President's Perspective
Supporting school safety
Apr 24, 2008 7:19 PM
T.S. Eliot may have thought April was the cruelest month, but for New York City public schools, March is the most violent month.
Ever since the UFT has been tracking school safety incidents, the advent of spring has brought a rise in school crime. Maybe the long winter months make the kids restless. When we first reconfigured the school calendar and got the midwinter break, the spring spike flattened somewhat, but this year seems worse than usual.
In the last month there have been at least 14 reported incidents of violence or threats of violence in schools in all five boroughs and at all levels. And that’s just the reported incidents. As we know, many incidents go unreported as schools try to avoid getting a bad reputation.
The incidents reported are alarming. They include:
- A stabbing that left one student paralyzed.
- Another stabbing that left a student with a huge gash in his leg.
- Four confirmed incidents in which students brought loaded guns to school.
- Three cases in which students reported seeing other students with guns but none were found by police.
- A student shot in his stomach near his school.
- A student who used a pen as a weapon to defend herself against a classroom attack by eight student intruders.
- A teacher assaulted so badly he had to be hospitalized.
- Teachers running for cover into an elementary school as a gunman ran past them chasing and firing shots at a group of fleeing men.
- A prank in which four students claimed to have guns.
Such incidents disrupt education, alarm youngsters, educators and parents and often result in schools being locked down or evacuated while police search schools, students, book bags and lockers for weapons. Even if nothing is found, the ensuing tension lasts for days or even weeks. How can real teaching and learning go on under such circumstances?
While we don’t yet have comparable data to see if the violence is actually worse this year than in previous years, it sure feels that way. The faltering economy and the frayed nerves that may be causing at home, the pressure of stiffening promotion and graduation requirements — the causes are unclear, but one thing we do know from experience: a pre-emptive response is necessary. Business as usual is a mistake.
Safety simply has to move up the priority list in every school and the consciousness of staff and students must be raised. Too many schools have grown lax about enforcing the discipline code and having up-to-date safety plans. More than one school this year, when forced to evacuate, whether because of a potentially hazardous condition or a false alarm, found there was no evacuation plan in place and precious time was lost as students and staff tried to figure out where to go. In another case, a good plan was in place, but — despite a requirement that the UFT chapter leader sign off on it — no one but the principal knew about it, and she was not in the building.
My biggest concern is that the situation may get worse as budget cuts make deeper incisions. This is where extra-curricular activities, after-school programs and sports become even more important as productive outlets for students’ youthful energy.
In addition, guidance counselors, school social workers and school psychologists are too often bogged down in excessive paperwork and huge caseloads. They need more time to focus on students’ academic problems and emotional concerns. Since the first week of April, three students — one of them a 6th-grader — have committed suicide away from schools, and bullying has been implicated in at least one case.
These are solvable problems, and not simply by considering more metal detectors — although they may be needed in some additional schools. The SAVE program is more than just removing a disruptive child from class. It is supposed to provide counseling and support so routine classroom displays of anger don’t turn violent. Are those services in place in your school? Some schools have found peer mediation to be an effective antidote. The Council for Unity has a great track record of working with gang members on conflict resolution and mediation.
Two weeks ago I called upon the mayor and chancellor to hold a safety summit as we did several years ago with considerable success. It is understandable that, as the public education spotlight has focused almost exclusively on academic achievement and tests, tests, tests, attention has shifted away from other critical school functions, like keeping children and staff safe. Unfortunately, it often takes a catastrophe to remind us that constant vigilance is needed. Are the rising incidents we have seen lately an early warning sign? Whether or not that is the case, we should be taking heed.
Our children have enough things to be fearful about in their lives. Schools should be safe havens. We want to make sure that everyone with a stake in the success of our public schools takes the collective responsibility to make them free from violence and bullying. That requires work now, including planning now, for the new school year starting in September and exposing, not hiding, the full extent of these problems. When administrators or city officials say violence can be stopped if only teachers’ lessons were more “interesting,” they are, once again, putting all the responsibility on the teachers’ shoulders and shirking their own responsibility to help solve this problem. Unfortunately, my call for a summit has thus far gone unheeded.
Safety issues can’t be solved by individual teachers alone or even by this union. In this case, it really does take a village; every staff member and every administrator has to raise awareness both within and outside the school. We also need help from the community, the police and groups like Council for Unity. And of course we need the resources for SAVE and other safety nets.
It is a big job to try to counteract all that society inflicts on our children, but the warning signs are upon us, and if the administration doesn’t act soon, it may be too late to avoid a tragedy.
