2026 Fall Risk Management Forum
Cranberry Group
Risk management forum presentation
Cranberry Group
Risk management forum presentation
Nutmeg Group
Risk management forum presentation
Appalachian Group
Risk management forum presentation
National Association of Episcopal Schools
Conference session
Chris's next dates are being confirmed. Invite him to your event and Ashley will follow up with availability.
New Hampshire Association of School Principals
Conference keynote
New Hampshire Association of School Principals
Closing session
Safety and Security Expo
Understanding School Safety & Building a Strong Safety Culture / The Changing Landscape of School Safety: Policy, Practice, and What's Next
Los Angeles, CA
International Schools Leadership Alliance
School Crisis Response Webinar
Virtual
WFIS
20-minute webinar
Virtual
Ready, Set, Safe!
Featured speaker / panelist
Cal-ISBOA
Iran Conflict: What School Leaders Need to Know Right Now
Virtual
RCM&D
School Safety & Security: Best Practices for Today's Challenges
Virtual
Florida Council of Independent Schools
Reunification Drill
MISBO
Equity in BTAT
PAISBOA
Virtual
ILA
Courageous Belonging: Navigating Public Backlash and the First Amendment with Care
Capital Region BOCES / NERIC & NYSCATE
Opening keynote: Crisis Leadership in Action - From Uncertainty to Control
The Desmond, Albany, NY
Capital Region BOCES / NERIC & NYSCATE
Closing session: What's Next for the School Year Ahead
The Desmond, Albany, NY
Race Management Program
Building a Critical Incident Plan and EOC
NWAIS
Independent Schools Association of the Southwest
Crisis Leadership in Action: From Uncertainty to Control
The Main Idea
School safety webinar
Virtual
Putting the Pieces Together: A Puzzle and Plan for School Safety
This keynote will delve into the essential elements of crisis leadership, emphasizing the Rule of 7s and the Swiss Cheese Model as frameworks for enhancing school safety. Participants will explore how to layer safety strategies—such as personnel, training, policies, technology, and practice—to create a robust plan to support safe and joyful schools. By examining these models, attendees will be guided in developing a forward-looking two-year plan that aligns safety initiatives with evolving challenges and fosters a proactive approach to crisis management in their schools.
Safety in Numbers: The Value of Using a Threat Assessment Matrix in a Crisis
In partnership with Joffe Emergency Services, The John Thomas Dye School (Los Angeles CA), developed threat assessment matrices to be used as tools in a crisis. Joffe Emergency Services Founder and CEO Chris Joffe and JTD Head of School Rose Helm will share two tools that they have developed for situational analysis and crisis planning. The first is a fire threat assessment matrix, which can be adapted for other kinds of natural disasters (e.g. tornado, hurricane, etc.), and the second is a general threat assessment matrix, which can be used more broadly. They will then take participants through a tabletop exercise where they can practice utilizing the matrix to develop a score, which will help inform next steps that should be taken. Participants will leave with a framework for how they might develop their own resources to enhance decision-making and response in a true emergency. Co-presented with Rose Helm.
Smart Security: Comprehensive Approaches to School Safety and Success
In this session, school leaders will gain a strategic, step-by-step framework to enhance campus security. We’ll explore how to determine the best security strategy—whether armed, unarmed, distributed, or virtual—based on your school’s unique needs. Leaders will learn how to evaluate implementation methods, from in-house management to outsourcing. We’ll provide actionable insights on training, staff engagement, risk management, and contract structuring to ensure long-term success. Walk away with the knowledge and tools to build a safe, adaptable, and sustainable security plan tailored to your school’s environment. Co-presented with Jamie Gershon.
Safety and Security: A Discussion of Trends and Key Considerations for Independent Schools
Safety starts with confidence, and confidence requires preparation. Join an independent school specialist with a focus on organizational safety, as they explore safety, security, and risk management trends developing across the country. This interactive session will offer key considerations for schools who want to assess community safety holistically while breaking down top-of-mind matters for physical plant security. Regardless of your position in the school, Chris will offer questions to prompt proactive thinking from the classroom to the boardroom.
Navigating Crisis Reunification:
Navigating Crisis Reunification: A Tabletop Exercise Workshop Think back to a time when a typical school dismissal had to be altered suddenly. What caused the disruption, and how did the process unfold? This session will examine the crucial differences between routine dismissal procedures and the complex protocols required for emergency crisis reunification. Participants will gain an understanding of reunification as a critical element in restoring safety and stability following an emergency, rather than just an operational task. Co-presented with Colleen Scheetz.
Navigating Crisis with Confidence: Ready, Set, Lead!
