Detective Michael Johnson (ret.) said he wouldn’t let his audience at Thursday’s PACE Day at the Sunriver Resort turn a blind eye to sex abuse because they have to see it to stop it. (Photo by Jake Arnold, OSBA)
PACE Day is about prevention, which requires school officials to face head-on scary, tragic and disturbing possibilities.
The keynote speaker, Michael Johnson, forced the audience to confront one of the most unthinkable risks: child sex abuse.
“I’m going to bring you a different perspective, the perspective from the perpetrator,” he told the audience. “And it’s going to be a very uncomfortable perspective.”
The former Plano, Texas, police detective let people know up front that “there is X in sex abuse” and there is no way to talk about it honestly without using X-rated language.
His powerful and at times uncomfortable presentation bracketed a full day of workshops and networking.
The PACE Day conference Thursday, April 10, at the Sunriver Resort provided around 200 school officials a chance to share ideas and learn more about issues such as cybersecurity, special education, risk management, sex abuse prevention and more. They heard about the dangers, and they heard what they can do to protect their students, staff and schools.
Property and Casualty Coverage for Education is a joint effort by OSBA and the Special Districts Association of Oregon. PACE, Oregon’s leading insurance pool for education, serves more than 300 public organizations.
PACE’s service, though, goes far beyond providing insurance. In addition to offering legal advice and support, PACE has a robust program of trainings, conferences and information sharing to help schools reduce risks, prevent tragedies and protect their students, staff and property.
Jackie Olsen, executive director of the Oregon Association of School Business Officials, said these trainings are invaluable investments for school districts, multiplied as attendees take information and tools back to their districts.
“Our buildings have to be safe for our kids to learn,” Olsen said.
Johnson is an internationally recognized expert and speaker on preventing child abuse and exploitation. “Detective Mike” was a lead criminal investigator for family abuse and violence for 24 years before becoming the youth protection adviser/director for the National Office of the Boy Scouts of America from 2010 to 2020.
Johnson was blunt and factual about sex crimes in schools, dispelling myths and putting the audience in the minds of abusers.
“The information was more than people wanted to hear,” he said. “I saw a lot of wide eyes and stunned faces. I also saw a lot of people nodding their heads in recognition of the truth.”
Johnson said his goal is to change behavior. Everyone in schools has to be prepared to spot the signs of students who have been abused and adults who will abuse and then act, he said.
“You’re going to be dealing with this if you are in a school setting,” Johnson said. “You have to be able to recognize it, stop it and report it.”
John McIlvain, Chemeketa Community College director of emergency and risk management, said it was a disturbing but necessary presentation that would motivate him to continue the conversation in his college.
Krista Parent, executive director of the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, said PACE is one of the most trusted resources for school leaders. She said PACE offers thought partners and legal advice that are especially important for smaller districts with fewer available staff experts.
“PACE is a way of leveling the playing field for support and resources,” Parent said.
Throughout the year, PACE offers public service announcements, specialized training and on-site assessments to help school districts identify potential risks and prevent something bad from happening.
Thursday’s workshops were mostly focused on prevention, helping school officials to identify social, physical and legal risks and telling them how to protect their students, staff and district. But sometimes tragedies happen, whether natural disasters or horrifying crimes.
“Before you do anything, make that call to PACE,” Parent said she tells administrators.
– Jake Arnold, OSBA
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