Local school corporations need better ways to use technology in order to evaluate threat assessments on social media.  HSE Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff briefed board members on his recent trip to a national school boards conference.

Bourff said officials at the conference suggested school districts find ways to analyze social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and e-mails.  The analysis would look for “guide words” and phrases within the database for threat assessments.

The conference also emphasized equity, which was not just about how schools treat all students to promote their “maximum potential,” but equity was described as a “pro-active measure” to address future security issues.

“Resentment is bred by maligned treatment or inequitable treatment,”Bourff said.  “When you have resentment, such as we’ve seen in other districts, it evolves into violent behavior.”

HSE Schools has just hired an Equity Officer, Erica Buchanan-Rivera.