Posted on 10/22/2007 9:06:49 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
After a week filled with rumors and absences, Ithaca High School has some changes ready for this week, and Ithaca City School District Superintendent Judith Pastel asks that students, parents and staff have patience as everyone adjusts.
The most obvious change students can expect to see will be locked classroom doors once classes start. Pastel said one recommendation that came from the Ithaca Police Department last week was to lock doors at the beginning of every class. Police and school officials are working together to ensure the students' safety. Locking classroom doors at the start of a class will make students more punctual and help identify which students are skipping class outright, Pastel said.
On Friday, an estimated 550 of the 1,600 students in the school missed a full day or up to four periods, Ithaca City School District Superintendent Judith Pastel said. An estimated 700 students were absent on Thursday, following rumors earlier in the week that something violent would occur at the school.
Some parents still intend to keep their children out of school.
“As of right now, I'm not comfortable sending my son back to school,” said Kari Cornell, who is keeping her son out of class. “But I'm so glad to hear that they're starting to take these concerns seriously.”
Cornell, who is a member of Concerned Parents of Caroline, said she wants to see how the district responds to a letter the group sent the district.
“I want a written response from the school district and board members before I'm comfortable sending my son back, and maybe I won't even be comfortable after that,” she said. “I need more than their word. I need to see progress.”
Jerry Achilles, of Enfield, is also keeping his daughter out of class today.
“I agree with the Concerned Parents of Caroline's demands, and I am going to make sure the school district is going to be enforcing these things before I send my daughter back,” he said.
Achilles said he liked the district's move to bring in personnel from the New York State Center for School Safety.
“I think that's good,” he said. “Somebody that's not from the school district needs to be looking into this.”
Achilles and Cornell said they both plan on being at Tuesday's school board meeting and possibly will voice their concerns about safety at the high school.
” “Surely, locking children in a room deprives them of their liberty. And surely, no due process of law has been observed.”
Those under age of 21 are treated as third class citizens. It is the only group in the US who have no rights, only responsibilities.
“You there! Yes, you. The ducks. That’s right, you. Sit, ducks, sit!”
That's the concept that worked so well for the USSR for more than 70 years.
No wonder leftists find the idea so appealing.
I can tell you first hand from someone who had 2 sisters go to Cornell, this place is evil. They have been poisoned.
I asked sister #1, a lawyer, to comment on the matter and she simply said, “its for the common good”
Good grief!
Vee haff many vaysssss to make you comply.
Two groups many of us find hard to take seriously these days. Their tandem performances are a sorry sight to behold.
MY old high school often gets mixed up with the juvenile detention center or the prison that is a ways up from there. Being locked into the classroom would have made it feel like a real prison.
“It is the only group in the US who have no rights, only responsibilities.”
THAT is funny.
I lived in the city of evil for 5 years in the 70s. I remember State Street before the Commons was built. It is so sad to see what’s happened to the place.
Addressing fire concerns and not any particular individuals:
Most folks lock their house doors at night, right? How does this protect you from fire in your sleep??? Why do you lock your house doors at all? (to prevent break-ins)
I would think that a locked door during the day when people are up and about is a much safer practice than at night when people are asleep and more likely not to notice smoke or fire.
Secondly, since kids getting shot and killed is a more likely prospect than having the school burn down all at once, locked doors are infinately more protective than unlocked doors.
But, to set the record strait, I personally am one of those parents who prefers homeschool over forced incarceration (disguised term being ‘compulsory education). BUT, most parents can’t be bothered with homeschool as they have more important things to do with their time, and some do have to put some bread and butter on the table.
However, I do sincerely commend the parents in the OP piece for taking a proactive stance on behalf of their children.
pl
Greetings from the PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC of ITHACA, NY! The old race card has been played, just a matter of time before ole JE$$E $hakedown and Al Notsosharp show up.
The poor victim of this was a BULLY and made many kids life MISERABLE... someone said no more and a bunch stood up ... OUT COMES THE RACE CARD!!
But then, you must remember. President BUSH, in 00 AND 04 Came in 3rd... NADER WON (both times, I think .. I’ll have to recheck, but I believe I’m right!)
In addition to the fire code problem... how would locking students inside a room with an armed psycho help them? They are ignoring the basic fact that the shooters are almost universally students themselves.
If their schools are like mine, we've had "sweeps" of the hallways were teachers are told to lock their doors, which prevents the stranglers from ducking into classrooms.
The doors are not locked on the inside.
Just installing double-sided locks (without actually locking them) is a fire-code violation in itself.
carolyn
Hmmmm...I wonder what the local fire marshal has to say about that?
If you need to proceed down the hall (say your classroom HAS the fire) you’d better not try to enter ANOTHER room.
And if a shooter is in the hallway, try ducking inside a locker instead.
Epiphany was a bad egg?
Where are kids shooting each other on school grounds?
In classrooms or hallways?
Will there be metal screening and x-rays at the entrance to each room? How do you know you’ll be keeping the shooters “out”? They are the only ones who show up late to class? Far from it, they are the ones who’ve taken the most PLANNING for what they are going to do at school that day.
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