On Wednesday morning, just before he read about the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools plan to beef up safety, Bill Allen delivered books to two CMS elementary schools. In both cases, he walked in through unlocked doors, with no one asking who he was. Then he went to Charlotte Catholic to pick up his granddaughter, where he had to be buzzed in.
"I was in shock that I was able to walk into both (CMS) schools," Allen said.
The CMS plan calls for installing buzz-in camera/intercom systems at all schools. As some of you have noted, that system didn't stop the Sandy Hook shooter.
But it might help school staff keep intoxicated or agitated family members from coming in to confront the principal, or suspended students from dropping by to make mischief. As county commissioners and the school board reviewed plans to spend $33.7 million on cameras, entry systems and fences, I kept wondering why they weren't talking in terms of the challenges local schools face on a regular basis, instead of just the remote but horrific threat of armed attack.
For instance: Would 8-foot chain-link fences and outside security cameras deter vandalism and break-ins at school buildings and mobile classrooms? How much might CMS save in reducing such losses?
Do officials anticipate that adding security cameras to elementary and middle schools will help with classroom thefts, car break-ins, fights and drug use? (According to Chief Operating Officer Millard House, the cameras are not monitored constantly, but recordings can be useful in investigating incidents.)
A school shooter won't stop to use new visitor check-in systems that scan IDs and do instant background checks. But several schools already have such systems. What has CMS learned about their value in keeping people with dangerous records out of schools? Have they discouraged visits from parents who might lack legal immigration status or have minor criminal records they're embarrassed about?
Officials talked about how a better network of cameras and radios could help law enforcement respond to violent incidents, accessing real-time views of the school from police cars. Even if there's never a shooter, it's easy to imagine the value in coping with large fights or fears that neighborhood violence is about spill into a school.
Improving school safety was a very high priority with more than 11,000 people who took CMS' online budget survey, according to results presented Tuesday. But spending millions on safety upgrades this year requires a trade-off in deferred construction projects that were promised to voters in 2007, information that wasn't made clear in the discussion leading up to Tuesday's school board vote.
CMS administrators say they're still analyzing the safety plan, with more details to come before county commissioners vote in March. That means there's still a chance to deliver what Superintendent Heath Morrison and the board have promised: A full, transparent review of pros and cons before they make decisions.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
What kind of safety?
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38 comments:
I agree that none of these measures will make our schools 100% safe. And could it be implemented more cheaply? Probably. I hate the idea of chain link fence. But the items being asked for should have been built into these schools in the first place.
I see info on technology, but nothing about people. Who is going to man the buzz in, and who is going to monitor the cameras. Are they going to add an additional security associate or police officer to be at these posts? I mean the schools I have volunteered at have no line of sight with the most prominent if any door. The front offices are off to the side of the main corridors in nearly all cases. So it is up to the visitor to turn right or left into the office. Even in the office you often cannot get someone's attention. And what about visitor parking? It's almost impossible to park now because everything is designated and staff park in what little visitors' space is available so they don't have to walk so far. If everything is fenced, locked down once school starts??? there needs to be a whole lot of input before decisions are made and money is spent. Perhaps this is the one time it should be left to the experts and hire a security consultant firm to analyze each school as to what will or will not work instead of just throwing spaghetti at the wall.
Folks this is not new news. Anyone who wants can walk into any CMS school today. No questions asked this is not news Ann. Wake up and protect the children and staff. A teacher was raped last year do you recall? This happens and gets thrown under the PR rug.
Thanks to a society that has approved of policies that promote what we see in schools today we will now have schools that look like minimum security prisons.
Well done my liberal friends.
There is no oversight at our large, suburban CMS elementary school. Many parents no longer sign in and just walk in and head to the classroom. With 20 trailers lined up next to the road, kids head off to the bathroom with no supervision.
I do agree wit the above that staffing needs to factor in to the funding. Our front office ladies are great and work very hard with their existing duties. You would almost need a person at the front dedicated to security, as they'd be buzzing in someone every 2 minutes.
No, the security system in place did not stop the Sandy Hook shooter. However, it DID slow him down, and the fact he had to blast his way in gave extra warning time to the staff that probably did save lives. If he had walked in unencumbered and gotten to a classroom without anyone knowing his presence, then he would have had more time before police arrived.
I taught in Cleveland County Schools for years. They have fobs for teachers, buzzers and cameras. As a teacher I especially liked the cameras. Kids would lie about their behavior until confronted with video of themselves doing the act. This ranged from vandalism, theft, fighting to simply cutting class. I was stunned when I got to CMS and they had no cameras. While I want the buzzers and cameras, I do not want 8 foot chain link fences. My daughter is at South Charlotte Middle now and you enter an unlocked door directly into their lunchroom. It has always seemed really dangerous to me. I live near 2 schools and 8 foot chain link is going to look awful. Must this be an all or nothing proposition? Could we not apply some judgment here?
I know we all went to feel secure about our children at school. However, this plan seems like a rush job--not well thought out at all. Is it being done in a panic mode? Perhaps this is one reason some would like to split up CMS--it's very difficult and expensive to quickly create a blanket policy on security for such a big, spread out system, with many different kinds of buildings. I suspect that smaller systems could handle this better.
I was shocked when we moved here years ago to learn that my son's classroom in an outlying building (not a mobile)at Billingsville (campus style school) had no means of communication with the office other than sending a student into the main building with a message. This was pre-cellphone days so there really was no way to call the office. We'd had children in several different campus style schools in other places--in fact I attended a campus style high school--and every one of those schools had PA communication with the office.
8:01
Some of these schools are over 50 years old.
Back then, people had manners, respect and an overall different mindset than the gomme gimme gimme that's mine I'll do what I damn well please because you owe it to me attitude.
So, who's guarding the bus stops?
