Opinion: Schools owe it to children to be more safe
By Lisa Huard
Details in the Newtown, Conn., tragedy will continue to evolve for quite some time. Lives will never be the same; rather they will end up being a “new normal” for the families and friends of all the individuals lost.
Did it happen because gun control allows people to buy assault weapons? Was he mentally ill? Was he bullied? Was he on drugs?
Lisa Huard
When bad things happen we want a definitive answer. We want this because if we have it, then we can prevent it from happening again.
Turn on any newscast throughout the nation and you’ll see schools and districts practicing their drills this week and reviewing their safety plans. Because this situation occurred at an elementary school safety is now again the flavor of the month. Safety and what encompasses it should always be at the forefront of concerns and operations for all schools.
I can tell you as someone who works in the field that it is always an uphill battle to get schools to focus on plans and procedures because it takes away from subject time in the classroom. If safety and all that encompasses it were on standardized tests, I believe our children would grow up healthier and happier and more productive.
As a safe schools consultant I’ve had emails and phone calls this past week asking me basic questions on how this kind of an event can occur. And each day the media poses a new question with headlines. Today it’s asking “Who is to blame?” I don’t believe there is ever only one source at the root of violence, rather a continuum of weaknesses in our systems that harm many of our kids, and therefore our society.
I became a teacher in the early 1980s and have watched our school system become less student centered, less humanized. There was a time when our focus did concern itself with what our kids dealt with outside of the school walls. There was a time that the system wanted us to build inclusion in our classrooms, as it was believed that individuals who felt connected and cared for become more secure within themselves and therefore would be better individuals and create better communities.
Many remember years ago when our own school board’s mission statement was that all children would have an advocate. We as teachers were a part of trainings that built on this basic need. We as teachers were encouraged and supported to build relationships with our kids and with each other. We in essence built family.
Because of this we were more connected with our kids. We knew the kids who were struggling and who were having trouble and furthermore we had in place support systems to help these kids. As in life, you can’t “fix” all situations, but I will tell you, we did fix many.
This premise is no longer the case here. In fact, it’s no longer the case throughout the nation. The days of our schools being supported financially to provide the basic elements for a happy and healthy life for kids is no longer available. “Penny wise and pound foolish” in our education system has become the norm.
When I work with school districts in developing safety plans, more often than not, they think about only about procedures for lockdowns, evacuations, and such. On the news I’ve seen story after story about how schools around the nation are going to be adding more fencing, security cameras, and other such hardware. It’s sad how money is available to do this, but money is not available to address the root of the problem. Again, we’re reacting with a Band-Aid rather than working on the probable issues. While I do believe there are certain tactics that are essential, I worry that we could be building situations that detach us even more. I don’t believe creating fortresses is the answer.
Education always swings on a big pendulum and with that pendulum goes the money. As I said, there were years of financial support from the state and federal government with training and programs to help children develop stronger values and respect for themselves. We believed that helping youth to develop more resiliencies would help them to cope better in life and therefore stay healthier and happier.
Unless tragedy strikes, all children become adults. Our desired outcomes for those adults begin when our kids enter school as those precious young beings. I believe if time and money were spent on our kids feeling safer at school, cared about if they miss, if they were more included as individuals and as a group, then, teachers could teach, kids could learn, test scores would improve, and perhaps communities such as Newtown would not have to suffer.
Santa, if you have time to listen to an adult, would you please bring the basics back into our schools and keep them there forever?
Lisa Huard is a safe schools consultant who lives in South Lake Tahoe.
i want my daughter to be safe in her elementary school. If the teachers are not eqipped or trained to do so, whats the point of me dropping her off for 6 hours? There is very limited supervision, 1 teacher in the whole cafeteria while there eating lunch and only 2 teachers when they are playing outside. Things better change NOW….
Keely, sounds like you are part of the problem. Blame the teachers, blah, blah, blah. Don’t pay ’em more, just heap more responsibility in their laps.
Lisa, very well written article and spot on!
Fences are not going to keep out the crazies, nor is the lame brained gun wacko’s who advocate training and arming teachers.
Let’s keep this in perspective. In spite of this horrific event, when you look at statistics, it is clear school is far safer for students than “out of school”. This is true for accidents, gun violence abuse and any other event. We are rushing to “make schools safer” when in fact they are safer. One isolated event at one school our of hundreds of thousands.This is not to say there aren’t things to do to be prepared for emergencies, fires, earthquakes and even the extremely rare attack, but trying to make a school an armed zone (which is not what this writer advocated) will cause far more harm than good. Keely… just ask yourself…at that school of yours, how many children have been hurt in the cafeteria? How many injured and died on the playground (other than the normal “oops I fell while running” which will happen more at home too). The author is right on about having the money to spend on extreme security (which is overkill and to calm parents) and nothing for programs or classes. It is because we as a society have decided that a complete education (math, critical thinking, music and the arts etc) is not a value for us but giving in to our fears is.
