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Thanks for the replies. I wouldnt want our schools here to be like a prison all locked up... Now what I could see is putting locked doors on the both hallways that lead from the office/cafeteria down to the rooms, with a card needed to swipe to open the door. That would secure the rooms....but yes having a buzz in system for the office I imagine would be quite annoying.
There are no plans at this time to adjust security measures at our schools locally and as a parent I am personally OK with what we have.
Our elementary was just retrofitted with a new entrance. This was due in part to a huge bond that just passed, but was also a reaction to Sandy Hook. Now the outer door leads only to a waiting room with secretaries behind glass (I assume bullet proof). A sign in computer is available - driver's license number is required every time a parent volunteer enters the school - then a pass is printed. After the pass is printed the secretary buzzes the inner door to let the person in. This happens during school hours and after school until the secretaries leave at 3:45. After that, someone inside the school has to open a door from the inside to let you in.
I always wonder why schools bother with such crap. Do you really think that is going to stop an heavily armed intruder? It is like putting a blast door on the font of your house and the rest of the house is made of rice paper. Schools are not fortresses and we never meant to be. All these policies do it condition children to be prisoners while providing a false sense of security. At most it might prevent the occasional stranger from entering, but it would never stop an determined attacker. Kids a more likely to be injured or killed riding bus or walking to school. God save us from the 24 hour fear panderers(aka CNN, Nancy Grace, MSNBC, etc).
Here is a response for a fourth grade teacher in our district...
The front door is always unlocked, but the wing doors are locked all day. I know that it doesn't mean our kids are safe, but I think it makes the kids feel a bit better. They were pretty worried last year after hearing about Sandy Hook, so that is when we began locking the wing doors. Unfortunately no amount of security is a 100% guarantee to keep kids safe. I know I shouldn't respond on those Valley News Live threads. It just makes me so mad that people think they are the authority on everything and that the schools were somehow wrong in this case. Schools are supposed to be welcoming places, not prisons. Teachers are very aware of the dangers, but it's not practical (or healthy) to run a school like a prison.
I agree personally.... but I guess I dont worry as much. I leave my car unlocked all the time at Target etc and where we live it is common for folks to leave the cars running while going into the store for a quick run when temps blo -20
I always wonder why schools bother with such crap. Do you really think that is going to stop an heavily armed intruder? It is like putting a blast door on the font of your house and the rest of the house is made of rice paper. Schools are not fortresses and we never meant to be. All these policies do it condition children to be prisoners while providing a false sense of security. At most it might prevent the occasional stranger from entering, but it would never stop an determined attacker. Kids a more likely to be injured or killed riding bus or walking to school. God save us from the 24 hour fear panderers(aka CNN, Nancy Grace, MSNBC, etc).
Yes...it puts fear in the kids that they cannot trust anyone. If someone wants in they will get in....breaking glass is one way.
My kids go to a small school in a small suburban town (we travel out of county for school). There is a police officer on property at all times, usually right in the front, and you can go into the office and see all of the entry points to the fenced campus on screens. To go on campus, you need your "parent pick up" card to get into the office, then they print you a badge in the office to wear to your child's classroom. The cop will stop you if you don't have your card; I've been reminded once. I feel extremely safe sending them to the school, and think that the security is probably more than it needs to be (but I'm not complaining!).
My kids go to a small school in a small suburban town (we travel out of county for school). There is a police officer on property at all times, usually right in the front, and you can go into the office and see all of the entry points to the fenced campus on screens. To go on campus, you need your "parent pick up" card to get into the office, then they print you a badge in the office to wear to your child's classroom. The cop will stop you if you don't have your card; I've been reminded once. I feel extremely safe sending them to the school, and think that the security is probably more than it needs to be (but I'm not complaining!).
Wow.... certainly eye opening... I dont know if that would fly here.... we are just so used to wide open come in and go out and no locked doors... I cannot tell you the last time I locked my door....though I am in the minority.
School safety is a myth in most schools. As you have found. We have seen for a long, long time now that such areas attract the mentally disturbed. It is a law that children must go to school. Parents have the right to expect reasonable security and the definition of that is based on the times we are in. So there is something seriously wrong with the area you described. It worked in the 60's but does not work today. Work with your local school board to establish immediate on site cross trained multiple risk armed responders. To establish physical barriers, lockable from inside classroom doors, alarms, impact resistant doors (not glass), and just as important protocol and frequent training to insure all are following protocol. What we are seeing today is not a simple gun issue. There are more deadly things of destruction in every community other than guns.
Our school is locked, and one needs to be buzzed in. I think these are knee-jerk responses though. The majority of school shootings are perpetrated by students or persons known to the school anyway. The few that aren't, such as Lanza, would not be stopped by a locked door. I think it's far more useful to ensure the staff and students are well versed in emergency preparedness plans in general.
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I feel extremely safe sending them to the school, and think that the security is probably more than it needs to be (but I'm not complaining!).
