPs will be done in the future." 

 

With a convenient website as the central communication area, independent green RFP administrators oversee and break up the  RFP process into easy-to-follow steps while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint. They can increase efficiency and create a more environmentally friendly RFP process at no cost to districts.

 

Many thanks to Cathy Aguilar, San Francisco USD and Shelly Temkin of Green Proposals for their assistance with this article. To learn more about Green Proposals, go to:   www.greenproposals.com. 

FERMA Promotes Forward Progress on Risk Management in Florida Schools

Risk managers from about 30 Florida districts, including several of the state's largest, gathered in Sarasota June 15-18 for the annual conference of the Florida Educational Risk Management Association.  Also attending were staff members of the Florida School Boards Insurance Trust and other risk sharing groups, plus representatives of 29 sponsoring organizations.  


Presentations covered a wide range of topics, including recent legislation,  student safety, disaster recovery, on-site clinics, student accident insurance, health plan options, benefits outsourcing, wellness programs, workers' compensation, sovereign immunity and health care reform.


The emergency management presentation by representatives of Marsh and Manatee county schools offered an inside look at the first of its kind week-long Integrated Emergency Management Course.  About 75 public and private sector delegates from Manatee County took part in the course at FEMA headquarters in Maryland. The presentation illustrated the dramatic change in FEMA's updated flood zone and damage assessment models and offered lessons about pre-disaster communication, vendor contracting, interplay between insurance and FEMA claims, site access control, debris removal costs, importance of baselines, and record keeping requirements for FEMA cost recovery.


The presenters for this year's FERMA program were:

Glen Lathers, Hillsborough County Schools

Gerry Koziel, Indian River County Schools

Jeb McPherson, Marsh

Deb Gallagher, Marsh

Forest Branscomb, Manatee County Schools

Sally Hull, Manatee County Schools

George McLatchey, St. Johns County Schools

Debbie Weiner, Bailey Group

Tim McCreary, Employers Mutual

Larry Somerville, Bencor

Bill Coons, Thomco

Joanna Lynch, Special Markets

Dave Shanks, AON

Dick Klima, AON

Greg Butterfield, A.J. Gallagher

Tony Abella, Jr., A.J. Gallagher

Jan Bush, Robinson Bush

Desso Forman, FBMC

Cindy Herron, AON

Tammy Collin, Mercer

Kelly Klocek, BCBSFL

Kelly Booth, BCBSFL

Lisa Augspurger, Bush & Augspurger

Shanna Caviness, Marsh

 Finding  Newsletters and Other Links
To look back and check past issues of this newsletter, go to the homepage of the Public School Risk Institute, open Resources, then Helpful Links and scroll down to School Risk News, or simply click here http://www.schoolrisk.org/helpful-links
 
Using Helpful Links at www.schoolrisk org is an easy way to find excellent resources about a wide range of subjects.   If you need assistance, please call or  use the Contact Us feature to send a request.
Public School Risk Institute
   
Please call or send us a note with your comments and suggestions about this newsletter and any projects you would like to see us undertake. We also want to receive school contact names, contacts with organizations you believe may want to be involved, and material for the new website resources. 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 Ext. 701