Page 6 - aruba-today-20190211
P. 6
A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 11 February 2019
Parents question whether shooting drills traumatize kids
By CAROLYN THOMPSON is known as ALICE, which
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — stands for alert, lockdown,
Long before an ex-student inform, counter and evacu-
opened fire on his former ate.
classmates in Parkland, Flor- "To me, this just seems like
ida, many school districts an indirect admission on
conducted regular shoot- the part of the schools that
ing drills — exercises that they really have no con-
sometimes included simu- trol over who gets into the
lated gunfire and blood building, and the school se-
and often happened with curity officer isn't enough to
no warning that the attack keep the place safe so we
wasn't real. need to hold the kids ac-
The drills began taking countable for doing it," she
shape after the Colum- said.
bine High School shoot- In 2014, the National Asso-
ing in 1999. But 20 years ciation of School Psycholo-
later, parents are increas- gists and the National Asso-
ingly questioning elements ciation of School Resource
of the practice, including Officers issued joint guid-
whether the drills trauma- ance that cautioned that
tize kids. while drills have the poten-
April Sullivan was pleasantly tial to save lives, those "not
surprised by an "I love you, In this Jan. 22, 2013, file photo, a student helps block the classroom door with furniture during a conducted appropriately"
Mom" text from her daugh- mock lockdown drill at Moody High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. can cause "physical and
ter last May, even though Associated Press psychological harm to stu-
dents, staff and the overall
she knew the eighth-grad- ducted, experts said. No learning environment."
er wasn't supposed to be data exists, for example, After public criticism of the
using her cellphone during to show whether a drill with unannounced Short Pump
school in Short Pump, Vir- simulated gunfire is more drill and others, the Virgin-
ginia. But she did not know effective or whether an ia House of Delegates last
that her child sent it while exercise that's been an- month considered, but de-
supposedly hiding from nounced in advance is feated, legislation requir-
an intruder. The girl didn't taken less seriously than a ing schools to give parents
know the "code blue" alert surprise. advance notification. The
was a drill. "Some hard data on each bill's Democratic sponsor,
"To find out later she sent question are needed with Schuyler VanValkenburg,
that text because she was urgency," said University at a high school teacher, said
in fear for her life did not sit Buffalo professor Jeremy opponents argued that
well with me," Sullivan said. Finn, who gathered experts the heads-up would hinder
Henrico County Pub- from around the country safety by letting students
lic Schools have since to evaluate school security take it less seriously.
changed the way they measures at a conference "I think that's baloney.
conduct drills, making clear in Washington, D.C., in Oc- They're very aware of what
at the start that the events tober. can happen in this day and
are not real and notifying After Columbine, lock- age. They all see the news.
parents as the drill begins or downs that involved bolt- They all see social media,"
right after, district spokes- ing the door and crouching said Sullivan, whose daugh-
man Andy Jenks said. quietly out of sight became ter declined to be inter-
The backlash underlines the norm. In 2013, the De- viewed by The Associated
the challenges administra- partment of Education Press but described the drill
tors face in deciding how recommended giving staff for Richmond television sta-
far to go in the name of latitude to evacuate, bar- tion WWBT a few days later.
preparedness. ricade classroom doors or, "I thought I was probably
Thirty-nine states require as a last resort, fight back going to die that day," she
lockdown, active-shooter by throwing things or rush- said. "We hear the door
or similar safety drills. Other ing the attacker. handle jiggling up and
states have less explicit re- "Do you really want it to be down and then we see the
quirements or leave it to your kid who's the one who door open, and it's our re-
districts, according to the takes the bullet and winds source officer telling us it's
Education Commission of up with a plaque in the a drill."
the States. A Mississippi task lobby of the school saying When her son's school fired
force has proposed twice- he went down as a hero?" blanks during a drill, Adams
yearly active-shooter drills. asked Bethel Park, Penn- questioned whether it was
But even as the drills be- sylvania, parent Nanette really necessary to expose
come routine for many Adams, who disagreed children to the sound of
of the nation's 51 million with the decision to adopt gunfire. Others complained
elementary and second- a widely used safety pro- that such realistic exercises
ary public school students, tocol during a September can take a toll on class-
there is no consensus on drill at her 15-year-old son's room learning even after
how they should be con- high school. The protocol the drills are done.q
