Podcast: Securing Schools Through District-Wide Training
Securing Schools Through District-Wide Training
How can a school district that is clocking in at 5 to 10 times the state average in incidents culminating in restraint or seclusion make a measurable difference in a period of months? How do you train 6,000 staff members across 52 campuses to significantly improve school safety? This was the distressing challenge facing Florida’s Marion County School District at the beginning of September 2017.
To address that challenge, Marion County administrators made a commitment to provide CPI’s Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training to every staff member at every campus—by the end of 2017!
We bet you can’t guess how good their current metrics are.
“We wanted to find something that would address a mind shift change that we needed to make,” says Cori Boney, a curriculum developer for the district. Administrators recognized that CPI training would teach staff how to get ahead of challenging behavior through a supportive, proactive model.
The Power of a Two-Sided Commitment
This interview also provides a unique glimpse into the way CPI partners with our clients to implement training in their organizations, providing ongoing support to both nurture and sustain safer environments.
“The success of [the training] is attributed to the fact that we were able to be in constant communication with each other, both before the initial planning conversations as well as through the initial rollout. We mirrored the commitment on either side, making sure that we were both accessible to the other,” explains Courtney Wiher, a CPI senior implementation manager.
Are Dramatic Outcomes Sustainable?
Listen to the podcast to learn how initial holdouts were won over, needs were triaged, and initial training was completed on time and target. Learn how through thoughtful, consistent implementation and ongoing adhesion to CPI behavioral models—from de-escalation to debriefing—not only will crises be less likely to develop, but positive outcomes will contribute to a culture which both sustains positive outcomes and grows to expect them.“I admire the commitment made by the Marion County superintendent, Dr. Heidi Maier, to effect an overall culture change in the district. She believed that proper training could make a lasting, positive impact in the reduction of restraint and seclusion. We excel at partnering with organizations looking to effect culture change through an ongoing commitment to CPI’s behavior management techniques.”
—Marvin Mason, Chief Customer Officer
“Cori Boney and her team at Marion County Schools have made an extraordinary commitment to their students and faculty. The help desk team will continue to honor that commitment with the best service we can provide. It’s been great working with them and we look forward to continuing that partnership.”
—Mike King, Systems Support Team Leader
Guest Biographies
According to Cori Boney, “Motivating students to set and achieve their daily goals in order to keep their hope alive to fulfill their dreams has always been my passion.” A special education professional with over 16 years of experience, Cori taught students with emotional/behavioral disabilities for 5 years and then moved into a leadership role as a school-based ESE (exceptional student education) Specialist. She is now an ESE Coordinator in Florida’s Marion County School District. She has been a CPI Certified Instructor since 2009.Courtney Wiher has a degree in Community Leadership & Development. She spent nearly a decade working in both direct care and program development for veterans, victims of trauma, individuals on the autism spectrum, and families navigating homelessness and poverty. Courtney also has experience in grant writing, implementation and restorative justice practices. She joined CPI in 2013 as a Global Professional Instructor, and now supports organizations as a Senior Implementation Manager. Courtney provides consultative change management tools and implementation support around workplace violence and behavior management initiatives, specifically as they relate to CPI's Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training program. She is also a huge Hanson fan.