As everyone at FR should know by know, Ithaca prides itself on being "the most enlightened city in America." Yet, here we are with with a school in lockdown and students afraid to attend.
Another liberal "success story" I guess.
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.
As everyone at FR should know by know, Ithaca prides itself on being "the most enlightened city in America." Yet, here we are with with a school in lockdown and students afraid to attend.
Another liberal "success story" I guess.
Um, what if there’s a fire?
Our rural school district of less than a 1000 started locking the classroom doors from the inside this year.
I am going to guess this is not really locking students in, but locking out people who are late. It’s NYS law, I believe, that doors in classrooms and such cannot be locked on the inside for just the reason you stated...the need to quickly evacuate in an emergency.
If there’s a fire, being locked will learn them. Learn them good.
“Um, what if there’s a fire?”
That was my first thought, I think this policy might violate fire code.
Are they locking the problem out, or in with them?
What’s the source of all the crime there? Why is locking school doors necessary?
Locked doors? Well, I guess if you can’t keep people out you may as well keep them in.
What instigated the rumors?
Amazingly ignored in the article was the point, thanks for telling us. Marxist news writers like to leave out certain things.
A wag once said that the only difference between prison and school was that in prison, the doors are locked;
Free the Ithaca Six!
Oh wait, wrong town, sorry.
I’d be yanking my kids out of that school.
Fine, as long as the doors open with a push from the inside.
If not, you’ve created a disaster waiting to happen.
What was the scare about, did someone draw a stick figure with a gun?
It will take a few rooms full of children being burned alive for them to reconsider this foolish idea.
I wish I was being sarcastic.
BENDER: That's very clever sir, but what if there's a fire? I think violating fire codes and endangering the lives of children would be unwise at this juncture in your career, sir.
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