Lockdown update

Since my last post about the incident at Howard High School Thursday, some of my kids at that school are telling me that things are somewhat back to normal. I also found out a little bit more about the incident in question.

One of the young ladies, according to her mother, said that a football player hit her. I later found out that it was a lover's tiff, so to speak that started the ball rolling. What she should have done was go to the football coach (who is also the athletic director at the school) and tell him what happened. Rather than doing that and Howard having a decent day of learning, she and her friends actions sent us into chaos. Suprisingly, the middle school that is next door was not on lockdown.

Instead of me teaching three classes yesterday, I wound up teaching one and a third of a class (first block was to have been from 7:30 to 8:55, I had lost advisement, second and third blocks because of the lockdown and and fourth block would have been from 1 to 2:30; it would wind up being from 1:30 to 2:30) because someone decided that they were going to do the WRONG thing. Now she and her friend have lost their freedom and their right to have a public education. There is talk that expulsion is the next course of action under the school system's guidelines for bringing a weapon to school, which means they are basically banned from all public and private schools in the state of Georgia.

Friday was a much calmer day. Some of my students were still talking to me about yesterday on Facebook and how some of them were upset that they couldn't leave their rooms for a long time. I understand their being upset, because I was incovienced too, as were the other teachers and administrators and concerned parents.  Two of my kids were even praying the Rosary (I know, prayer in school but given the circumstances) while all of this was going on. 

At the faculty meeting yesterday (which I didn't have to go to), they were talking about banning large purses and hooded sweatshirts. I want them to go one step further, by searching all large bags and metal detector wands. I also want the board to have an assembly with the students to tell them what to do and what NOT to do during code reds, such as using cell phones or looking out windows.

While the day didn't start out great, the outcome was much better than Columbine. We sent them home in better shape than we got them. We sent them home alive. They may have been grousing and complaining yesterday but let's remember one thing: The dead can't speak.