There’s is money to be made on this tragedy. Go for it Lisa Huard.
Maybe something like having two parents to raise their child, or being exposed to the ten commandments, or doing away with the pernicious TV shows that glorify deviant behavior and lack of consequences for horrible decision making.
After destroying the 2nd amendment they will go after the 1st and others that stand in the way totalitarianism.
Do you really want total security and being an extension of the state?
MR DOAKS: How DARE you quote the Bible and in the same breath talk about doing away with pernicious TV shows as well and yet worry about second amendment rights! Control over TV but NOT over assault weapons? Really?
People like YOU take the Lord’s name in vain, when you do this. I wonder, how do you think of God? Is he sitting in his castle in the sky, toting an arsenal of guns? Are his angels using AK 47’s to ward off the demons in hell? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
I believe in the ten commandments and Jesus is my friend, but I still continue to see the long lasting results of all of our sins in this broken world. But through the grace of God, I have been redeemed in this fallen world, BUT I, in the words of Jesus “Should go and sin no more.”
PLease, all of you who speak of values in such an UNHOLY way, remember that all of us have the duty to do God’s work in this world. That is why the commandments make loving our neighbor so important.
It’s not too late to help God create a better world. The teachers who gave their lives in Connecticut knew that.
Mr Doaks, please get on your knees and pray that God will open your heart, and that the light will get in.
We all have a place in God’s kingdom, which is without guns, I assure you.
I began this letter, filled with rage that you would have written such an awful letter. Now I am filled with God’s forgiveness, and with compassion for you. I hope that you will be lifted up where the mercy of God is ever present, if you will but look for it there,in a place where fear is not present. I send you a prayer today, hoping that you will receive the peace of mind that you need.
Signed, Concerned Citizen of this world and the next.
Juanita, as a Christian myself, I absolutely detest Christians who judge others. Worse yet are Christians who pray for opposing opinions and foregive and all that crap. Please stop it. You’re giving the rest of us a bad rap.
God gave us Free Will and we all have the choice to do good or bad with it and that is what it comes down to.
We can’t live in a bubble and we can’t turn this into a religious attack. The person to blame is the shooter. The reasons why are being investigated. There is no single definative answer as to why he did it. It’s a collaberation of things that perpetuated this, but ultimately, if a mentally ill/or angry individual wants to destroy, he will find a way to do it….as man has always done. What we do in the meantime is implement safer surroundings to combat the threats.
Juanita I know you flunked reading and comprehension but don’t brag it. Concerned citizen of the world you are an ignorant uneducated buffoon who wouldn’t know an assault weapon from a water pistol. I didn’t quote the Bible but referenced the ten commandments. You don’t like the ten commandments?
Take your Prozac and relax and wipe the spittle from your lips.
Have a nice day.
Joe, I think you are the classic Pot (black and all). The 10 commandments are Jewish laws (along with another 603 laws noted in the Torah) that have been also been adopted by the Christians. The 1st 4 commandments are covenants between a person and God; the last 6 are covenants between people. The last 6 commandments are pretty consistent across almost all cultures in one way or another, the 1st 4 or only relevant to individuals that are Jewish and Christian. For other religions (the majority of the world and many now living in the U.S.) and atheists, while they adhere to the basic covenants between people, the actual 10 commandments are irrelevant as they are not directly part of their theology. So your arguments are simply specious and not germane to this discussion.
As for 2 parents, even though Romney quoted a link, there is no credible scientific evidence that there is increasing gun violence caused by and increase in single parents. In fact, 6 of the last 12 mass shooting came from homes with 2 parents. Also, many forms of mental illness has a strong genetic component, and the number of parents raising the kid is not relevant to the base condition.
One does not have to trash the 2nd amendment to make meaningful changes. See Australia which passed gun control banning assault weapons after they had something like 8 mass shootings over a 13 year period of time. This along with allocating $500 million to buy back guns and large capacity clips has greatly reduced gun violence and now some 14 years later they have had no mass shootings. Gun ownership still exists in Australia, but with restrictions. Rick
Rick, you don’t like what the ten commandments have to say. You don’t think two parents are better than one so be it.