When was the last time you encountered denial in a critical moment? In this keynote, we’ll explore the leadership skills every school professional needs to move beyond the shock of a crisis and step into decisive action. Together, we’ll debunk common myths about emergency response and emphasize the integration of safety into everyone’s role within a school setting. By the end of the session, attendees will feel empowered to take decisive action during the pivotal first 7 seconds, 7 minutes, 7 hours of an emergency. Leadership at every level is vital, and this session will ensure participants are equipped to lead when it matters most.
Prepared, Not Panicked: Effective Strategies for School Violence Threats
Prepared, Not Panicked: Effective Strategies for School Violence Threats While no one can predict the next crisis, it’s clear that one is inevitable. When it involves a threat of violence, schools must be prepared to respond. Administrators and boards need a pre-planned, stress-tested structure to ensure a coordinated approach. The priority is community safety, but decisions based solely on worst-case scenarios can be counterproductive. This presentation will explore effective strategies for responding to violent threats without using scare tactics. Participants will engage in scenario-based exercises, leaving with a clear, actionable plan to glean tools and strategies needed to evaluate and address potential threats effectively. The goal of this session is to provide schools with enough knowledge and resources to take action on their own if they choose. Co-presented with Michael Blacher.
Equitable Threat Assessment Strategies
Equitable Threat Assessment Strategies Chris and Cat from Joffe Emergency Services will present a session that examines the often-overlooked intersection of behavior threat assessment teams and equity-driven practices. They will explore how biases, stereotypes, and systemic inequalities can influence threat assessments, offering practical strategies to foster inclusivity and fairness within these essential processes. Additionally, the session will include a review of the 8-step process for implementing an effective behavior threat assessment team, providing attendees with actionable insights to enhance their teams and processes. Co-presented with Cat Cecere.
Safety and Security: A Discussion of Trends and Key Considerations for Independent Schools
Safety and Security: A Discussion of Trends and Key Considerations for Independent Schools Safety starts with confidence, and confidence requires preparation. Join two independent school specialists with a focus on organizational safety, as they explore safety, security, and risk management trends developing across the country. This interactive session will offer key considerations for schools who want to assess community safety holistically, while breaking down top-of-mind matters for physical plant security. Regardless of your position in the school, Megan and Chris will offer questions to prompt proactive thinking from the classroom to the boardroom. Co-presented with Megan Mann.
Ensuring Safety and Security Post-Election
As the political landscape evolves, schools must be prepared to manage heightened tensions and ensure community safety. This session will provide practical strategies for maintaining security before, during, and after the 2024 U.S. election and 2025 inauguration. Participants will explore proactive communication techniques, methods for fostering respectful discourse, and collaboration strategies with local authorities. Through real-world scenarios, attendees will gain insights into crisis response, threat assessment, and conflict resolution to create a secure and inclusive school environment.
A focus on top-of-mind safety trends
In this session, we will explore the latest trends in emergency preparedness for the 2024-25 school year. Participants will engage in hands-on scenario-based discussions, polling activities, and strategy-building exercises to enhance their emergency response skills. Key takeaways include practical insights for developing effective safety protocols and completing the Summer 2024 preparedness checklist.
Ensuring Safety and Security During Election and Inauguration Periods for Schools
As we approach the election and inauguration season, all school staff play a vital role in maintaining a safe and supportive environment for students and colleagues. This session will provide practical strategies to ensure safety and security during these times, drawing on insights from previous experiences during similar periods of heightened national focus. Participants will explore methods for proactive communication, inclusive community engagement, conflict resolution, and effective collaboration with local authorities. By fostering a calm and respectful atmosphere, school communities can navigate these periods smoothly while ensuring the well-being of everyone on campus.
Understanding Crisis Management
This session will provide a comprehensive overview of crisis management, risk assessment, and emergency preparedness. Participants will learn essential principles for effective crisis response, develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and explore best practices for communication during emergencies. Through real-life case studies and a hands-on simulation exercise, attendees will gain practical experience in response and recovery strategies, ensuring they are equipped to handle crisis situations effectively. Co-presented with Elizabeth Rupert.
Preparing for Tomorrow: Trends & Strategies in Emergency Response
This interactive session will explore the latest trends shaping emergency preparedness for the 2024-25 school year. Participants will engage in hands-on scenario-based discussions, polls, and reflections to develop practical strategies for strengthening school emergency responses. With a focus on actionable insights, attendees will leave with a clear roadmap for ensuring a strong start to the school year. Designed for school operations staff, this session emphasizes collaboration, engagement, and readiness for evolving challenges. Co-presented with Cat Cecere.
