“I hope schools are locked AND guarded lest something happens again.”
According to organizational theory any large organization can only do one thing well. A school, for example, can either teach or it can maintain security. Now, perhaps both things could be done if the security was done by some other agency. To give an example of why a school might not be able to provide security...it would be a budget item. The budget items would be divided along the lines of the schools “one” priority. Thus, any guard would be a low priority budget item. They’d therefore hire a retired officer rather than a top rated, lean, mean fighting machine. The school resource officer’s I’ve seen were arthritic, slow movers.
I think one answer is to do away with the present education system as it was designed for the industrial revolution. Its goals were to teach farm laborers to sit at a workstation and only get up when a bell war rung giving them permission. With computers and the internet schools, when actual classrooms were required, should be in individual neighborhoods, like they were before mass bussing. Hundreds of much smaller buildings would, paradoxically, be easier to police and secure using computers and the internet.
The schools near me are massive structures requiring several minutes to cross even at a running pace. They are, according to a buddy who worked at one, covered with cameras.
Another thing that would help is training and arming the teachers. The one thing that virtually guarantees a mass shooting is a sign reading, “No firearms allowed.” The sign should istead read, “Staff is armed.”
Even a retired cop would be better than nothing. Two would be better for a larger school.
I’m just shaking my head at someone propping the door open, amidst reports of gunfire.
“when actual classrooms were required, should be in individual neighborhoods, like they were before mass bussing. Hundreds of much smaller buildings would, paradoxically, be easier to police and secure using computers and the internet.”
Where I used to live all the old community schools were shut down long ago because the counties were going broke maintaining numerous buildings with fewer students each year. If a return to community schools is attempted the buildings would have to be multi use buildings that are in use year round.
I now live in the city and they are barely managing to keep the neighborhood schools open as is. They have cut back staffing, even having the lunches prepared at a central location and delivered to the neighborhood schools. The lunches are warm, at best, when the kids get them.
The answer isn’t going to be easy and is politically unappetizing but the answer is to reopen the old mental institutions and get these people off the streets. If/when they can be determined not to be a threat they may be able to rejoin society.
Realistically, I don’t see it happening.
We also need to ensure that only solid courses are taught. Math, science, history, geography, literature and a solid multi year instruction on the Constitution and government. No CRT,trans/homo this or that, no alternative history, etc.
I agree that we have to remodel our school system but the devil is in the details.
Bingo!👍
You left out the “No suicides by police allowed on this property”.