Tuesday, January 6, 2009 East Central Illinois

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Schools Are Safety Hazard to All

Posted by: Haley York

Thursday, December 6, 2007 3:16 PM
The environment in schools today is RIDICULOUS! Students' safety is being threatened by other students more and more everyday because of stupid comments, sarcastic remarks, and horrible rumors. Just because he said she said, doesn't mean you need to try and start something.
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Personally, I believe cops in schools are a good thing, but they do have negative side effects. When a police officer is in a school, the tension in the school builds up, and breaks out in random places. Centennial seems to have an affinity for fights, broken windows, graffiti on the bathroom stalls (most of which is spelled wrong), and other incidents.

Some of the incidents that have occurred lately have been quite interesting. We have had at least two fires in the past year, a gun threat, a shooting threat (I will return to later), two or three Code Reds, drug abuse, and plenty of rumors about attempted suicides, the presence of knives on campus, and drug overdose, as well as the usual car crashes. What has to be the most interesting is the incident when a girl jumped out of a second-story window. Yes, you read that right.

Other schools in Central Illinois are equally appalling. Less than a month ago was the fight at Central that resulted in several student arrests, multiple injuries, and a lockdown. Of course, Central has the same basic incidents (fights, vandalism, drugs, etc) as Centennial, but the question is whether or not it is at a higher level. Paxton had the gun scare, with ammo hidden inside the school. And we must remember the supposed arsonist responsible for the Centennial gazebo burning down, the porter potty fire, the fire at the sweet shop at Robeson Elementary School, as well as the attempted fire on top of Jefferson Middle School. Carrie Busey Elementary School even had a fire in the backpack closet last year.

There are plenty more, but you get the point that schools are out of control. And it isn't only high schoolers. That would be somewhat understandable. It isn't just middle schoolers. We can try to understand that. But elementary schools? That is astounding!

Speaking of Carrie Busey, I would like to bring attention to the gun threat that was made this year to Carrie Busey Elementary School and Urbana Middle School. There were two phone calls made to the schools, threatening a massacre at any of the Champaign-Urbana schools if anyone leaves the schools. Now, to me, this is horrible - not only that a threat was made, but that it was made to an elementary school. High schoolers are used to these things by now. No, we shouldn't be, but we are. These incidents are as normal as the daily announcements. They might as well include the lock down with the announcements. But to make a threat to elementary school kids is horrible.

As cliched as this will sound, think of the children. Honestly. Can you imagine what it must be like for them? When we were kids, the only drills we practiced were the occasional fire drills and tornado drills, neither of which included being locked in your classroom for hours on end. American society is harsh, and the children will have to get used to it, but not at that age. Let them get used to school bullies first, before they have to get used to adult bullies.

This harsh world just got a bit harsher. We all remember the Virginia Tech Massacre. That was an extremely scary and sad day for America, just about as much as September 11. But the message on the mirror in Monticello was unnecessary. It wasn't adding salt to an open wound; it was worse than that. It was like taking a person with a broken leg and jumping up and down on it. Everyone knew that the message was a fake, but it had to be taken seriously.

Schools today are a bomb ticking away, ready to explode. When will this happen? Who knows. Maybe when the government comes up with more unbelievably stupid restrictions or laws. Or maybe when the government gets smart and stops handing out condoms in front of schools while still giving sex education. But that's another blog entirely.

Comments

I like the part with the "adult bullies." I'm anxious for future blog entries.

Posted by mmoxley on December 6, 2007 at 5:33 PM

Haley,

You have to explain your last comment for me. It does not make any sense.

"handing out condoms...while still giving sex education"

Do you mean abstinence only education? By the way, schools need condoms and sex education for the first time three decade the teenage pregnancy rates are rising and STDs are rapidly rising in teenage age groups.

Posted by mtyoungb on December 7, 2007 at 8:44 AM

Hmmm... a resounding peice confirming my (and many other parents in CU) decision to send my kiddo to private school.

How's about some school-voucher blogging, Haley?

Posted by dw on December 7, 2007 at 4:37 PM

If the administration would quit cowering behind the state of Illinois Board of Education and step up to the plate and enforce the set "policies" in the handbooks, this kind of garbage would be on the decrease. When the school doesn't hold children accountable for their actions, what is it teaching that kid?

The punishments in our school systems are lame, and the administration acts like it's because their hands are tied by the BOE. If the school is going to put out a handbook stating certain things, then they need to be willing to back it up with action. Until that happens, kids are not going to take school situations such as these seriously.

Posted by sscott on December 7, 2007 at 6:42 PM

"Haley,

You have to explain your last comment for me. It does not make any sense.

