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District 21 rolls out "Let's Talk" safety and bullying reporting tool, staff expect 24-hour response window
Summary
The board saw a live demonstration of LetsTalk, a multilingual reporting platform pinned to student Chromebooks and the district website; staff say 13 reports have been handled and the district aims to respond within 24 hours and close most cases within five days.
The CCSD 21 board received a live demonstration of Let's Talk on Sept. 18, a new district reporting tool for bullying, safety and HR concerns that district leaders said is available on the website, via a home-page tile and pinned to every student Chromebook.
"Let's Talk is a is a system we brought online at the beginning of the school year that really gives, students, parents, staff, and community members an opportunity, to register any kind of concerns," Superintendent Dr. Connolly said, adding that users may submit reports anonymously.
Chief Operating Officer Mike Francini demonstrated the web form and said the public-facing modules include a bullying tip line and a safety and security tip line; an HR tip line is password-protected for staff use. Francini said the form includes language options in English, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian, allows file attachments and provides an option to submit anonymously.
"We've had about 13 total dialogues already, and they've all been closed successfully," Francini said. He told the board the district is tracking user type (about 54% parent/guardian, 23% employees and 23% students) and that 92% of submissions have been concerns, with 8% questions.
Francini described the notification and follow-up process: HR tip-line submissions go to Lewis Roberts (the designated HR receiver); bullying and safety reports route to Director of School Safety Todd Rolling, building principals (and assistant principals or deans where applicable) and Francini, with email alerts to staff. He said the district has asked staff to respond within 24 hours and aims to close most cases within five days.
Students and board members asked whether students had been introduced to the system and when the district would provide guidance on what constitutes bullying versus rudeness. Francini and school leaders said principals have introduced the tool to staff and students, parent communications have been sent and the district will distribute posters and educational materials in October's Bullying Awareness Month.
Francini also noted the portal allows back-and-forth messaging when reports are not anonymous, which helps staff get follow-up details and provide restorative or other responses.
Board members asked for periodic metrics; Francini said he provides a weekly report and will share summary metrics with trustees.
