Articles in the Wellness category

Preventing catastrophic sports injuries

Though catastrophic sports injuries are rare–approximately 1,300 such cases have been reported between 1982 and 2007– they are not only devastating to the individual but also to the school district, especially if the district is underinsured.

“How many of you have [insurance] policies that exceed $20 million?” asked Michael Patterson, a Seattle attorney and co-presenter of “Handling Catastrophic Personal Injury School Claims,” one of today’s sessions offered at the Council of School Attorney’s 2010 School Law Seminar.

“OK, only one of you raised your hand,” Patterson said, after peering out in the audience of mostly fellow school attorneys. “That means the rest of you have a problem.”

With typical jury verdicts for cases where the student suffered irreparable brain damage or was left quadriplegic averaging about $22 million, districts face huge financial liabilities when a young athlete is injured.

Unfortunately, sports injuries can and do happen but districts can minimize their risks by being proactive and making sure, for instance, that coaches are properly trained, student athletes are supervised, sports equipment is up-to-date and facilities and grounds are safe.

In the event a catastrophic injury or worse death does occur, however, districts must act quickly and strategically in order to stop the case from spinning out of control in the public eye and in the pocketbook.

Immediately after the injury has occurred, districts need to have a third party launch an investigation, identifying witnesses, securing any video footage and evidence, obtaining police and emergency reports, contacting first responders, and even talking with the victim’s family.

“You may have a primary carrier or an excess carrier, those are the ones you need to be communicating with and getting them on board from day one,” Patterson said. “Because one of things I’ve seen is [districts] didn’t put them on notice and the excess carrier will say, you breached the terms of our contract because you didn’t notify us immediately and we’re terminating you.”

In addition to starting the discovery process and notifying insurance representatives, districts must also be aggressive about launching a communications campaign.

“Do not think you don’t have to put together a media plan because you do, everyone will be asking questions, putting together funds for this individual that the community is rallying around,” Patterson said.

Districts need to have a press release ready and identify a spokesman and clear chain of command before the media begins calling.

Lastly, districts would be wise to identify experts of that particular case, whether it is a respected football coach or a head trauma specialist, because if they don’t find and secure those subject matter experts, the plaintiff’s lawyers will.

“The best defense is an aggressive defense,” Patterson said. “Do your strategic planning immediately, get all of your key players together … and get your insurance carriers on line and don’t let them off the hook.”

Naomi Dillon|April 10th, 2010|Categories: NSBA Annual Conference 2010, School Board News, School Law, Wellness|

First Lady to board members: Let’s Move!

First Lady Michelle ObamaFirst Lady Michelle Obama made a televised appearance at NSBA’s 70th annual conference, held in her hometown of Chicago.

In February, Obama kicked off Let’s Move!, a national campaign to combat childhood obesity, and her remarks broadcast at today’s General Session were focused on this important initiative.

“Our goal for Let’s Move! is to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood with a healthy weight,” Obama said. “This effort will require a comprehensive approach that builds on effective strategies and mobilizes public and private resources.”

The national campaign aims to engage every sector impacting the health of children and to provide schools, families, and communities with resources to help kids be more active, make wise food choices, and live a healthier lifestyle. Such an endeavor requires the help and cooperation of many, including parents, teachers, and community leaders.

“School boards play a critical role in the development of effective school policies to ensure healthy school environments,” Obama said. “You’re the ones on the ground that can make this happen.”

Obama acknowledged that times are challenging and that many schools might view things like healthy school lunches or fitness challenges as extras, things to spring for once the necessities have been taken care of.

“But these are false choices,” she said. “If kids aren’t getting adequate nutrition or exercise, even the best textbooks and teachers in the world won’t help them learn.”

Solving the nation’s obesity challenge won’t be easy or quick, Obama said.

“Make no mistake, it can be solved,” she said. “But it’s going to take all of us working together.”

Naomi Dillon|April 10th, 2010|Categories: Educational Finance, Educational Legislation, NSBA Annual Conference 2010, Obesity, School Board News, School Boards, Student Achievement, Wellness|

Asthma: the leading health cause of absenteeism

Did you know that asthma is the leading health cause of school absenteeism, and that it might negatively affect learning if not well-managed? Or that nearly 10% of children – three students in a classroom of 30 – have asthma?

If you are a school leader who is looking for ways to decrease asthma-related absences in your schools; gain information on what should be communicated to parents and staff about asthma; learn about creating policies that protect your students from an asthma emergency; or seek other asthma management tools, then check out NSBA’s School Health Programs recently launched “Asthma & Schools” webpage!

The new webpage provides school leaders easy access to information on how best to manage asthma in schools.  The webpage, as well as several resources available through the webpage, were developed in partnership with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) under a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to guide, support, and implement effective policy and practices to improve asthma management in schools.

