EAD 505 Artifact 2: From Rookie to Reality Case Analysis and Rationale

Date of Artifact: May 22, 2024

ELCC Standard 5.4: Candidates understand and can evaluate the potential moral and legal consequences
of decision making in the school.

Rationale: This case study artifact demonstrates compliance with the standard since it includes a part
where I have identified and analyzed the possible ethical and legal ramifications of my decision to
implement a school lockout.

From Rookie to Reality Case Analysis and Rationale

Case 24 Study – From Rookie to Reality

Shawn Ray

Grand Canyon University: EAD-505: Education Law

Dr. Whalen

May 15, 2024

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 From Rookie to Reality Case Analysis and Rationale Template

Part 1: Case Analysis

1. Brief summary of the case:

The principal of the smallest elementary school in the district, Shoreline

Elementary, has become ill and I have been selected and designated as the interim

principal for the remainder of the year. The school caters to the grades kindergarten to

fifth-grade and has a total of seven hundred twenty students. Just after a brief first two

weeks of being the interim principal at Shoreline Elementary, I learn that the school I was

previously an assistant principal at under Rick King, a very knowledgeable and effective

principal, had to evacuate the school due to the presence of an explosive device,

specifically a pipe bomb that was positioned outside one of the classrooms.

As the acting principal, I came to the front of the school in the morning to

welcome students and parents twenty minutes prior to the beginning of the school day.

As I am greeting students and parents, I notice a fourth-grade student and presumably

their mother running rapidly towards me. The parent and student both are yelling

something to me and gesturing towards an item located on the pavement across the street.

I quickly make my way across to get a closer look at the object and notice that it is

composed of metal with adhesive tape attached to both ends. I promptly presume it to be

another improvised explosive device similar to what Rick King had found at his school.

2. Identify the issues to be resolved:

The issues that need to be resolved here are the potential explosive device, what to do

with the students that are near the device and already at the school, and how to manage

the students that are currently on their way to the school.

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 3. Stakeholders involved in the issues:
The stakeholders that are involved in the issue are the acting interim principal, the

students that have already been dropped off, and the parents that have dropped off their

children which includes the fourth-grade student and mom that both found the device.

4. One or two existing laws or court rulings that relate to the issues:
Hosemann v. Oakland Unified School District of 1986 (Marcotte, 1986, p. 1) – wherein a

California Superior Court determined that the public schools are obligated to actively

address and reduce crime and violence occurring on their campuses. Both students and

staff members are currently safeguarded from acts of violence within the school

premises. Guidelines are provided for school boards and administrators that encounter

similar legal concerns.

Titus v. Lindberg, 1967 (Justia Law, n.d.) – where a bully hit another student with a

paperclip shot from a rubber band and caused serious injury. The principal was found to

be guilty for not having adequate supervision of students to ensure their safety.

5. District policies that relate to the issues:

 District policy states that once a threat is made along with a device being found,

appropriate authorities need to be called. The school will go on lockdown so the

situation could be assessed by the authorities and then necessary actions will be

taken (Fabens Independent School District, n.d.).

 Should the school building be deemed to be safe, students should remain inside

and a lockout or a lockdown should be initiated.

 Immediately call 911 and describe the situation with as much detail as possible

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 6. Possible solutions to the issues:
 The first solution would be to call 911, explain the situation and location of the

suspicious device and initiate a lockout until the authorities have deemed the area

to be safe, and notify parents and the school community of the situation through a

group message blast on platforms such as Group-me, an all-call telephone

message, and email. I would document all steps taken during the situation so that

way a communication letter could be sent out to all parents explaining the steps

that were taken.

 Another possible solution to the situation would be to call 911, explain the

situation and location of the device and then evacuate all the students out the back

and side doors to keep them safe and away from the device while informing

parents and the school community of what is taking place through a group

message blast on platforms such as Group-me, an all-call telephone message, and

email. I would document all steps taken during the situation so that way a

communication letter could be sent out to all parents explaining the steps that

were taken.

7. The solution you chose to resolve the issues:

The solution that I would choose to resolve the issues would be to call 911, explain the

situation that is taking place with as much detail as possible, initiate a school lockout, and

then notify the school community and parents of the situation taking place and

documenting the situation.

8. Action steps (2-5) for implementing your solution, including a timeline for each step:

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  My first step for implementing my solution would be to clear the area of parents

and students and to radio for the school to initiate a lockout (2 minutes). I would

ask the SRO officer to help to direct traffic away from the device’s location

(ongoing until authorities arrive). During this announcement I would call 9-1-1

and explain the situation in its entirety, including what the device looks like,

where it is located, and that a school lockout has been initiated (5-10 minutes).

