On Monday, as I passed 17th and Hamilton, I saw the Allen students lined up from the bomb threat. Most did
not have coats on, but were outside for over an hour. I don't know the procedure, perhaps for safety sake they're not allowed to go to their lockers, but must vacate the building immediately. Considering the number of such threats, perhaps the students should have to keep their coats with them?
I'm not here to be polite or popular
It would be chaos for students to retrieve their coats during a bomb threat, where seconds could make the difference between life and death.
ReplyDeleteFair point though, about students keeping their coats with them in the rain or cold.
Maybe another option to look at is moving the kids further away from the school during such a threat. If the threat were real, are the kids really safe on the sidewalk right outside the school?
Maybe the solution (at least in Allen’s case) is to move as many of the students as possible to nearby Raub middle school or Union Terrace Elementary. Yes, that’s a bit of a walk but might be the way to go, at least in bad/cold weather.
Yeah, taking Allen students to UT Elementary is a terrific idea.
Delete8:42 - UT has a large gymnasium that could hold a large amount, if not all, Allen students for a short amount of time. Raub also has a gymnasium and is closer to Allen. In both cases, the Allen students would need to be kept in the gyms separate from the students that actually attend those schools.
DeleteNeither place is perfect, but one or both could be used an alternative to leaving the kids out on the sidewalks. If we’re going to treat the bomb threats as real (and we must), then I don’t think that leaving the kids right outside the building is safe.
In addition, what happens when some of the kids on sidewalks need to use the restroom, or if it’s pouring rain as it was yesterday?
I think the status quo that MM describes from Monday is not acceptable. If you have a better solution, I’m open to it.
9:21 here again. Sorry for the multiple posts, but MM has brought up a subject that is important enough to put some effort into.
DeleteAg Hall might also be an option, but I would imagine that would depend on the day of the week and the show/convention schedule at Ag Hall. Also, it’s obviously a non-ASD property so there’d have to be more co-ordination done than with just using another ASD property. But it would be large enough.
Also on the table for Allen would be walking students down to JBC stadium. While it would keep students out of harm’s way in the event of fire or bomb, it obviously doesn’t provide shelter from the cold or weather, which was where MM started the conversation.
I also realize that what we’re talking about for Allen is fairly unique in the school district, as not many other schools have other schools or even a large, enclosed gathering spot nearby to begin with.
But it’s worth brainstorming, and hopefully ASD has already done so. However, when I see kids standing on sidewalks during a possible emergency, it makes me believe they haven’t.
Did they have their hoodies on? I think that's all they wear for "coats" these days.
ReplyDeleteThose caught making the threats, even though they are minors need more than the relative slap on the wrist they have received so far. Otherwise, this will go on, and on. We must prioritize education here.
ReplyDeleteScott - I agree.
DeleteOur schools should be places of learning, not daycares for deadbeat parents who aren’t doing their jobs at home. Parents of students calling in threats or bringing weapons to school need to be held criminally and financially accountable, as well as the students.
In addition, schools need to be more transparent about what dangerous incidents happen in our schools, including what punishment is given to those who call in bomb threats or bring weapons to school.
Some of that might take action from the state, but that action will only happen when those elected to our school boards are publicly pushing our legislators to do the right thing. I’m not getting the sense this is enough of a priority for many area school boards, particularly in Allentown.
I believe Jarrod Coleman wrote legislation that would require the public be informed when weapons are discover in school. Presently this is all too often swept under the rug. I think the legislation is waiting for the governor's signature. Jarrod is doing a great job!
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