Benchmark – Adverse Situation
Read the following case study to inform the assignment.
You are the principal of Sunset Hills, a K-8 school with an 800-student population. It is a May mid-
morning in Phoenix, Arizona, where the outside temperature has reached a staggering 98 degrees and is
rising. While visiting classrooms in the campus' main building, you begin to notice the classrooms seem
to be getting warmer and warmer. At noon the facilities manager notifies you that the central air
conditioning units in the building are down. As you continue to walk through classrooms, you observe
students sweating and trying to cool down waving their papers as fans.
School does not end until 3:45 p.m.
Management and Operational Systems
Identify the main decisions that must be made.
The main decision is whether conditions are safe for students and staff. If conditions are safe, the next
decision is whether something can be done to make students and staff more comfortable; provide fans,
cold water, move them to the air-conditioned auditorium/gym/cafeteria. if conditions are not safe, the
next decision is how to safely dismiss students.
Identify additional information needed to inform your decision.
The first piece of information I need to find out is if the district has a mandated temperature
maximum. For example, at my current site we implement ASHRAE Standard 55-2017, Thermal
Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, which notes that for thermal comfort
purposes, indoor temperatures could range between 67 and 82 °F. In this case, the temperature
in the main building must be closely monitored.
I will consult with the facilities manager and ask how long it will take to get the central air
conditioning units back on.
I will check the weather forecast for the rest of the school day and see if temperatures are
expected to continue climbing or if they have reached their maximum for the day.
Contact the teacher union president to ask if teachers can be instructed to teach in a shared
building with other teachers and students.
Human, Fiscal, and Technological Resources
Organize staff to ensure the safety of students and consistency of response.
If the temperature is getting close to the mandated temperature maximum, and if an air-conditioned
auditorium, gym, and cafeteria are available I will send a mass email to staff with instructions. I will send
a message through the PA system to ask teachers to check their work email. The instructions are for k-2
classes to report to the gymnasium for the remaining of the school day. 3 rd-5th grade classes will report
to the cafeteria and 6th-8th will report to the auditorium. Teachers will be instructed to simply their
lesson for the rest of the day as much as possible. Teachers will ask students to carry only the necessary
instructional materials. All available classified staff will assist teacher in monitoring students and will
serve as runners in case teachers need supplies from their classroom. They will also provide teachers
with restroom breaks.
Identify additional resources needed to ensure safety of students and staff.
The cafeteria staff will provide cold water stations for students and staff. If the school has an on-site
nurse, they will be asked to provide suggestions to mitigate heat exhaustion and to provide a list of
symptoms to look for. They will also be asked to get ready in case they need to treat students or staff.
The facilities manager will be in charge of monitoring the AC units in these buildings and make sure they
are working properly.
Safety and Welfare of Students and Staff
Identify legal rulings regarding the safety and welfare of students and staff to consider in making a
decision.
In the court case M.S.D. of Martinsville v. Rebecca Jackson, the “ruling shows schools or districts
can be found liable if evidence proves [an] event could have reasonably been prevented, either
because officials had reason to believe it would take place or if their response protocol wasn’t
sufficiently implemented.” In this case, if a suffers a heat stroke, the school could be liable for
not preventing the event or if our response protocol is not carried out properly.
I must be careful not to breach the teachers’ union contract. I cannot make a request that will
require teachers to perform duties outside of their established duties.
I must also be cautious about the duties assigned to classified staff. Since classified staff do not
work under a collective bargaining agreement or contract, I can legally change their duties.
However, according to Education Code section 45110, those duties must reasonably relate to
those fixed for the position by the district’s governing board.
Identify district policy regarding the safety and welfare of students and staff that might affect a
decision.
BP 0450 Comprehensive Safety Plan: The Board of Education recognizes that students and staff have
the right to a safe and secure campus where they are free from physical and psychological harm.
BP 7110 Facilities Master Plan: The district's facilities master plan shall be based on an assessment of
the condition and adequacy of existing facilities, a projection of future enrollments, and alignment of
facilities with the district's vision for the instructional program.