What you don't know about your medical plan could hurt you
This session will discuss the considerations that venues should take as they develop a medical plan for their events or medical guidelines for their tenants. The speakers will describe how developing a better understanding of medical challenges and resources, can help venues and events positively improve their bottom lines, and also provide the best solution for their guests. Co-presented with Alex Soltero.
Emerging Strategies for Enhanced Campus Security
Campus security continues to be an important element of independent school life, ensuring the safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff and visitors. This session will take the form of a panel discussion incorporating both a safety security consultant and schools presenting their strategies for managing campus security. Examples of various security protocols include implementing access control systems, conducting regular safety drills, installing surveillance cameras, establishing emergency response plans, employing security personnel (both unarmed and armed), conducting background checks, and promoting a culture of vigilance and reporting of suspicious individuals and activities. Co-presented with Ronald Wanglin.
Empowering School Leaders: Framework for Emergency Response
Empower school leaders with actionable strategies for crisis response during the first 7 seconds, 7 minutes, and 7 hours of any emergency. This session explores backward planning and dissects critical components to strengthen a school's resilience in an emergency.
Putting the puzzle pieces together to detect threats and make communities safer
Join us for an immersive session where we realize, quite literally, how the puzzle pieces we hold can be meaningless alone and transformational when put together. These literal puzzle pieces represent the metaphorical pieces of information we learn and hold onto every day. If successful at using the strategies learned during our session, participants will be able to see the whole picture once the pieces come together. Building security to last As it turns out, not all security programs are created equally. There are a confluence of factors to contemplate when designing a security strategy that works for today's schools and that will work for tomorrow's schools too. Security is no longer boots on the ground at the gate but instead, an active and participatory member of the community. Today's great security is marked by an awareness of cybersecurity, the ongoing ability to respond to online and offline threats, and their degree of interaction within their community. During this session, unpack traits of success and surface opportunities for leaders to build a winning security strategy that is not a liability, but instead one of the school’s most central assets.
Principles over tactics
Over the past few years, as we have endured a global pandemic that shook the core of our education systems, every head of school has become a crisis leader. How can the lessons we learned in Covid be applied to other, completely different types of crises? In this session, we’ll explore this along with other critical conversations related to crisis and emergency management in schools. We’ll offer a framework for understanding what all emergencies have in common and how that impacts a school leaders’ response. We’ll discuss which decisions should be made swiftly to prevent or mitigate disaster, and which allow time for deeper analysis. And we’ll focus on the leadership and communication principles that will fortify a school to handle any risk and keep them safe in any type of emergency. Workshop: Building a now-next-later plan for risk management A workshop for heads of schools on backwards planning: what actions can we take today to make the most of the critical first seconds and minutes of an emergency? By sharing knowledge and working through real life case studies, we will build high yield strategies for schools to become stronger. We will focus our time on the categories that make up each of the puzzle pieces of a safer school, and formulate an action plan for what heads of school’s need to do over the following seven days, seven weeks, seven months, and seven years from an incident.
Engaging your board chair in safety
Board chairs are deeply involved in our schools, and are invaluable partners for everything from fundraising to academics. But there’s one area most schools have not deeply engaged their board chair in: safety and security. In this session, we’ll discuss why this matters, what board members bring to the table, and how school leaders can more deeply engage their board leadership in their safety and security strategy. The Fundamental Principles of Crisis Leadership Crises are known to have myriad issues blended together and launched at the crisis leaders at the speed of… crisis. How do you know which data presented to you are action-worthy vs which are artifacts? What decisions should you make swiftly? What decisions allow time for analysis-paralysis? How does one escape analysis paralysis once it’s recognized? How might we consolidate the perspectives of multiple leaders into a single, decisive, organizational perspective? In this session, participants will be able to understand key lessons from recent active shooter events with a focus on preparedness and response, define the core leadership principles of keeping students safe, and we will contemplate the spectrum of possibility over the next 5 years.
Chris joins Dr. David Sciarretta for his Podcast series Superintendent's Hangout, to talk about education, charter schools, and life in general.
Listen to the podcast now !
What structures and systems do schools that are leading the way in safety and security with excellence have? What are we forecasting for this upcoming school year? And why are these things important?
Touching on the fundamentals of school safety, threat assessments (teams, protocol, training - and where they fit into this framework) and balancing competing priorities.
