Saturday, March 10, 2018
Well, here we go
I am a relatively new teacher. First year, so I currently have about 6.5 months experience. My musing, and discussion for now, is this: What are your opinions on security in schools in your area? I live in Mobile Al, and currently the school I work at has a pretty open campus. There is a fence around it, but it is not closed during school days, and the gaps between the iron bars at the front of the school are such that a kid can easily slip through them. The doors are open, we have a resource officer, but there is only one person. What is it like where you teach? What do you think should be changed, in light of recent events in schools? Do you support arming teachers?
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When I was in high school back in the 80's, our campus was pretty much open, there was a fence going around part of the campus, but not the whole thing. There were two ways to drive on and off campus, but they would put a chain across the road that they couldn't see from the office, but once I got my license, I'd just drive up on the sidewalk and go around the post that the chain went to. I never got caught doing it, either.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was observing at Murphy in January, during lock down I spoke with one of the teachers about how Murphy has an open campus and there's been a couple of times where someone was fleeing the police and they tried to lose them on campus.
I think with the way things have been going with school shootings and everything, that schools should have a greater measure of security. I don't know what kind of security would be needed, maybe a guard in a shack by the road. Of course, then you open up the whole issue of who's going to pay for it.
Yeah, where the funding for school security would come from would go a long way, but at least at my school, I think we could lock some of the outer doors. We've had instances of people just wandering around on campus. Not anyone that meant the kids harm at that moment, but still, why do we need some random person walking the halls?
DeleteIn my ideal world, schools would have metal detectors for anyone entering the buildings, and all doors would be locked to the outside world, right down to an intercom/camera system for people to be buzzed in during school hours. I'm also in favor of armed security guards (and possibly armed teachers/staff). The biggest problem is funding, of course, not to mention safety concerns with guns on campus. The whole situation makes me sad and angry all at the same time. I'm not sure what the solution is... The best solution would be if potential shooters could be identified and helped before an incident occurs. So, mental health evaluations? Could they somehow help?
ReplyDeleteI'm vehemently against armed guards or arming teachers. Armed guards and metal detectors would destroy any semblance of an academic environment. I think arming teachers would be disastrous, but also you're then asking teachers to somehow become first responders? If there's funding for security and cameras everywhere, then it should be directed toward something actually helpful.
ReplyDeleteThe closed campuses I've been on have locked doors that have to be buzzed open. I'm completely comfortable with that. As for open campuses, like Murphy where I went, I really don't know. Ideally, you could have a gated fence, but the costs would be ridiculous.
I also am vehemently against armed teachers. I DO happen to be a first responder in that I am an EMT as well as teacher, but I have no desire to have a gun. The high school across town from me when I grew up had metal detectors, and I do not remember there ever being an issue with security there. Both schools had 'resource officers' and while my high school had an open campus (we were actually allowed to leave for lunch) the school across town could not. I cannot say that my friends that went to that school had any less of an academic situation. I am really for the idea of metal detectors, and having resource officers
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