We've actually had a MURDER at one of those.
Tiffany Wright. Three years ago.
Still no suspects.
When you turn your schools into prisons, only prisoners will go to your schools.
Think about it.
And watch out for those bus stop drive-bys.
Anyone who knows the least thing about "security" knows that the thugs attack the weakest link.
How is a chain link fence going to stop me from driving my car to school, parking in the parking lot and walking in the front door?
awww c`mon people,let`s go for broke! Barbed wire fences with armed guards in watchtowers,that`s the ticket!
A fine example of this fence security is the number of locked stadiums in cMs every evening, weekend, and even school days with every nationality in the area playing soccer. These are not the organized or leased cMs fields but any field that the locals can scale. If you've never seen a high school student climb a fence, don't turn your head too fast, they're pros.
The fence will be great it will give the majority of these future criminals some insight into what they will be seeing in the years to come!
Maybe we could scratch the "cultural competency" training and use that money for security instead.
How often do intoxicated parents come to harass the principal?
Chain link fences? How about barbed wire fences?
How often do intoxicated principals harrass teachers?
10:54, probably not that often, but dealing with problem family members -- be they drunk or high, mentally ill or just really angry -- is a reality of life in many schools.
I am one of the parents that a person spoke of earlier who comes in the school and goes straight to where I need to go, and proud of it. I find it offensive that anyone should think they can prevent me from total access to my child at any time. One day when I came in and walked down the hall a teacher tried to get nasty with me and I told her I would slap her face if she tried to block me from seeing my child as I saw fit. We will still do as we please no matter what pathetic ego-driven rules you make up.
As you create fewer and fewer ways for someone to enter a building/campus, you also create fewer ways for teachers/students/staff to escape a criminal act.
This really says something about our society where this liberal way of thinking will now have our school sand prisons looking pretty much the same.
How is creating fewer ways to enter/escape a bloody 'liberal way of thinking'?
11:31, I'm trying to figure out if you're a spoofer or a parent who's a really bad role model for conflict resolution.
Then don't try and figure it out. I'm not spoofing and I am more of a role model than you'll ever be. It is violating my rights to attempt to block or hinder me from full access to my child and where they are at.
Miss Helms. I have to admit that I am neighbors with many people who feel the same as this person. They don't take it lightly when someone tries to prevent them full access to their child at any given time.
This prevents nothing. Buses are not armored, bus stops unprotected, schools have large windows, children behave poorly whether under surveillance or not.
What it does do is further discourage parental involvement. Something as simple as attending the awards ceremony at Torrence Creek would turn into a logistical nightmare. Checking in 300 parents and family in the middle of the day.
I already will not volunteer at the schools as I would have to submit to a background check. Instant background checks, screw that!
As it is CMS delivers a mediocre at best education at Bradley and Hough these further invasions would likely push us out of CMS.
If there are specific needs at older schools then address them individually.
No fences, it won't work (just look at my Texas border!) Just buzz in at the front door and be done with this. It will have to be a front office employee or a parent volunteer to staff it. Done, now move on to the the next issue of cultural competency.
Safety of the students and administration needs to be a top concern, but we need to think about what we are doing first and what message we are sending as well. Putting an 8ft fence around the schools is not only expensive, but also a major eye sore. Will the fences be that much more effective than buzzing someone in? Are we going to keep replacing the fence parts as they deteriorate and become rusted or are the going to become an even bigger eye sore. Do we want our schools to look even more like prisons than they already do?
11:41--I'm curious, did your parents demand and have "full access" to you at all times when you were in school? And what does that mean--do you think it is okay to interrupt a class when you decide you want to see your child? Why would it be an issue to use proper protocol and have your child called to the office if you absolutely need to see him or her? Actually, I'm wondering why and how often you would suddenly need to see your child in the middle of the day.
Yes, they did demand full access, and we are not 'interrupting' classes. We have the right to come in and observe whenever we want. The teacher can continue what they are doing, if they know how. It has always worked this way and things were better that way. Trying to change it will only cause the parents to be enraged.
Hopefully this will cure your curiosity.
Whew, how did you get that big chip all the way up to your shoulder?
A note about parent contact - it's becoming an even bigger problem now in the BYOT schools. Parents can call, text, email, facetime and instagram their little kiddos all day long.
Contraband cupcakes. What is CMS doing to address the public safety threat of homemade contraband birthday cupcakes?
Morrison
Please spend another million on tests, surverys and consultants to address what you will eventually not do on this pressing issue.
Next flavor of the month please. Oh, should teachers receive combat pay? MoVE ON
Looks to me like Dr. Morrison already has two strikes--his plan to bring in Glen Singleton and "cultural competency" and now this safety debacle. Awfully early in the game to be so close to striking out.
With the open "college campus" style of some of the high schools, literally any lunatic, student or adult, could walk on campus without passing by the main office, a security officer, or any type of buzz in system. They then could proceed to any building they choose and at that point just look for an unlocked door with 30-40 students to take as hostages, if not worse. At the school I work, it shocks and terrifies me how easy it would be, which is the reason my classroom door is always locked. And to the parent who walks into her child's classroom "anytime she wants", you better bring ID if you're coming to my door, or you ain't getting in sweetheart.
Who in their right mind would want a job where someone threatens to slap their face or worse, spit in their face? Who in their right mind would want to deal with out of control, drunk, off the deep end parents? Forget the offspring of these individuals. Welcome to the new age of teacher shortages. I barely survived five years at CMS. So glad to be done witch you.
To the raspy teacher above who threatens to stop me from access to my child without I.D.: Yes honey, you just try that and you'll see what happens. You cannot violate our rights and we will come into the class room at anytime we feel like it. If you don't know the parents of your students without asking for a driver's license, then you really aren't worth a damn in the first place.
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