For schools nationwide, join us to:
For Schools Nationwide
Briefly discuss what is publicly known about the event as context
For Schools Nationwide
Briefly discuss what is publicly known about the event as context
Managing a Crisis When Everyone Has a Microphone: Safety and Communications in Age of Social Media
Issues that seem like small fires can quickly turn into conflagrations at schools. Social media can amplify and complicate crises, often leading to safety concerns. How can school leaders manage these situations most effectively and – most important -- keep everyone safe? In this session, we’ll look at the crisis issues most common in independent schools now. We’ll discuss techniques for decision-making and for communicating well. Through true (anonymized) case studies, participants will grapple with challenging questions related to safety and crisis communications. Co-presented with Myra McGovern & Jim Hulbert
Building security to last
As it turns out, not all security programs are created equally. There are a confluence of factors to contemplate when designing a security strategy that works for today's schools and that will work for tomorrow's schools too. Security is no longer boots on the ground at the gate but instead, an active and participatory member of the community. Today's great security is marked by an awareness of cybersecurity, the ongoing ability to respond to online and offline threats, and their degree of interaction within their community. During this session, unpack traits of success and surface opportunities for leaders to build a winning security strategy that is not a liability, but instead one of the school’s most central assets.
Putting the puzzle pieces together to detect threats and make communities safer
Join us for an immersive session where we realize, quite literally, the puzzle pieces we hold can be meaningless alone but transformational when put together. These literal puzzle pieces represent the metaphorical pieces we hold every day. If successful at using the strategies learned during our session, participants will be able to see the whole picture.
Building Security to Last
As it turns out, not all security programs are created equally. There are a confluence of factors to contemplate when designing a security strategy that works for today's schools and that will work for tomorrow's schools too. Security is no longer boots on the ground at the gate but instead an active and participatory member of the community. Each student may perceive security differently, and we have learned security presence (uniforms, equipment, training, and relationships) must be customized to fit the community. Today's great security is marked by an awareness of cybersecurity, the ongoing ability to respond to online and offline threats, and their degree of interaction within their community. During this session, unpack traits of success and surface opportunities to build a winning security strategy that is not a liability, but instead one of the school’s most central assets.
Best Practices for Emergency Management
During this interactive session, CEO & Founder Chris Joffe of Joffe Emergency Services, we will help school leaders rebuild their confidence in emergency management, crisis leadership, and impactful drills.
Two experts in mass violence – Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut and Katherine Schweit – will share the stage to debate the pros and cons of two differing approaches to active shooter response: “Run, Hide, Fight” vs. Lockdown.
Their conversation is available today to all Joffe Academy PLUS members. All Joffe clients have access to Joffe Academy PLUS at no cost. If you are interested in viewing the debate and don't currently have a Academy PLUS membership, Joffe please contact us at support@joffeemergencyservices.com for short trial term access.
Crisis Preparedness and Management in Islamic Schools
Islamic schools operate in a unique environment. As private non-profit institutions, they are not bound to the same legal and institutional requirements as public schools. Under these circumstances, they do not always have knowledge of and access to crisis prevention and response strategies that may otherwise be found in public schools. Yet, Islamic schools are equally susceptible to crisis situations, including school shootings, suicide attempts, and medical emergencies.
The Equity Issue We Don’t Talk Enough About - How School Safety Impacts Educational Equity
There is an inextricable connection between educational equity and school safety. Students can only learn when they feel safe, and far too many students of color face regular safety concerns at school. In this session, we’ll delve into some of the safety issues that disproportionately impact students of color and discuss how safety and security affects students’ ability to learn. Using a school-based case study, we’ll explore the importance of educating and empowering everyone across campus to respond to emergencies and share specific, concrete strategies to build confidence among members of the school community when it comes to safety and security.
The Fundamental Principles of Crisis Leadership
Over the past two years, every head of school has become a crisis leader. But how can the lessons we learned in Covid be applied to other, completely different types of crises? How do we know which data presented are action-worthy and which are simply artifacts? What decisions should you make swiftly? What decisions allow time for analysis-paralysis? How does one escape analysis-paralysis once it’s recognized? How might we consolidate the perspectives of multiple leaders into a single, decisive, organizational perspective? This is a nail-biting, pencil jotting session designed to entertain, inform, and ignite progress.
Crises are known to have myriad issues blended together and launched at the crisis leaders at the speed of… Crisis. How do you know which data presented to you are action-worthy vs which are artifacts? What decisions should you make swiftly? What decisions allow time for analysis-paralysis? How does one escape analysis-paralysis once it’s recognized? How might we consolidate the perspectives of multiple leaders into a single, decisive, organizational perspective? This is a nail-biting, pencil jotting session designed to entertain, inform, and cause progress.
In this session we touch on all things school safety, from recent heightened concerns around active shooters, we dive into a case study on Uvalde lessons; we look ahead towards the future at five things we expect to occur in the next five to ten years and what to do about them; and we present the core principles for keeping students safe.