 Any students that are still arriving to the school on bus will be diverted to another

elementary school where parents can be notified to come and pick their child up.

 I would have the assistant principal reach out to the school community and notify

parents of the lockout that is taking place through email, a telephone all call, and

through the school’s Group-me platform about a suspicious device being located

near the school, and to keep children who are not yet at school, at home until

further notice (5 minutes).

 Once all notifications have been sent, I will document all steps that have been

taken during the situation and send a letter and email home to all parents and staff

communicating those steps and calling a student assembly and community

assembly within a two-week timeframe.

 Finally, once authorities have cleared the device and deemed the school to be

safe, the school day may resume and a message can be sent to parents letting them

know that the area was checked thoroughly and considered to be safe.

9. Potential moral and legal consequences of the solution:

The potential moral and legal consequences of the solution are that if it is not enacted fast

enough, whether it be a hoax or actual threat, people could be hurt and lives could be lost.

Another moral and legal consequence would be if a child or even another adult were to

end up picking up the device and setting it off. As a principal, it is my responsibility to

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 ensure the safety of all students that are on the school premises and I could be held

accountable for being negligent to the situation or not communicating what transpired.

Part 2: Rationale

Support the case analysis with a 500-750 word rationale explaining the decision you made and
how the decision:
 Supports the school’s vision and mission and safeguards the values of democracy,
equity, and diversity.
 Promotes social justice and ensures that individual student needs inform all aspects of
schooling.
 Promotes collaboration, trust, learning, and high expectations.
Cite the case and any other source documents as appropriate.

My decision to call the lockout supports the school vision and mission because I am

working to keep everyone safe at the school safe and secure. The reason behind calling a lockout

instead of a lockdown, is because during a lockdown, all school activities come to a halt. By

calling a lockout and the authorities, I am able to make sure that no additional person or persons

come into the building, all buses are rerouted, parents that have not dropped their children off at

school yet return home with them or keep them safe and away from school premises. This

supports the school mission and vision as well because I am trying to keep the people of the

school community safe (Fabens Elementary School, 2023). The school has a diverse range of

children, spanning from kindergarten to fifth-grade and every single one of them, as well as my

faculty and staff, is to be kept safe which is of utmost importance. The authorities will perform a

search of the school grounds and the surrounding neighborhood to make sure there are no

additional threats to the school or the members of the community. Once this has been completed,

I can let everyone in the school community, surrounding community, parents, and staff know

that the day may resume to help prevent loss of attendance and learning.

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 During an emergency, it is imperative that all administrators and security staff promptly

and accurately react to guarantee the protection of all individuals. As administrators, it is

imperative that we diligently execute the school’s safety plan and promptly contact the

appropriate authorities in life-threatening circumstances, such as the one that transpired today

(Hanson, 2009, p. 95). In each situation, whether it is a practice or an actual event, it is essential

for all employees to receive the necessary training to know what to do in that situation. The same

kind of trainings should be provided to students, parents, and members of the community so they

understand the difference between a shelter in place, lockdown, and lockout in the event that

such an emergency should occur.

The principal should regularly meet with the local law enforcement, the emergency

response team, and the head of security to establish and maintain a prevention strategy that will

prevent any recurrence of this or future circumstances. It is imperative for all staff members to

stay informed about any modifications made to the school’s safety plan in order to become

acquainted with the changes going forward. Due to a student’s report to the principal regarding

the device, it is crucial that both the regular assemblies and family assemblies occur within a

two-week timeframe. This is critical to demonstrate to the community that we are doing the

required measures to ensure the safety of everyone in all future situations. In my opinion, the

most effective remedy lies inside the school’s mission statement, “…safe learning community

where individuals are valued, respected, and supported…“ (Fabens Elementary School, 2023).

Additionally, it guarantees the security of our students in collaboration with the community and

parents which aligns with PSEL Standard Five (National Policy Board for Educational

Administration, 2015).

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 References

Fabens Elementary School. (2023). Fes district homepage. https://fes.fabensisd.net/

Fabens Independent School District. (n.d.). Emergency

management. https://www.fabensisd.net/departments/emergency-management

Hanson, K. L. (2009). A casebook for school leaders: Linking the ISLLC standards to effective

practice (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Justia Law. (n.d.). Titus v.

Lindberg. https://law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/supreme-court/1967/49-n-j-66-0.html

Marcotte, P. (1986). Court orders safe schools. ABA Journal, 72(9), 30.

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2023). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders. https://www.npbea.org/

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