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Running head: BENCHMARK- ADVERSE SITUATIONS

Benchmark- Adverse Situations

Michelle A. Kuby

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-536: Strategic Leadership and Management in the Principalship

Professor Mark Jones

May 18, 2022

Management and Operational Systems

As the principal of Sunset Hills, a K-8 school with a student population of 800 students,

I have been faced with the challenge of an air conditioning system that is not working during

an uncomfortably hot day. The biggest decision that I must make is what to do with students

and staff members to make sure they are safe. Although they may not be at risk for heatstroke

early in the morning, they are clearly distracted and uncomfortable, which takes away from the

quality of their learning. In order to make the most informed decision, there is necessary

information that is missing from the case study. I would need to know if this school district has

allotted emergency use days, what the transportation for students looks like, the socioeconomic

background of these students, and if there are other buildings on campus that students could

relocate to.

If the district has set aside emergency school days, then that would provide me the

opportunity to dismiss students for the day without impacting the end of the school year

schedule. Understanding the transportation logistics is also essential in making the most

informed decision. If busses are the main mode of transportation for students, I would then

need to know if the bus drivers are available to do their routes at an off time, and make sure

that students would be able to get into their homes once the bus drops them off. This leads me

to my next concern of socioeconomic background of the student population. Many parents in

lower income families work second or third shift, while the students are in school. If this is the

case, then the students would either not have a ride or not have someone to watch them once

they got home. This is a large concern because the student population includes children as

young as kindergarten. Finally, if there are other buildings near the main campus, moving the
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students to one of those buildings would be an option, although would cause a disruption to

that school building as well.

Human, Fiscal, and Technological Resources

Located in Phoenix, AZ where the temperature in May reaches highs of 94 on average,

this scenario is a common occurrence and should be included in the school’s emergency plan if

not included already. Documented in the safety plan are the outlined procedures for every staff

member to follow. The main goal is to ensure the safety of the students and remain consistent

with past procedures. Following set procedures will ensure that communication is

appropriately made and that no steps are skipped to making sure students are safe.

There are a few additional resources that are needed to ensure the safety of students and

staff at Sunset Hills. First and foremost, we must provide all individuals in the building with

cold water. We also will need transportation to get the students home safely, whether by bus,

walking, or parent pick up.

Safety and Welfare of Students and Staff

According to the Arizona Secretary of State document, “A school facility shall have an

HVAC system capable of maintaining a temperature between 68 and 82F under normal

conditions with an occupied classroom.” (Office of the Secretary of State Administrative Rules

Division, 2020). Since this is not a possibility, the students’ safety and welfare, as well as the

staff, are at risk.

The most effective strategy for preventing serious safety issues in children during

extreme weather conditions is elimination. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015)

In other words, since the conditions within the school are becoming unsafe, it is the best option

to remove students from the school building. Students who do not have a way of getting home
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can wait in a cooler location in the building, or outside in a shaded area if that is cooler, with

staff members.

Collaboration with Faculty and Community

With such an impactful decision to be made, there are several stakeholders that are

either involved in the decision-making process or will be affected by the recommended

solution. Students, building staff members, parents, and bus drivers could potentially be

affected by the decision. Students and staff members will be impacted no matter what decision

is made because their learning has been and will be impacted negatively. Parents and bus

drivers could be affected by the decision if the students are sent home earlier than normal.

Parents will either need to pick up their students or make sure that their student is able to get

inside their home, and bus drivers might have to work during off hours.

In addition to these stakeholders, the community may be affected as well. If there are

local stores nearby the school, such as a grocery store, they may receive a flood of students

entering the store to escape the heat.

Solution and Rationale

Based on the information that I have collected, the best solution would be to dismiss

students for the day. It was stated that I “observe students sweating and trying to cool down

waving their papers as fans.” (Grand Canyon University, 2022) The student learning has been

impacted, and temperatures within the classrooms are reaching unbearable numbers. It is in the

best interest of all stakeholders to leave the building for the remainder of the day.

There are many steps that must take place in order to dismiss students in an orderly

manner. I first need to coordinate the logistics with the school busses to make sure that each

route will be covered. Assuming that the majority of students are bussed into school, if this is
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not a possibility, then dismissing students is not an option. In addition to this, parents who pick

up their students need to be contacted to notify them of the early dismissal as well. While

students wait to be dismissed, teachers can take their students to a room in the building that

may be less warm such as the library, cafeteria, or computer lab.

Another action that must be taken immediately is providing all students and staff cold

water. The school district will be contacted to coordinate that delivery in a timely manner. If

the school district is not able to provide this, then I would assign several staff members to

purchase bottled water from the local grocery store. This information would be predetermined

and written out in the emergency plan document.

As stated previously, Arizona law requires a classroom be between 68 and 82F. With the

air conditioning out and the outside temperature quickly rising, it is not a possibility to

maintain the comfortable temperature within the classrooms. The number one priority as an

educational leader is to ensure that students are provided with the best environment possible

for them to be successful. It was clear that this scenario caused a disruption in their learning

and that the focus needed to be readjusted to getting them home safely.
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References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, January 13). The National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved from Hierarchy of Controls :

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy/default.html

Grand Canyon University. (2022, May 18). Benchmark- Adverse Situations. Retrieved from Halo

learn: https://halo.gcu.edu/courses/EAD-536-O501-20220414/course-units/0ac78855-

5c4b-47e8-b2e5-157ae8e3fe5c

Keim, A. (2007, August 13). Broken AC sends Scottsdale students home. Retrieved from

EastValley.com: https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/broken-ac-sends-scottsdale-

students-home/article_0296489c-3463-55a5-a386-b012bf76e7a4.html

Office of the Secretary of State Administrative Rules Division. (2020, December 31). Title 7.

Education. Retrieved from Arizona Administrative CODE:

https://apps.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_07/7-06.pdf