Leading Lockdown Drills in the Current COVID Climate
Many schools have paused or delayed lockdown drills over the past three years in order to maintain Covid protocols. As lockdown preparation has come into focus again, many schools are feeling rusty and lacking confidence in their response. Through a combination of case studies/breakout groups/reacting to real world scenarios, this session will help school leaders rebuild their confidence and prepare to run effective, successful, and impactful lockdown drills with their community.
As we near the end of the 2021-22 school year we are all wondering the same thing... What should we expect in the coming weeks? Join Chris Joffe, Founder & CEO of Joffe Emergency Services, in a 60 minute interactive discussion on what we can expect and what should be top of mind for us this summer.
The Fundamental Principles of Crisis Leadership
With Chris Joffe, Founder and Principle, Joffe Emergency Services Over the past two years, every head of school has become a crisis leader. But how can the lessons we learned in Covid be applied to other, completely different types of crises? How do we know which data presented are action-worthy and which are simply artifacts? What decisions should you make swiftly? What decisions allow time for analysis-paralysis? How does one escape analysis-paralysis once it’s recognized? How might we consolidate the perspectives of multiple leaders into a single, decisive, organizational perspective? This is a nail-biting, pencil jotting session designed to entertain, inform, and ignite progress.
Key Objectives:
As we transition back to school—online, in-person, or hybrid— leaders in education must find strategies to inspire hope and leverage positive change to confront the adversities we have faced. Many families and their children continue to experience high levels of anxiety, depression, trauma, and fear. During this session, the presenters will provide a Social Emotional Learning framework for cultivating skills and environments that advance students’ learning and development. The presentation will also examine approaches that include a trauma-informed, equitable, and compassionate lens to providing mental health support to every member of the school community. Because we all are returning to school as different people than when we left, caring leaders seek to support each other in turning our tragedies into growth, recognizing the joys amongst the ongoing and profound difficulties, and re-establishing school communities to serve everyone, with greater justice and equity. FORMAT: Zoom Meeting (Zoom link will be sent 2 days before the event.) FEE: Free for EARCOS Members; $100 for Non-Members. Please contact info@earcos.org to be placed on the Guest Waitlist.
Chris Joffe, Founder/CEO of Joffe Emergency Services will lead participants through a dialogue focused on the long-tail consequences of COVID-19 on Safety & Security and Health & Wellness programs in our schools. Specifically, you can expect to learn about strategies you can implement to manage faculty & student safety commitments/expectations, facilities impacts, classroom design impacts and even some of the challenges associated with designing security deployment modeling in and around a post-COVID-19 era.
Responding to Covid-19 has proven to be an incredibly challenging undertaking. Managing tactics, principles, communication and community confidence is not for the faint of heart, but our schools, by and large, have done incredibly well in at least one of these areas, if not multiple. Join us for a discussion where Chris Joffe, Founder & CEO of Joffe Emergency Services will unpack a few key areas of success that Joffe's detected across the most successful schools they're working with right now. Participants will walk away with a clear understanding for:
Meet the team responsible for developing Confidence Building Parent Education at The School in Rose Valley! Join us in discussion with Head of School, Rod Stanton, Health Coordinator (powered by Joffe) Colleen Scheetz, and Founder & CEO of Joffe Emergency Services, Chris Joffe for an enlightening dialog around the strategies used to develop and scale parent confidence at The School in Rose Valley. Participants will walk away with action plans to develop strong parent communication and confidence building tools of their own plus access to Joffe's information hub for schools loaded with: COVID-19 resources, communication templates regarding positive COVID-19 cases on campus, and more!
"The New Normal: Coming Back After The Curve"
"The New Normal: Coming Back After The Curve" In this session, Chris will focus on the best practices for returning to school after Covid-19. He will outline the top 3 - 5 areas of focus, discuss strategies for keeping schools safe and provide a list of action items for each school to take as we continue to grapple with the challenges of returning to school in the Fall. "Deep Dive into Reopening Your School" In this session, we will use Joffe's School Reopening templates as a starting point for your own documents. This interactive session will be led by experts with the goal to publish your own emergency plan around Covid-19, or at the very least have a clear action plan for developing one. During this session you will be able to ask Chris for any documentation and/or templates that have been produced by Joffe.
"The New Normal: Coming Back After The Curve"
"The New Normal: Coming Back After The Curve" In this session, Chris will outline the top 3 - 5 areas of focus, discuss strategies for keeping schools safe and provide a list of action items for each school to take as we continue to grapple with the challenges of returning to school in the Fall.
Panel Discussion - Planning for the New Normal: The Expanding Impact of Wildfires.
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