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District plans two PD days focused on physical and psychological safety; some members press for hands‑on trauma training
Summary
South Kingstown officials outlined two June PD days—an in‑person day and an asynchronous virtual day—emphasizing physical and psychological safety. Committee members urged hands‑on trauma‑informed training, questioned reliance on online modules and sought clarity on funding and follow‑up implementation.
District administrators described two professional development days planned for June 24 (in person) and June 25 (asynchronous modules) that will prioritize physical safety and psychological safety across schools.
"We're focusing on these two major themes around physical safety and then the psychological safety component," Mr. Seager said, describing how the PD days were driven by the equity audit, the district strategic plan, SurveyWorks data and feedback from the district safety team.
Several committee members urged more hands‑on, trauma‑informed training rather than primarily online modules. "Please bring in a professional firm to do hands on professional development and trauma for us," one committee member said, arguing that recent community incidents made immediate, practical training necessary.
Administrators said the plan blends modalities: an in‑person day for group learning and an asynchronous day to provide universal baseline training. Officials noted available funding sources including the local budget, Title II federal funds and union‑provided NEA modules, and they described plans to embed follow‑up coaching cycles, evaluation measures and ongoing reinforcement into school schedules.
Committee members asked for clearer reporting on participation and follow‑up steps; administration said certificates of completion will be required for modules and that PD activities will be integrated with evaluation and common planning time to sustain learning beyond the initial events.
The committee did not take a formal vote on PD content at this meeting; members requested the administration provide more detail and return for future updates.
