What Can Be Done?

I know it’s been a while since I last posted.  Life caught up with me and my job kicked into overdrive.  I am toying with resurrecting the blog and attempting to actually schedule some writing time and posting time into each week.  I hadn’t planned on posting anything until after January 1 but recent events have changed that plan.  I feel the need to write about this issue.

I’ve been asked by several people, “How do you feel about what happened in Newtown, CT?”  It’s an oddly worded question but I think the intent behind the question is something like, “What can be done to prevent these horrible events from ever happening again?”  My immediate answer is that NOTHING can be done to prevent these events from happening again.  The only thing you can do is evaluate what went wrong and what went right and determine if there is a way to deter, slow down, or stop the event once it begins.  That’s a scary thought, but it’s the truth as I see it.

People have asked me if schools are truly “safe”?  I believe many schools are as safe as they can be.  They have taken appropriate steps to ensure student safety.  Some continue to be lax in their security.  Again, I think the underlying question is, “Are schools doing enough to protect the children and the staff or is there more that can be done?” 

I guess my response to that question is this question:  “How restrictive of an environment do you want your children to learn in?”  And, I would follow up with, “Are you willing to pay the monetary price through increased property taxes and other taxes in order to provide that restrictive environment?”  There’s a cost associated with every benefit. 

School shootings scare the hell out of me.  The most vulnerable of our society are attacked in these situations.  Their lives are forever altered.  Dreams are shattered.  Innocence is ripped from them.  The security blanket of their lives is torn off and fear is allowed to envelop them. 

We send our kids to school to get an education.  We send our kids to school hoping that they will have a good day and that they will see their friends and that they will leave a little bit smarter than when they entered.  That’s what we hope will happen. 

Reality is a bit different. 

I’ll follow this up with a few more posts.  I think I’ll tackle it from different angles and, hopefully, give you something to think about.  Up next, The Ugly Truth About School Culture.