Resources available through the webpage include a communication kit, policy development assistance, asthma management success stories from across the country, and information about the collaborative work that five state school boards associations (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Wisconsin) have undertaken to reduce the burden of asthma in school districts within their states.

Daniela Espinosa|April 9th, 2010|Categories: Boardbuzz, Wellness|

Anti-bullying policies for faculty appearing in schools

1210-1242157886dp0Q A pair of student bullying cases, in which both victims committed suicide, made national headlines recently— though, in truth these destructive and potentially deadly interactions  have been a persistent part of school culture for some time now, despite a plethora of policies and programs to combat such behavior.

What hasn’t gotten so much attention, however, is that bullying can occur at all levels within a school, particularly among faculty.

Recently-enacted policies in the Sioux City, Iowa school system and soon, at Desert Sands Unified in La Quinta, Calif., are two districts (it appears like the only two in the nation) that specifically target bullying among its staff. 

Promoting an anti-bullying message among students is “undermined when a principal bullies a teacher in front of the kids,” Gary Namie, a psychologist and co-founder with his wife, Ruth, of the Workplace Bullying Institute, told USA Today.

Like wellness policies and character education programs, schools have long recognized that in order to get students to adopt healthy lifestyle and work habits, teachers and other school employees  must model such behavior themselves.
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Naomi Dillon|April 8th, 2010|Categories: Governance, Leading Source, School Climate, Wellness|Tags: , , , |

Funding for abstinence-only ed part of healthcare reform bill

12401746321259371626Anonymous_Gender_svg_thumbRegardless of whether you love it or hate it, President Obama’s new health care plan is a definitely a step in a new direction—except for one thing.   In addition to new regulations about insurance coverage, the bill encourages a return to abstinence-based sexual education. 

The bill includes funding for schools’ abstinence-based education programs to the tune of $50 million a year for the next five years, provided those schools stick to the guidelines about what to teach.

Schools that get a piece of this $250 million pie are required to “teach that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services. To qualify, they must also teach that sex before marriage is “likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects.”

While abstinence may be the safest course, and the one preferred by many teachers and parents who would like to see their boy and girl-crazy teenage students keep their attention on academics, it cannot be relied on to work for every student.
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Naomi Dillon|April 7th, 2010|Categories: Curriculum, Governance, Leading Source, Wellness|Tags: , , , |

When did schools become the enemy?

The child nutrition reauthorization bill approved by the U. S. Senate Agriculture Committee this week passed with accolades from both sides of the political aisle for its “balance” of child nutrition improvements with available resources.  The problem is that school governance organizations weren’t involved in drafting the bill…and it shows.  New mandates for national standards, reporting and training – with little or no funding to help schools comply – appear throughout the 200+ page bill. 

BoardBuzz wonders how such important legislation could be drafted without input from school leaders and decision-makers.  More than 30 million low-income children receive free and reduced price meals at school. Clearly, school districts are essential to the success of the program.  Rather than setting up school districts to fail, Congress should involve school boards and other leaders to improve the quality and availability of nutritious school meals.  Bringing schools into the conversation would truly balance the many elements needed to improve child health and nutrition.

How would you go about improving child nutrition in your school district?  You can read a few recommendations from NSBA.

Lucy Gettman|March 26th, 2010|Categories: Boardbuzz, Governance, Wellness|

School policies should address new tobacco products, panelists say

Tobacco use by youth is no longer just about smoking cigarettes. New products mimicking innocuous items like toothpicks and mints are making school officials’ enforcement of anti- tobacco policies trickier. And even the mainstay products are being repurposed to appeal to broader markets.

A March 24 webinar sponsored by NSBA’s School Health Programs was designed to help educators and policymakers learn about some of the new offerings and tactics that tobacco product manufacturers are using to attract young people to their customer base.

Snus, for instance, is a tobacco sold in small teabag-like pouches that unlike snuff does not need to be spit out, explained Michael Wood, the technical assistance and training director for the American Legacy Foundation.

“Its emergence into the market wasn’t to contend or compete with cigarettes for market share but as an option for those [instances] where individuals aren’t free to go out and smoke,” Wood said. Not only would the casual observer not be able to tell if someone is using this product, the tin package can easily pass as, say, a cell phone in someone’s pocket.

An ad from tobacco company Camel touts, “You can ‘snus’ virtually anywhere, from work to bars to trains to your fussy friend’s party.” Camel has also launched a series of dissolvable tobacco products that resemble breath strips, toothpicks or Tic Tacs.

And established products like cigars and hookahs, which are water pipes that originated in India in the 16th century, are now offered with new flavored tobaccos such as strawberry, grape, and vanilla.

