Patrick Kissane, director of school safety and security, anti-bullying coordinator, Edison Township Public Schools, presenting the opening session, "Uniform State Memorandum of Agreement" to engaged attendees.
On Friday, June 9, education professionals from across New Jersey gathered at Mercer County Community College for the New Jersey School Boards Association’s School Security & Safety Conference. Throughout the day, school board members, school administrators and others learned about mandated CRG mapping, threat assessments, ransomware resilience, lockdowns and much more.
The day began with an engaging opening session, “Uniform State Memorandum of Agreement,” which was led by Patrick Kissane, director of school safety and security and district anti-bullying coordinator at Edison Township School District. Attendees asked several thoughtful questions leading to meaningful discussion about the memorandum and what it means for student safety.
Over the course of the conference, attendees dispersed into five different breakout sessions. Hosted by the conference’s sponsors, these sessions covered topics such as ransomware resilience, lockdowns, improving school security, school resource officers, cybersecurity and student safety. Following the breakout sessions, attendees further discussed their needs and asked questions during a networking lunch.
Two consecutive large group sessions took place in the auditorium to conclude the conference. Mike Rodgers, CEO of Critical Response Group, hosted “Mandated CRG Mapping for N.J. Schools.” CRG mapping is now mandated in all New Jersey Schools, which made this important session the highlight of the afternoon.
The second afternoon session, “Implementing Threat Assessments in Your School District,” was led by the morning’s presenter, Patrick Kissane, and Tom Toohey, assistant superintendent for pupil special services at Edison Township School District. Their presentation touched on the recent mandate of creating behavioral threat assessment teams in New Jersey schools, allowing the two officials to share their perspectives and experiences within their district.
The NJSBA thanks its sponsors of the program: 911 Inform, D2 Cybersecurity, Paloalto, Public Consulting Group, and Millennium Communications Group, Inc., as well as the guest speakers for their insight and participation in this timely event.