Most importantly don’t shoot your keyboard off about so-called assault weapons when you don’t know what you are typing about. The closest definition of an assault weapon would be it looks nasty. Size of the mag, or flash suppressor, or stock, or grip do not make for lethality. Maybe a little education from the NRA would help.
I appreciate you knowledge of religion but that is not the issue.
As a great American said to paraphrase, if you are willing to give up freedom for security, you deserve neither.
‘Maybe something like having two parents to raise their child, or being exposed to the ten commandments, or doing away with the pernicious TV shows that glorify deviant behavior and lack of consequences for horrible decision making.’
Knowledge of the ten commandments doesn’t give people morality. Look at the violence perpetrated by the churches over history. They killed 100s of thousands of people.
You think that TV makes people less moral?
So you love the Bible. Good for you.
It obviously doesn’t to anything to make you less of a twit.
Hey everybody look at what the loving Christian said:
“Juanita I know you flunked reading and comprehension but don’t brag it. Concerned citizen of the world you are an ignorant uneducated buffoon who wouldn’t know an assault weapon from a water pistol. I didn’t quote the Bible but referenced the ten commandments. You don’t like the ten commandments?
Take your Prozac and relax and wipe the spittle from your lips.
Have a nice day.”
Yeah… that’s real Christian of you. Jesus thinks you’re a jerk.
No one said they didn’t like the ten commandments. You buffoon. The 10 commandments aren’t even unique to Christianity, almost all religions teach those same principles. You buffoon. You are the one who lacks reading comprehension. You are ignorant and there is no reason to believe you are educated.
How ironic. And I very much want to know how old you think the earth is.
Thing fish,
I am sorry the truth hurts you so much.
You have my apologies.
Joe your reading comprehension is poor at best. I provided you what the 10 commandments are about and noted that only 6 of those commandants have to do with how a person acts the 1st 4 are about believing in the Adonai. The principles of the last 6 commandants are are part of virtually ever cultural on earth. I am Jewish and fully understand the origin and their meaning. If someone is not Jewish or Christian, then the 1st four commandments are meaningless, and the last 6 commandments are embedded in the religious believe anyway.
As a Jew, I am completely against teaching the 10 commandments at a public school as this is simply a code word for teaching the Christian religion. My daughter went to a Jewish day school from Kindergarten to 8th grade and the 10 commandments were very much part of her education, but within the Jewish context from which they originated. The commandments were taught within the contexts of the other 603 laws noted in the Torah and all were placed with a historic context by studying the Torah and Talmud. She is now graduating at a all girl Catholic school (her choice and a rather diverse school – a number of non-Christians such as a few Jews, a number of Hindis, Siks, Mulslims, etc.).
Oh, and my is daughter is not only Jewish, but is extremely ethical and moral, identifies as a Jew and is an atheist. The 1st 4 commandants are as useful to her as they are to a Hindi.
So the problem is you do not actual have a broad education in religious studies and simply don’t get it.
I find stable families important, but since divorce is rather prevalent in our society, providing the resources to single parent households is critical to ensuring we have a thoughtful, productive and educated society.
We have had a few presidents that were raised partially or wholly by a single parent: George Washington (father died when he was 11), Thomas Jefferson (14 when father died), Andrew Jackson (father died 3 weeks before he was born), Bill Clinton (father died in car accident a few months before he was born) and Barack Obama (parents were divorced. Whether you like any of these presidents is immaterial – the point is they can clearly show great success by all metrics we use in this country.
I have been married for 29 years and have an extremely bright, well educated, and thoughtful 17 year old daughter. A number of my friends who divorced, also have kids who are well educated and thoughtful. A stable home life is good, but I can point to a number of situations where kids were raised in 2 parent households that were disasters.
Well, and lastly, I dare say Australia knows considerably more about assault weapons then you do and they offer a great example of success. The NRA is being taken to the woodshed and maybe they should learn something from countries like Australia.
FACT – the rate of gun violence in this country is off the charts when compared to the rest of the civilized world. The rest of the civilized world does not obsess or worship guns as does U.S. society and because of that, they are safer communities. So, if we are unwilling to come up with some workable measures to reduce gun violence in this country (as Australia did) then the Connecticut’s of the world will simply be repeated all too often. Rick
Joe Dolts and PubworksTV=separated at birth
This is exactly why Christianity is such a turn off, I don’t feel the love :(
OMG. How the assumptions are flying!
I’m sorry I didn’t reply earlier before all the arguing and name calling started. There’s lots we can do to keep the kids safe but calling each other names won’t help anything.
I just wanted to commend Lisa on the great article. Great Job Lisa – you rock honey! hugs, Virginia