Speak Up, Speak Out Wisconsin (SUSO)
SUSO Confidential Reporting System via app (Apple Store, Google Play), web, and phone or by calling 1-800-MY-SUSO-1
What is SUSO?
Created by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety, the SUSO Resource Center (https://speakup.widoj.gov/) is a place where anyone can submit an anonymous tip to report threats of school violence, bullying, and/or self-harm.
What is the district’s responsibility in addressing SUSO tips?
The Office of School Safety triages tips as they come in. Moderate and low-level tips are reviewed and sent to the building principal for follow-up. Immediate concerns are addressed by collaborating with the SUSO analyst reporting the tip, the Office of School Safety, the school principal, and MPD. Immediate concerns during off hours are addressed by SUSO analysts and MPD. All tips, regardless of level of concern, are investigated and a plan for support and follow-up is completed.
How does SUSO align with other MMSD reporting practices?
Developing positive student/adult relationships is vital to school safety, as they help ensure students feel safe reporting concerns to people they trust. MMSD schools have social workers, school psychologists, counselors, nurses, support coaches, educational assistants, and security assistants all trained in keeping students safe and at the center of the educational environment. While the district hopes that students will reach out to someone they trust at the school, iIt is not always easy or possible to make a report to another person when needed, so this reporting system offers an additional layer of support.
What is the principal’s role?
Principals must understand how the confidential reporting system works and be ready to respond to a tip that might come in regarding an event at their school. Principals work directly with the Office of School Safety to assess the tip, develop a plan, connect with students and families involved, and follow up as needed. The principal will likely solicit the support of their student services team members: social worker, psychologist, counselor, and/or PBIS coach in this group. Together, this team will develop a training plan for staff and students after completing the required training.
Securly
MMSD is committed to ensuring that student safety remains a priority, especially while using their district-issued devices. As the reliance on technology in education continues to increase, so does the need for online safety for students. Securly employs trained analysts to monitor and immediately contact the school or District Critical Response Team with information regarding unsafe or concerning searches, messages, or documents while utilizing their district device. This platform provides support during the school day, after school, and on weekends.
MMSD uses different tools within the Securly platform to ensure student and staff online safety:
- Web filtering (Securly Filter): Use of a web filter protects students from harmful content and can be used to block online distractions. Web filtering also ensures that the district is compliant with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
- Flagged alert systems (Securly Aware): Flagged alerts are sent to designated school and district staff notifying them of online activities that are potentially harmful, including self-harm, depression, violence, bullying, and more. Once alerted, schools can act quickly to provide the student the necessary resources to address the issue at hand.
Securly runs 24/7. To fully support its implementation, Securly analysts directly contact school principals Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., via email or phone. They also contact the District Critical Response Team, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., and all day Saturday and Sunday via text message, email, or phone, depending on severity. .
For any after-hours contacts to the District Critical Response Team, district protocol includes monitoring and discussing information with Securly analysts, connecting with students and families, and possibly contacting MPD to complete a welfare check. The District Critical Response Team will also connect with the school principal to share detailed information and to coordinate follow-up support.
Reporting to School Staff
By building relationships between staff and students, staff become identified as trusted adults that students can talk to. Trusted adults in the building can be (but are not limited to):
- Classroom teachers, principals, assistant principals, deans
- Student Services staff: Psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses
- School Support staff: SSAs, educational assistants, custodians, secretaries
All staff must know that, if they are trusted adults to a student, they must balance that trust with their requirement as mandatory reporters. All staff must provide guidance and support to students while also explaining to them that they must disclose unsafe information to another trusted adult.
The best language for staff to use is:
“Thank you for trusting me to hear what you have to say. Before you start, I might need to tell another trusted adult if the information you share involves someone hurting you, you hurting someone, or if you are or want to hurt yourself.”
Mandatory Reporting
Threats of School Violence
Wisconsin Act 143 (Wis. Stat. 175.32, 118.07(5)) established another mandatory reporting requirement that states that any staff should make a report, “ if the person believes in good faith, based on a threat made by an individual seen in the course of professional duties regarding violence in or targeted at a school, that there is a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a student or school employee or the public.”
Child Abuse and Neglect
Pursuant of Chapter 48, any district staff member who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected is required to make a report. While a staff member can seek consultation from an administrator or support staff (social worker, nurse, psychologist), it cannot delay a report. Staff can fulfill the mandatory reporting requirement by making a report to Dane County Child Protection Services at 251-KIDS or contacting MPD at 911 or 255-2345.
