Solutions
Solutions for
K-12
Educator & Staff Training
Educator & Staff Training
Improve compliance and deliver critical professional development with online courses and management system
Learn moreStudent Safety & Wellness Program NEW
Student Safety & Wellness Program
Keep students safe and healthy with safety, well-being, and social and emotional learning courses and lessons
Learn moreProfessional Growth Management
Professional Growth Management
Integrated software to manage and track evaluations and professional development and deliver online training
Learn moreAnonymous Reporting & Safety Communications
Anonymous Reporting & Safety Communications
Empower your school community to ask for help to improve school safety and prevent crises before they occur
Learn moreIncident & EHS Management
Incident & EHS Management
Streamline safety incident reporting and management to improve safety, reduce risk, and increase compliance
Learn moreHigher Education
Student Training
Student Training
Increase safety, well-being, and belonging with proven-effective training on critical prevention topics
Learn moreFaculty & Staff Training
Faculty & Staff Training
Create a safe, healthy, and welcoming campus environment and improve compliance with online training courses
Learn moreCampus Climate Surveys
Campus Climate Surveys
Simplify VAWA compliance with easy, scalable survey deployment, tracking, and reporting
Learn moreAnonymous Reporting & Safety Communications
Anonymous Reporting & Safety Communications
Empower your faculty, staff, and students to take an active role in protecting themselves and others
Learn moreIncident & EHS Management
Incident & EHS Management
Streamline safety incident reporting and management to improve safety, reduce risk, and increase compliance
Learn moreIndustrial
Industrial Skills Training
Industrial Skills Training
Close skills gap, maximize production, and drive consistency with online training
Learn morePaper Manufactuing Training
Enhance worker expertise and problem-solving skills while ensuring optimal production efficiency.
HR / Professional Development
HR / Professional Development
Provide role-specific knowledge, develop skills, and improve employee retention with career development training.
Learn moreAnti-Harassment and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Anti-Harassment and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Navigate an ever-evolving workforce with DE&I and Harassment Prevention Compliance training
Learn moreLearning Management System (LMS)
Learning Management System (LMS)
Assign, track, and report role-based skills and compliance training for the entire workforce
Learn moreEHS Management
EHS Management
Track, Analyze, Report Health and Safety Activities and Data for the Industrial Workforce
Learn moreSafety Communication
Safety Communication
Enhance the safety for the industrial workforce with two-way risk communications, tools, and resources
Learn moreFire Departments
Training Management
Training Management
A training management system tailored for the fire service--track all training, EMS recerts, skill evaluations, ISO, and more in one place
Learn moreCrew Shift Scheduling
Crew Shift Scheduling
Simplify 24/7 staffing and give firefighters the convenience of accepting callbacks and shifts from a mobile device
Learn moreChecks & Inventory Management
Checks & Inventory Management
Streamline truck checks, PPE inspections, controlled substance tracking, and equipment maintenance with a convenient mobile app
Learn moreExposure and Critical Incident Monitoring NEW
Exposure and Critical Incident Monitoring
Document exposures and critical incidents and protect your personnels’ mental and physical wellness
Learn moreEMS
Training Management and Recertification
A training management system tailored for EMS services—EMS online courses for recerts, mobile-enabled skill evaluations, and more
Learn moreEMS Shift Scheduling
EMS Shift Scheduling
Simplify 24/7 staffing and give medics the convenience of managing their schedules from a mobile device
Learn moreInventory Management
Inventory Management
Streamline vehicle checks, controlled substance tracking, and equipment maintenance with a convenient mobile app
Learn moreWellness Monitoring & Exposure Tracking NEW
Wellness Monitoring & Exposure Tracking
Document exposures and critical incidents and protect your personnels’ mental and physical wellness
Learn moreLaw Enforcement
Training and FTO Management
Increase performance, reduce risk, and ensure compliance with a training management system tailored for your FTO/PTO and in-service training
Learn moreEarly Intervention & Performance Management
Early Intervention & Performance Management
Equip leaders with a tool for performance management and early intervention that helps build positive agency culture
Learn moreOfficer Shift Scheduling
Officer Shift Scheduling
Simplify 24/7 staffing and give officers the convenience of managing their schedules from a mobile device
Learn moreAsset Mangagement & Inspections
Asset Mangagement & Inspections
Streamline equipment checks and vehicle maintenance to ensure everything is working correctly and serviced regularly
Learn more911 Emergency Communications
Training Management System
Training Management System
Track and manage all your employee training, certifications, and policies in one system
Learn morePersonnel Scheduling
Personnel Scheduling
Simplify shift scheduling and equip your Telecommunicators with an app to help manage their complex 24/7 schedules
Learn morePerformance, Conduct & Early Intervention
Performance, Conduct & Early Intervention
Protect the mental wellbeing of your Telecommunicators and improve QA
Learn moreAsset Management & Inspections
Asset Management & Inspections
Simplify ECC inspections, maintenance, and inventory management
Learn moreFederal & Military Training Management
Federal & Military Training Management
A mission-ready ecosystem for training and compliance
Learn moreLocal Government Training Management
Local Government Training Management
Technology to train, prepare, and retain your people
Learn moreState Regulatory and Standards Management
State Regulatory and Standards Management
Purpose-built standards and training software to manage compliance
Learn moreAEC
Learning Management System (LMS)
Learning Management System (LMS)
Ensure licensed professionals receive compliance and CE training via online courses and learning management.