Exhibit 3511.9 Energy Conservation And Building Management: Where cross-ventilation is available
during periods of mild weather, shut down HVAC equipment and adjust temperature with windows and
doors. Cross-ventilation is defined as having windows and/or doors to the outside on each side of a
room.
Note: Set points are in accordance with ASHRAE 55 "Thermal Conditions for Human Occupancy."
Collaboration with Faculty and Community
Identify possible stakeholders involved in the decision-making and/or affected by the recommended
solution.
The admin team will be involved in the decision-making process and will collaborate with the facilities
manager, the teacher union rep, and the district’s central office. Since this is a decision that must be
made quickly, not all stakeholders can be involved in the decision-making process. Consequently, while
the decision will affect staff and students, they will not be involved in the decision-making process.
Solution and Rationale
Explain your solutions for addressing the situation.
My solution is to relocate staff and students to the air-conditioned buildings where they can safely
complete instruction for the day. The lessons for the day will be simplified as much as possible. If
possible, teachers will collaborate to carry out learning activities conducive to large groups. Classified
staff will be asked to support teachers’ efforts. Ten minutes before the end of school, students will be
allowed to return to their classrooms to collect their belongings.
List action steps you would take to implement the solutions, including a timeline for implementing
them.
Call an emergency meeting with admin team to discuss possible solutions. Delegate
responsibilities.
Check the local weather forecast for the rest of the day.
Find out if the district has set mandated temperature maximums for its buildings.
Consult with facilities manager to determine how long it will take to get the central air
conditioning unit working again. Find out if the air conditioning units in other buildings are
working.
Consult with the teacher union rep to see if I can request teachers to continue instruction in a
shared building.
Compose and send a mass email informing staff of the intended solution and
instructions/responsibilities for everybody. Use PA to ask teachers to check their work email.
Contact the cafeteria staff and ask them to prepare cold water stations at the designated
locations.
Contact school nurse to provide a list of symptoms for heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Ask
nurse to prepare to treat students experiencing symptoms.
Dispatch classified staff to provide support to teachers.
Monitor student behavior, support teachers, ensure everybody’s safety.
Ten minutes before the end of school, allow students to return to their classrooms to retrieve
their belongings.
Students who must walk home will be provided with a water bottle. Students will be dismissed
as usual.
After school, an automated call will go out informing parents to take necessary precautions to
avoid heat exhaustion like having students wear light colors and sending them to school with a
water container.
Provide a rationale for your proposed solutions. Explain how the solution protects the welfare and
safety of students and staff, complies with laws, rights, and policies, and involves appropriate
stakeholders.
Any adverse situation requires modifying or cancellation of everyday routines. In this scenario, my
proposed solution aims to address the adverse situation while causing the least amount of disruption to
existing routines. If I were to cancel school, I will have to inform parents and arrange for students to be
dismissed safely. With the proposed solution, while instruction is slightly modified, students are not
completely missing out on learning. It is the school’s duty to provide students with an appropriate and
safe education and for it to exhaust all resources to fulfill its responsibility. When the school is not able
to safely provide an education to students, then the school must close its doors until it is able to perform
its duties properly.
References:
Wang, Z., Zhang, H., He, Y., Luo, M., Li, Z., Hong, T., & Lin, B. (2020). Revisiting individual and group
differences in thermal comfort based on ASHRAE database. Energy & Buildings, 219. https://doi-
org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.110017
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, Air-Conditioning Engineers, & American National Standards
Institute. (2004). Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy (Vol. 55, No. 2004). American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Walker, T. (2018). The Heat is On: Educators, Students Forced to Deal With Sweltering Classrooms. NEA
News. Retrieved from URL: https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/heat-
educators-students-forced-deal-sweltering-classrooms
M.S.D. of Martinsville v. Rebecca Jackson. Retrieved November 25, 2020, from
https://www.in.gov/judiciary/opinions/pdf/05191406pdm.pdf