All staff at each school building must review the Reporting Phone Numbers and Procedures document prior to the beginning of each school year, as well as before making a report. School staff are not responsible for investigating child abuse or neglect, but must determine if there is potential abuse using the facts they have, definitions of maltreatment (in document linked above), critical thinking about possible individual biases.
All staff are responsible for filling out the anonymous MMSD Google Form to document that a report has been made. While the identity of the reporter remains confidential, the data from the report aids in further collaboration with Dane County Child Protection Services to identify trends, areas of bias, and need for additional training.
If a report is made, staff should inform the school-based social worker and the building principal, so they can communicate with Dane County Child Protection Social Workers. Under the health and safety exception in Chapter 48, Dane County Initial Assessment Social Workers and Police are permitted to talk with the student pursuant to abuse and neglect without needing parent permission.
The identity of the individual making the report is to be kept confidential. It is requested that all staff making a report inform their administrator, but details of the report do not need to be shared unless not doing so would create a health or safety concern in the school building.
Anti-Bullying Reporting
MMSD strives to provide an environment where every student feels safe, respected, and welcomed. It is also important that every staff member can serve students in an atmosphere that is free from significant disruptions and obstacles that impede learning and performance. For more information or to submit a report of bullying please visit the district’s anti-bullying website.
Workplace Bullying and/or Harassment
Board Policy 8012 -Nondiscrimination-Staff and Visitors
Board Policy 8013-Workplace Bullying
Annually, all staff receive training on reporting and investigation of student bullying behavior in accordance with MMSD BOE policy.
Workplace bullying is the repeated, unreasonable actions of an individual (or group) directed toward a peer, co-worker or employee that is intended to intimidate and creates a risk to the health or safety of the target.
All new employees must complete anti-harassment training within their first year of employment. It is only necessary to complete the training once. For additional information see: https://hr.madison.k12.wi.us/files/hr/harass.pdf.
Role-Specific Required Training
Administrators and Principal Designees
The following preparedness trainings are required for administrators and their designees:
Annual Legal Conference to Review BOE Policies and Procedures
Each year, during Administrator Leadership Institute and prior to the first day of school, a team composed of district legal counsel, human resources, Office of School Safety, and Student & Staff Support employees provide all administrators with legal procedures and BOE policies that accompany them:
- 4147 - Student Employee Safety (Plans, Drills, Reporting, Safety Teams)
- 4222 - Reporting Child Abuse/Neglect
- 4224 - Reporting Threats of School Violence
- 4400 - Investigations, Interrogations, Arrests, Searches
- BOE Policy 4400 provides guidance and legal direction for School Administrators to cooperate with local police agencies regarding the investigation, interrogation, arrest and search of students on school property or in the building according to established procedures.
- The Legal Conference will include specific training on 4400 that provides an in-depth explanation of the specific policy requirements, how to use best practices with notification of parents and how to ensure students and parents have information about their rights, the basis for the investigation, search and/or arrest of a student, and the importance of complying with the policy and the possible consequences for failing to comply.
Principal Designee Training
Annually, all principals, assistant principals, and their appointed designees review:
Employee Handbook - 15.03 Principal Designee
Each appointed designee is required to complete online modules in the Talent Portal related to their duties when they are in the designee role. When the building principal is to be out of the building, the principal shall designate, in writing, a person to be in charge of the building and the operation of the school. Annual training is required and is held before school begins annually.
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention
Non-violent crisis intervention (NVCI) training is provided through the Crisis Prevention Institute and MMSD-embedded trainers. This training addresses proactive techniques to prevent escalating behaviors, diffuse or de-escalate behaviors, and how to quickly and safely respond to unsafe behaviors. This training is a requirement for all principals, assistant principals, special education staff, and student services staff per Wisconsin Act 118. Classroom teachers are not required to be trained, but can elect to receive the training based on the specific needs of the students in their classroom or on their caseload. MMSD’s goal is to have all staff mandated through Act 118 be retrained every two years. Any MMSD staff can access the crisis prevention materials to review common language.
Student & Staff Support
Psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, nurse assistants, positive behavior support coaches, restorative coaches, special educators, special education assistants (SEAs), behavior education assistants (BEAs), and SSAs make up this category of staff.
The following are required trainings for these staff in MMSD::
Stop the Bleed
Stop the Bleed is a national awareness campaign and call-to-action. Stop the Bleed is intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Medication Administration (nurses are exempt)
Administration of medication is governed by state law. The law requires that schools provide a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)-approved knowledge and skills training to any employee (secretary, teacher, specialized education assistant, principal, nurse assistant, etc.) who administers medications as a function of their job duties via certain routes. Skills competency testing is provided by the school nurse and is required at least every year and more often if needed.
Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)
All new employees are strongly encouraged to watch this webcast as soon as possible after employment starts. This training is required upon hire and annually for employees in the following designated job categories: custodians, elementary secretaries, elementary, middle and high school building administrators, nurse’s assistants, nurses, security assistants, physical education teachers, special education teachers, SEAs, and substitute SEAs.
Basic Life Support CPR/AED (nurses, nurse assistants, SEAs, BEAs, SSAs)
The Basic Life Support Course trains participants to promptly recognize several life-threatening emergencies, give high-quality chest compressions, deliver appropriate ventilations and provide early use of an AED. Nurses and nursing assistants must be trained annually. MMSD also requires a staff member to be trained in CPR/first aid for all overnight field trips.
Med Sled and Stryker Chair (nurses, nurse assistants, and special education staff)
Med Sleds are used in schools to support students and staff with mobility issues, to evacuate in the event of an emergency. Nurses must be trained.
Risk Assessments (psychologists, social workers, counselors, and nurses)
MMSD student services staff use a variety of risk assessments to comprehensively understand student needs. Training for these assessments is offered each semester and small group training may also be requested by individual school teams. All psychologists, social workers, counselors, and nurses should be proficient in using the assessments listed below:
Violence Risk Assessment + Threat Assessment (VRA+TA)
Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) + Nonsuicidal Self Injury Assessment (NSSI)
Policy 4235: Alcohol and Other Drug (AODA) Procedures
Custodian Training
The following are the trainings required for custodians in MMSD:
- Asbestos awareness training (all)
- 16-hour asbestos operations and maintenance course (head custodians only)
- Annual bloodborne pathogen training,
- School maintenance certification course (custodians with pools only), all head custodians are trained annually on
- Annual preventive maintenance related to facilities (head custodians only)
- All Staff Welcome Back Safety Training Virtual Modules
Athletic Coaches and Athletic Event Staff
The following are the trainings required for athletic staff in MMSD:
Each school has a specific database of resources for athletics related to training and application related to safety and security, health procedures, and emergency action plans (EAPs).
EAPs are annually reviewed with University of Wisconsin athletic trainers who staff athletic events and training rooms. After school, athletic trainers are the point people for any student-athlete injury response or critical response for coaches, spectators, bystanders.
Seasonal athletic event staff and coaches receive and review supervision documents for competitions. Coaches and administrators receive the EAPs for practice and competition spaces.
Training and Communication For Students and Parents
It is imperative that students, families, and community members know what is happening in MMSD, especially when it comes to safety. Parents must be informed about safety practices and procedures, and have opportunities to learn how to engage in them the way their students do. On MMSD’s website, MMSD.org/office-of-school-safety, all safety lessons are embedded for parents to review. These will be continuously updated to ensure that the most current information is available.
Communication Preparedness
Communication is a critical component of incident management. MMSD aims to provide clear, accurate, and timely internal and external communication among staff, students, parents, emergency responders, the community, and the media.
The following are preparatory components of the district’s ability to successfully communicate when an emergency happens:
Preparing Families and Students
- During the enrollment process and at intervals throughout the school year, parents are asked to keep their emergency contact information up to date in Infinite Campus, MMSD’s student information system.
- Families are encouraged to select “text message” as a communication option, so that they can be notified in the event of an emergency via SMS.
- Parents/guardians of high school students may also enter their students’ cell phone numbers in Infinite Campus, so that they, too, can be notified of emergencies at their school via text message.
- MMSD uses email, school newsletters, district newsletters, and the district website to provide general emergency procedure information.
Preparing Staff
- School administrators receive annual training in the protocol for communicating with families in the event of a school emergency. All administrators will consult with the Office of School Safety either before or after contacting emergency responders. The Office of School Safety will work directly with the administrator, first responders, and the MMSD Communications Department to quickly prepare clear communications while respecting the confidentiality of students and/or staff involved.
- The district’s Communications Department staff are reachable and ready to assist school administrators during and after school hours. These staff members are able to craft and edit communications and have administrative access to SchoolMessenger, allowing them to send texts, emails, or robocalls to any school community.
- Similarly, district translators are reachable during and after school hours, and work closely with the MMSD Communications Department to ensure accurate and timely communications are sent to families whose home languages are other than English.
- In order to communicate with staff quickly and appropriately, principals will often send out brief email communication during or right after an event has occurred or a Standard Response Protocol was used. This allows staff to get initial information and know there will be more forthcoming.