PACE Day 2021

Welcome and Introduction
Dave Harvey, PACE administrator, Property & Casualty Coverage for Education

Keynote Session: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Best Practices

Speaker: Diane Cranley

Most school sexual abuse prevention programs are reactive – recognizing the signs of abuse in children after the fact and reporting. But preventing abuse requires a proactive strategic planning process designed to evaluate and implement a variety of best practices that create a new standard of care – a standard of care based not just on what the law requires, but on what the law allows. Join us to learn the key elements of an effective child sexual abuse prevention plan that will help mitigate the risk of student abuse and limit the district’s liability in the unfortunate case that abuse does occur.  

The Intersection of SB 155, Title IX and Oregon’s Sexual Harassment Laws

Presenters: Kelly Noor & Rebekah Jacobson, GHR

You have received a complaint from a student that he was sexually harassed on social media by an instructional aide. What does the school need to do first? What are your obligations for investigating and addressing complaints of this nature under Oregon’s sexual conduct law, Oregon’s sexual harassment law and Title IX? You will be walked through the process from start to finish.   

K-12 Student Speech—All Students Belong Policy and Free Speech Concerns

Presenters: Karen Vickers and Beth Plass 

School Administrators have long struggled with the boundaries of student speech.  What speech can the school prohibit?  When can students be disciplined for their speech?  How does the new All Students Belong policy fit in to this analysis?  Learn the do’s anddon'ts of regulating student speech.   

Charter Schools - Ask PACE Anything

Presenters: Kristen Miles, Board Development Specialist, OSBA; Risk Consultants, SDAO

What is PACE, what types of claims are Charter schools experiencing, what programs and services are available to us?  A panel will be on hand to provide a brief overview of the PACE and answer your Charter school specific questions.  Come prepared to ask us anything! 

How to Protect Your Schools from Wildfire

Presenter: Claire McGrew Assistant Chief Deputy Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal 
            

Minors on the College Campus

Presenters: Allen Bunch, Risk Management Consultant, Others TBD

This session will discuss some of the consideration for managing risks associated with the engagement of minors in the college community.  

How to Spot and Stop Child Molesters

Presenter: Diane Cranley, guest speaker

Child sexual abuse is predictable and preventable. Will we stop every case of abuse in our schools? No not likely. But we can greatly diminish the number of victims, the number of incidents, and the severity of the abuse when we understand the predictable process of abuse and how to interrupt it.

Session participants will:

1. Learn to recognize the behaviors that are typically apparent before abuse occurs,

2. Become familiar with the boundaries that directly intercede with those behaviors, and

3. Increase their confidence in knowing when to suspect abuse and when to report.

Contracting with Outside Entities/Third Parties—COVID-19 Concerns Addressed

Presenters: OSBA Attorneys

Learn key provisions you need to have in your contracts with outside service providers like bussing companies, food service providers, field trip experiences and more!  Do you have provisions that allow you to get out of the contract if you need to?  Do you have provisions addressing your legally required background checks for contractors?  You will be provided with sample language and suggestions for how to reduce the potential for liability when working with outside vendors.   

Navigating State and Federal Employee Leave Laws

Presenters: Paul Dakopolos & Rebekah Jacobson, GHR

It is easy to get lost in the myriad of employee leave entitlements.  From FMLA/OFLA to Oregon Sick Time to Workers’ Compensation Leave to leave under the ADA as a reasonable accommodation.  Where do you start and where does it end?  You will learn tips and tricks for answering those complex leave questions particularly in the pandemic environment.   

Recurring Maintenance Cost May Mean Defective Construction 

Presenters: Rob Wilkerson, Partner and Chris Walters, Partner, Ball Janik LLC; Matt Smith, President, Forensic Building Consultants  

When does recurring maintenance signal a bigger problem, what do to when you don’t know what to do, and options for funding and procurement of necessary repairs?  

Wildfire Response and Support: A Reflection from Two Community Colleges

Presenters: Bob Cochran, Dean, Campus Services, Clackamas Community College; John McIlvain, emergency & Risk Manager, Chemeketa Community College 

Many PACE members, their communities, students and staff were impacted by the wild fires of 2020.  In this session, both Chemeketa and Clackamas Community College will share their experiences and lessons learned from their involvement in supporting the needs of their communities and those of the responding firefighting organizations.   

Addressing Equity in K-12 Schools

Presenters: Miller Nash attorneys

Research consistently shows that students of color are subject to a higher rate of discipline than white students.  The racial demographic of staff rarely matches the racial demographic of the students in the school.  Implicit bias is negatively impacting our students.  Learn what Oregon schools are doing and can do to address inequities in our K-12 schools. 

Employee Discipline and Termination in School Districts - Navigating Complex Statues and CBA provisions

Presenters: OSBA attorneys 

Have you consulted with PACE Legal Services before terminating an employee?  OSBA attorneys will walk you through the discipline and termination process so you avoid lawsuits arising from employee discipline and termination and avoid paying a PACE deductible should a lawsuit nonetheless result.  

Restraining and Seclusion Policy to Practice: Dispelling Myths and Discussing Facts

Lisa Bateman, Education Specialist, Oregon Dept. of Education  

Session participants will discuss current issues and policy requirements surrounding the use of restraint and seclusion in public schools. Session participants will:  •Understand the requirements pertaining to the use of Physical Restraint and Seclusion in public education programs   

•Understand best practices regarding both implementation and reporting requirements   

•Receive answers to the most common questions regarding restraint and seclusion in public education programs  

•Discuss ethical issues and Q&A 

Sexual Abuse and Molestation Prevention - a Risk Perspective

Presenters: McKenzie Nix, SAM Prevention Specialist, SDAO, Others TBD

This SAM prevention presentation will be Q & A style that aims to produce a healthy and open dialog about past, current, and present SAM prevention efforts within our schools, barriers to reporting, identifying grooming behaviors, and other obstacles that boots on the ground educators experience. 

Higher Education - What Regulatory Changes Will 2021 Bring?

Presenter: Karen Smith, general counsel, OCCA

2020 brought change in both state and federal regulatory requirements for institutions of higher education.  With a new presidential administration, will 2021 bring more requirements or changes to the new rules including Title IX, Clery Act, COVID paid leave, and Oregon OSHA infectious disease standards? In this session, Karen Smith, General Counsel from the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) will reflect on the challenges of last year and provide insight as to what may be on the regulatory horizon for community colleges in the future.