The priority of protection
Every morning, we open the car doors for students who bee-bop out of their cars with bright eyes and backpacks ready to go.
We often hear shouts of, “I love you!” and “Have a great day!” as the children eagerly shut the car doors and walk to their own unique rhythm to the school doors. Schools are meant to be safe havens for our most-vulnerable population.
It is a place where, for seven-and-a-half hours a day, staff intently focus on meeting students’ social, emotional, physical and academic needs.
As parents drive off to work, they are assured that they are leaving their children in good hands and trust that we will deliver their most-prized possessions back into their arms safely at the end of the day.
The details of the Texas elementary school shooting are too brutal to bear.
It is every parent, community, staff member, and administrator’s worst nightmare. When the system of safety is compromised in a school and innocent lives are lost in a senseless act of violence, it leaves us numb, mortified, paranoid, angry, and hopeless.
We all like to live in a bubble of innocence that says, “This kind of thing would never happen in my community.”
Yet, it can. None of us are protected from the evils of society, whether at a school, gas station, grocery store, or even our own homes.
We live in a broken world.
I have personally lived through the aftermath of a school shooting where two amazing administrators were shot by a disgruntled employee, leaving one administrator paralyzed.
Words cannot describe what this type of violent act does to victims, families, survivors, school culture, and the overall community.
It changes things forever. There is no going back to “normal.” It is a situation I would never wish on my very worst enemy.
For those who know me, school safety is my utmost priority.
I will not apologize to angry parents who argue over the safety protocols that we have in place for children. The single-most-important thing that we can do as a school system is deliver our precious children back home safely each day.
This can’t be done alone.
It takes ALL of us. It takes strong partnerships among elected officials, emergency departments, community members, parents, administrators, staff members, and even students.
I am very proud of the collective efforts that we have in our community to protect our staff and students. Roger Houck, Clinton’s city manager, and the Clinton City Council graciously fund a school resource officer in every school within Clinton City Schools. These officers receive specialized school-safety training.
The Clinton Police Department holds regular school shooting drills inside our school buildings.
Our police take the safety of our buildings very seriously, and are a key component to our school safety plan.
While Clinton City Schools have many other safety-mitigation efforts in place (that we do not publicize), our SROs are the foundational pieces that holds all other mitigation efforts in place.
The SROs not only protect the schools, but they also develop wonderful relationships with our students, staff and parents.
Students are often seen high-fiving and giving our officers hugs
Research indicates that an encouraging, positive adult relationship can have a positive impact on the social and emotional health of our youth. Oftentimes, the SROs serve in this role.
Most of their time is spent on being proactive, not reactive. Their presence and active engagement are crucial in each school.
I have oftentimes said, “Things are calm, until they are not. We must be prepared to always act quickly. A school situation can spiral into a crisis within seconds.”
I cannot fathom situations where schools do not have school resource officers. Oftentimes, school districts do not have the funds to provide this support, and depend on local funds to assist.
We cannot put a price on our children’s safety.
Teachers are trained to teach, not protect. They didn’t go into the profession to fight violence, and their focus needs to be on instruction. Each role has its own responsibility in the overall effectiveness and safety of schools.
Many conversations are occurring in the media about what is the root cause of school violence. That would be an entirely different editorial.
Here is what I do know: Violence is everywhere, not just in schools. We are not immune to the ills of society, however, and schools must stand prepared. I am very thankful that I can lead in a community where we take school safety seriously and keep it as a priority.
In these days of sadness and mourning, I take rest in knowing that we have strong partnerships, including the Clinton Police Department, in our school system. We will continue to work together to provide a safe, nurturing learning environment for our most-precious group of humans — our innocent children.
My heart is broken for Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, and my prayers are for them to be showered with the peace and comfort that only God can provide.