Learn moreOnline Continuing Education
Keep AEC staff licensed in all 50 states for 100+ certifications with online training
Training
Drive organizational success with training that grows skills and aligns with the latest codes and standards
EHS Management
EHS Management
Track, Analyze, Report Health and Safety Activities and Data for AEC Worksites
Learn moreSafety Communication
Safety Communication
Enhance AEC workforce safety with two-way risk communications, tools, and resources
Learn moreCasino
Anti-Money Laundering Training NEW
Anti-Money Laundering Training
Reduce risk in casino operations with Title 31 and Anti-Money Laundering training compliance
Learn MoreEmployee Training
Employee Training
Deliver our leading AML and casino-specific online courses to stay compliant with national and state standards
Learn moreLearning Management System (LMS)
Learning Management System (LMS)
Streamline training operations, increase employee effectiveness, and reduce liability with our LMS for casinos
Learn moreEHS Management
EHS Management
Simplify incident reporting to OSHA and reduce risk with detailed investigation management
Learn moreEmployee Scheduling
Employee Scheduling
Equip your employees with a mobile app to manage their schedules and simplify your 24/7 staff scheduling
Learn moreIndustries
Industry
Resources
Company
Course Center
Contributed by Laura Young and Renarta Clanton Moyd, Cumberland County Schools, North Carolina
Navigating operational and risk management challenges now and in the future.
School districts’ risk management can be difficult under normal circumstances, but COVID-19 elevated that challenge to a whole new level. The good news is that challenges are not insurmountable, even in a pandemic, and what we learned last year we can use going forward.
Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina used several key strategies—good planning, site assessments, smart communications, and flexible options for staff training—that other school districts can apply to navigate their operational and risk management challenges this school year and in the future.
Cumberland County Schools is the fifth-largest district in North Carolina. As in many school districts, the pandemic required its operations and risk management teams to pivot repeatedly as mandates changed, positivity rates fluctuated, and the Delta variant emerged.
The district began the 2020–2021 school year virtually, then shifted to hybrid learning in the spring of 2021. This school year, the district decided to return to full in-person instruction, which required the risk management, operations, and communications teams to make several strategic decisions. These teams were responsible for evaluating all potential risks of in-person instruction and creating plans and procedures to keep students, staff, and families safe.
Before the district opened for in-person instruction, the teams focused on the following strategies to ensure a safe opening.
Regular Cleaning
The operations team evaluated all building spaces to determine the best ways to keep them clean. Cleaning policies and protocols are critical because of the pandemic, but they can also help curb the spread of other illnesses, such as colds and flu, that are common during the school year. For example, Cumberland County Schools:
Districts can also rotate the use of play equipment, classroom spaces, or other areas open to students on a given day to make them easier to clean between uses.
Clear and Continuous Communication
Clear and frequent communication to staff and parents fosters better parent–school relationships and keeps everyone informed about changes.
Cumberland County Schools uses regular emails and automated calls to keep everyone up-to-date on changes in procedures. Videos that allow students, employees, and the general public to see how schools need to operate are an especially effective form of communication. For example, when the schools reopened in March, the district created an instructional video showing students how to navigate new procedures for everything from boarding the bus and standing in line for temperature checks to using drinking fountains.
The district also initiated a weekly principals’ update call during which principals meet virtually to share information and strategies about issues of concern. An earlier session focused on contact tracing; a more recent session focused on the need for substitute teachers. These calls are an excellent opportunity for school leaders to discuss issues with their peers.
Flexible Staff Training
Offering online training can help from a staffing and safety standpoint. In years past, the district hired substitute teachers to cover classes so staff members could attend in-person training sessions. When school buildings were closed and in-person sessions were cancelled, a switch to online courses remedied the situation.
When looking for an online course provider, districts should consider the quality of their customer service. They can do so by looking at reviews or case studies from other districts and by talking to those districts about their experiences. It’s also important to select a provider that keeps its content up-to-date.
Pandemic-Related Planning
Schools need plans in place should a student or staff member test positive. What protocols are in place to limit the spread of the virus? What is the district doing to support and inform the larger community? The following are some things to consider from a pandemic planning
standpoint:
The team set up a contact tracing system, set quarantining procedures, and created a COVID-19 dashboard, a section of its website that shows the number of people who’ve tested positive and the number of people quarantined at each building.
To help support the broader community, the district partnered with the department of health and human services to offer COVID-19 testing. Parents can opt to have their children tested weekly through a COVID-19 testing company.
Managing events. Districts must plan for certain events, such as sports and graduations. Cumberland County Schools reworked its graduation plans for 2021 to allow each student only four guests, and those guests were required to sit together in a designated area.
Mindset Matters
Mindset matters too. Here are some tips on being emotionally prepared to tackle the challenges in today’s everchanging environment:
The pandemic threw everyone for a loop, but school districts are rising to the challenge. Careful consideration of the strategies discussed in this article will keep the operations running smoothly and safely.
Laura Young is risk manager for Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina.
Renarta Clanton Moyd is communications manager for Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina.
Cumberland County Schools uses the Vector Training System to support their staff safety and compliance training.
"This article originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of School Business Affairs magazine and is reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International (www.asbointl.org). The text herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of ASBO International, and use of this imprint does not imply any endorsement or recognition by ASBO International and its officers or affiliates.”