Seattle Times Raises the Red Flag on School Safety

Basically, the Times said the district can't manage its money. It can't keep up enrollment (and doesn't even try to). 

But worst of all, SPS doesn't know how to keep kids safe.

From the editorial:

This paralysis cannot be awarded any grade other than a massive “F” for the adults running SPS, the Seattle Police Department and City Hall.

No question, the school district is fielding a crush of high-level problems, including a $104 million budget deficit and a list of some 20 schools that could be slated for closure. But the safety of students is a nonnegotiable, a basic standard that must take priority.

Merely writing that sentence is absurd; it should go without saying. 

Yet, not even the seven members of Seattle’s School Board have any idea what will look different when students return on Sept. 4 — if they do.

Then the editorial gets into a deeper dive pertaining to Garfield High School where there has still has not been an arrest in the murder of Amarr Murphy-Paine on the grounds of the school. 

Beyond Garfield, the district hasn’t said whether it plans to install armed security — meaning police — at any school. First, parents were told the school board had banned such measures. Then they heard that the board would defer to the superintendent’s decision. Then the superintendent said the district needed to survey students about their wishes. Of course, that could have been done in June, when kids were still around, in order to have a response in place by September.

Zing! Pretty much what I have been saying - the district and Superintendent Jones had June and then all summer to organize community and they didn't.  

Instead, it’s pass-the-buck confusion and a damning lack of courage to act.

They end with a sad possibility:

 No response — neither police nor unarmed guards nor metal detectors — will be perfect. But weighing the risk between possible choices seems like a no-brainer: Either present some sign of determination to keep students safe. Or prepare for the next lawsuit over a dead kid.

I recently interviewed a Garfield staffer who had this to say about school safety.

- That the school administration keeps safety issues close to the vest. When they do have safety meetings - usually after an incident - the information is tightly controlled and staff questions ignored.

- The only reason teachers found out about the first shooting that day - a science teacher in his classroom setting up experiments was shot with a pellet gun by a student - was it came up at the debriefing for the murder. Staff was understandably upset to learn about this incident. (It was also stated to me that the teacher WAS alone and no other students were in the classroom.)

- This person said that it is not clear to her if the school administration ever said who should be called first - 911 or the office. 

- This person said in the aftermath of the murder, it was chaos on the first floor as kids in the halls looked for somewhere to shelter. 

 

This brought up an issue about what the students should do if an incident starts and they are NOT in a classroom.

 

I don't know what each school says to kids if there is an incident and they are not in a classroom. Anyone?

This person said off-campus kids were in the dark. I thought there was a texting system that was going to be set up for the off-campus kids to know NOT to try to come to the building.

- Apparently many students DO want an SRO in the building but ONLY if that person knows the neighborhood and its culture.

- I had suggested metal detectors but the person had some good points against them like kids sneaking in doors without detectors, kids who carry a weapon like a box cutter for bus safety (and wow, what does that say about city buses in that area), and girls who wear a lot of jewelry that would make the alarm sound. 

- This person said the kids' mental health is very much drilled down to their world. Most are not thinking about climate change or Israel/Gaza but worried about gangs, poverty, etc. 

- This person said that they believe the police know EXACTLY who the shooter is but that he has fled and disappeared. It was also stated to me that the killer was not a student at Garfield. 

- This person said it was vital for kids who have poverty and violence and racism in their lives to have teachers and staff who will build relationships with them. It how they learn what won't fly in the real world and helps them understand how to self-regulate. 

- Apparently Garfield is limping along in terms of school spirit and even the ASB doesn't know what to do to raise it.

- According to this person, the principal, Dr. Hart, is weak on many measures but especially on relationship building with students.