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Old 02-25-2018, 04:32 PM
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Originally Posted by lrrifleman View Post
Thank you to all that have shared your opinions, I truly do appreciate your views and positions. Please, allow me to add a bit more ...

I taught for just shy of 28 years. For 26 of those years, the school I taught in was exclusively a ground level school, where every classroom was accessible from not only the hallway, but also through the glass window exterior wall. I never felt comfortable during a lock down drill, knowing that glass windows were our only protection from a shooter outside the school. I was quite serious when I shared that our RSO saw me as his backup.

I am now on the school board of a similar style school, and we are now facing the question of school security, like every other school across the nation. Being in NJ, I know that you will never see a teacher legally permitted to carry in a school. But we still need to evaluate and enhance our security.

The school that I am on the BOE of is located about 15 miles from our designated State Police barracks, we are amongst a group of communities that derive their police protection from the State. Response time is about 20 minutes. We are in an economically impoverished rural area of the state, with declining enrollment, increasing unemployment and property foreclosures, and the threat of legalized recreational Marijuana being held over our heads. In many respects, our students are in a lose-lose situation.

Building upgrades might help to offer some of the security enhancements that we need. The presence of armed police or security may not be as dependable as hoped.

Your comments have given me some avenues to contemplate. Thank you!
I MUST GIVE YOU A LOT OF RESPECT, AND CREDIT, FOR TEACHING IN A SYSTEM, WHERE THE ODDS ARE SO STACKED AGAINST SUCCESS. IT DOES APPEAR THAT YOUR STUDENTS ARE IN A LOSE-LOSE SITUATION......

THE FOLLOWING MAY GIVE YOU SOME HOPE. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE, INTO THE FACTORS THAT ENABLE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS, FROM THE MOST IMPOVERISHED, AND BLEAKEST OF CHILDHOODS, TO RISE ABOVE IT ALL, AND OBTAIN GREAT SUCCESS IN THEIR LIVES....

THE BIGGEST FACTOR IS THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, SOME ONE PERSON TOOK A SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE CHILD. WHETHER IT WAS THE COP ON THE BEAT, THE CROSSING GUARD ON THE STREET, THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN OR NURSE, THE PRINCIPAL OR ONE OF THE TEACHERS, OR A COACH. THEY ENCOURAGED THE CHILD, AND INSPIRED THE CHILD TO WORK TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. YOU MAY ACTUALLY BE, ONE OF THESE VERY SPECIAL MENTORS.....

BTW---IN LOOKING INTO THE BACKGROUNDS OF THESE SCHOOL SHOOTERS AND MASS MURDERERS, ONE COMMON ELEMENT IDENIFIED--IN ADDITION TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES--IS THAT THEY ALL LACKED A STRONG MALE ROLE MODEL IN THEIR LIVES, TO GUIDE THEM........
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