Few adults want those flavors, Wood said. “So, it begs the question, ‘who that product is marketed to?’”

Educators should build policies that explicitly identify and ban all types of tobacco use by anyone on school grounds, opportunities for smoking cessation programs, and education campaigns and outreach through local media, community events and school activities to combat the marketing of the new products, panelists said.

The webinar was hosted by the National Consortium on Tobacco Use Prevention Through Schools, a coalition of education, health and tobacco-control organizations, of which NSBA is a member.

Naomi Dillon

Naomi Dillon|March 25th, 2010|Categories: School Board News, Wellness|

Proposed legislation would impose more federal standards on school nutrition services

A new proposal to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act would authorize more funding but impose additional federal requirements on food available in schools as well as training and certification requirements for state and local personnel.

The draft legislation, dubbed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, was unveiled by Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. A mark-up and Committee vote on the bill is scheduled for this week.

The measure would require the Secretary of Agriculture to issue new standards for school meals based on recommendations made by a board of the National Academies of Science. It would provide an additional reimbursement of 6 cents per school lunch that complies with the standards, increasing the federal government’s contribution to school lunch and nutrition programs by $4.5 billion over a 10-year period. The draft also authorizes the secretary to issue standards for all food sold in schools based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans under the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act. NSBA opposes national standards and federal regulation outside the federal food programs.

It also would add to existing laws on local wellness policies and require districts to allow parents, students, the school food authority, the school board, administrators, and community members to develop and review of the local school wellness policies.

And the bill also proposes new training and professional standards requirements for school food service personnel, a measure that could be costly for school districts.

Local school districts are acutely aware that child nutrition is needed to ensure a healthy learning environment for children. With that in mind, NSBA has asked Congress to recognize local school district authority, not impose additional regulations or mandates on schools outside the federally subsidized school lunch and breakfast programs, and adequately reimburse school districts for the cost of those services. NSBA has also asked for incentives and grants to help support districts that are taking greater responsibility and creating successful nutrition programs.

“Without question, local school districts believe that child nutrition is vitally important to fostering a healthy and positive learning environment for children to achieve their full potential,” said NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant. “NSBA works with and through state school boards associations and uses Web-based services, educational programming, and publications to help school policymakers and educators to make informed decisions about health issues affecting the academic achievement and healthy development of students and the effective operation of schools.”

Joetta Sack-Min|March 22nd, 2010|Categories: Educational Legislation, Obesity, School Board News, School Boards, Wellness|

Helping youth kick “butts”

BoardBuzz is happy to announce that March 24, 2010 marks the 14th anniversary of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Kick Butts Day, a day for kids everywhere to stand up to the tobacco industry and let them know that their actions targeting youth are unacceptable.  The focus area this year is on smoke-free workplaces and public places.  This means schools!

BoardBuzz readers know that the only way to protect kids completely from tobacco is with a 100 percent tobacco-free schools policy, so this year on Kick Butts Day, we encourage readers to consider their district tobacco policies. Does your policy prohibit the use of all tobacco products, on all school property, at all times, by everyone?  If not, BoardBuzz urges readers to revise and strengthen their policies!

In light of a new study linking lung cancer to people who were exposed to secondhand smoke as children, even if they never use tobacco themselves, BoardBuzz knows that it is particularly important to make sure that students are not exposed to smoke at school!

Kick Butts Day is a great opportunity for BoardBuzz readers to partner with local youth to work on a comprehensive tobacco-free school policy!  Kids can be a very powerful force in persuading the powers that be, and fun activities can be incorporated for some added impact.

For other ideas for quick, low-cost and easy Kick Butts Day activities already being planned in your community, please click here.  For help developing  a comprehensive tobacco-free schools policy, visit the National Consortium on Tobacco Use Prevention through Schools or contact schoolhealth@nsba.org.

Daniela Espinosa|March 18th, 2010|Categories: Boardbuzz, Wellness|

Education headlines: Senate kills D.C. voucher expansion, no more Pepsi in schools, FCC releases broadband plan

The U.S. Senate voted down a measure that would have opened the D.C. voucher program to new students, thus limiting the future of the controversial program, the Washington Post reports. PepsiCo plans to stop selling sugary soft drinks in schools by 2012, in a move aimed at curbing childhood obesity, according to the Associated Press, which also reports on First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech asking food manufacturers to lower the amounts of sugar, salt and fat in their foods and stop marketing unhealthy foods to children… Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission(FCC) released plans of its sweeping broadband plan, which aims to provide high-speed internet access to more areas of the country and speed up existing lines and contains wide-ranging plans to help schools maximize their use of the technology. Read the Associated Press article here.

Joetta Sack-Min|March 17th, 2010|Categories: Announcements, Educational Technology, School Board News, School Vouchers, Wellness|
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