"handing out condoms...while still giving sex education"

Do you mean abstinence only education?"

Uh, oh -- sounds like the "cool" people have found their way over here. Now they can ignore the irrationality of their own arguments and get all offended by an approach that conflicts with their own deeply flawed beliefs.

Posted by Wenalway on December 7, 2007 at 11:29 PM

To mtyoungb: My last comment is about the irony of teaching abstinence to teenagers in schools, while, on school property, condoms are being handed out to anyone who wants them. Students are being told "abstinence is good" and "don't have sex", while also being shown "be protected, and here's some free condoms!" Students are getting a mixed message. Schools are teaching abstinence; theyre allowing the demonstration of protection. Which one do ya pick?

To dw: About safety in public schools vs. private schools: my comments are not school specific. For example, the private school, SuccessTech Academy in Cleveland, Ohio experienced a shooting spree in school earlier this year. All schools are susceptible to school violence, regardless of the distinction private/public.

To sscott: you are absolutely correct. When a school doesn't hold a student accountable, students tend to think that they can get away with anything, without being punished for it. Detention? I don't see anyone being held accountable for serving their minutes. Sure, they are suspended from attending events like basketball and football games, and dances, but the majority of the time, they sneak in anyway. But, although sscott is correct in that the government and schools accountable for the students behavior, I have an idea to throw out here. Are not the parents accountable as well?

Posted by Haley on December 8, 2007 at 1:57 PM

It seems that the VTech incident has helped move along the trend - students are bolder now that that tragedy has set the precedent. A bit of a selfish reason, but perhaps they also want the media attention drawn to them?

But I was wondering, is this just a trend in the United States, or are other countries experiencing the same problem? If they are, how are they dealing with this problem? If not, then perhaps we can learn from them how to keep school safe.

I agree that just making up empty rules don't do much to alleviate this problem. But since the tragedy, what have the schools done to prevent another similiar incident besides drilling students with code red and incorporating police officers into schools? Code red and extra officers only do so much damage control, not eliminate the problem itself.

And with all this going on, one would think that the school board would figure out that whatever they're doing just isn't working. And sitting around discussing policies won't either - at least try a few methods out during those talks, to see which ones seem to work and which ones have no effect - need there be yet another incident for more action to be taken? I'm fairly certain that taxpayer dollars would gladly contribute to school safety instead of sending people over to foreign countries to "liberate" its citizens.

Posted by LE on December 10, 2007 at 12:24 AM

"It seems that the VTech incident has helped move along the trend - students are bolder now that that tragedy has set the precedent. A bit of a selfish reason, but perhaps they also want the media attention drawn to them?"

There's no "perhaps" here. You just hit the nail squarely on the head.

One problem outside the schools: We have people in the media who are overwhelmed with ecstatic glee after these incidents. I guarantee there were practically celebrations once the pictures of the guy pointing the AK-47 were released.

Posted by Wenalway on December 10, 2007 at 12:40 AM

Ms. York,

I love the angle. Hopefully this will get people into the conversation about education.

Schools are a micrcosm, not a separate entity, of society. Our reality becomes based on what we perceive to be real. Students are no different. Many times we see through the hypocrisy of those in power and that is being played out daily in schools, both public and private. Don't do drugs, but take something for ADHD - non-violent resolution is the best, we just bombed Iraq, etc. We see it and so do the students. For them it might look more like, "work hard, don't get in trouble, and you'll do very well." When the reality might be that even if they do not do either of those they will still do well because they know that the system is already so inundated with cases that there is a good chance that they will get away with it. Moreover, they structure NCLB and the enabling of parents prevents guidelines from being enforced. This certainly does not go to explaining school shootings, bomb threats, etc but it starts to open up some other ideas as to why many public and private schools are struggling to fulfill their mission statements.

Posted by sjolskaer on December 11, 2007 at 3:00 PM

Haley-

Yes, I do agree with you on parental accountability. In fact here recently, my son was brutally assaulted in his high school pe class. He sustained several broken bones, a concussion, and had to get stitches.

The administration admits to dropping the ball on punishing the perpetrator - he received one day suspension.

But in listening to the locals in our small town, the word is that this boy's parents aren't very responsible people. His father is a drinker and gets into fights himself. The mother is also a bar fly, and also gets into several fights.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of justice served for my son. While we got stuck with a high medical bill, time off work, this boy gets a slap on the wrist, and his parents are not held accountable at all. I am all for parental accountability, but how to make a parent pay for a child's errors when it's the only thing he's being taught is the big problem.

Posted by sscott on December 14, 2007 at 11:36 AM

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