Fighting school violence means taking on guns

NEA Today, Mar 1994 by Merina, Anita

In Columbus, Ohio, a teacher tutored a student for half an hour. The teacher was pleased with the student's progress, and the student seemed happy and eager to learn. Minutes later, that same student walked into another classroom and pulled a gun on a group of classmates who'd been teasing her.

In affluent Fayette County, Kentucky, an annual security report of area elementary, middle, and high schools cited 14 charges against students for carrying concealed weapons. Among the weapons: a .38 caliber pistol, a .22 caliber Beretta, and a .38 Derringer.

And in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the number of incidents involving weapons rose 77 percent last year, prompting alarmed educators to mobilize the entire community around the issue of violence.

Three locations, three different incidents, one common denominator: guns. Across the country, the reality of violence, and particularly gun violence, has changed not only the safety of schools but the future of children's lives.

IN LOUISIANA:

ORGANIZING COMMUNITY ACTION

"I was talking with my students the day after a child brought an unloaded gun to our school," recalls Susie Rivet, a pre-K and kindergarten teacher at Polk Elementary School in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

"I was shocked when they spoke frankly about knowing other kids who'd been shot or carried guns. And when children ages 4, 5, and 6 know the difference between various bullets, you know you have to do something."

Today, Rivet sits on a districtwide anti-violence committee that's set its sights on getting guns out of the schools.

"With the rise in weapons incidents and the widening concern about discipline and school safety, we believed that, as an Association, we had to take the lead," Rivet says.

So the members of the East Baton Rouge Parish Association of Education took action. Step one: a survey of more than 2,000 area teachers and education professionals.

The survey, conducted last year, asked the educators to identify the problems in their schools. Many teachers described discipline problems and a rising number of suspensions and expulsions.

With results in hand, the Association offered the school board an extensive list of recommendations. The board promptly set up a 20-member anti-violence committee that included students, parents, and administrators. The Association made sure teachers were also included on the committee.

"We've met a few times, but we're already grappling with the issue of guns," says Rivet. "We're currently reviewing district recommendations to install metal detectors and to pilot the removal of lockers and the use of see-through backpacks. And there's a tax proposal to fund a number of measures, including installing more fences, and hiring more security personnel."

What Association members are proudest of is the new alternative school for violent and disruptive students that recently opened. "This program not only puts them in a place where they receive treatment, but continues their classroom learning," explains Rivet.

"We fought hard for this because we believe that the only way to keep these kids from a future that may include gun violence is to create an environment that teaches them alternatives to violence."

The Association's effort appears to be working. "With the new alternative school, an upcoming public forum to address violence, and now visible measures to address the issues of guns, our community--not just our Association members--feel we're tackling this issue head on and restoring safety to our schools and our neighborhoods," says Rivet. "All of this I attribute to the survey and our Association's efforts."

IN KENTUCKY:

PUSHING FOR GUN CONTROL

In the bluegrass country surrounding Lexington, Kentucky, Association members fighting violence have a new rallying cry: tougher gun laws.

"We may live in the land of Daniel Boone, but we believe in legislation that will guarantee truly gun-free schools," explains Judy Johnson, president of the Fayette County Education Association.

Last year, two school employees were shot and killed last year at East Carter Grayson, just east of Fayette County. The shooting and concerns about school safety in their own county prompted FCEA members to act.

"Fayette County is in an affluent area, but we're not immune to violence," says Johnson. "We began monitoring school security reports and found the number of weapons incidents increasing. Those of us who teach in high schools felt violence could happen anywhere, and we decided it was time to take action."]

So Johnson and other FCEA leaders brought issue before the school board, which quickly promised to expel students who brought weapons to school.

But FCEA members wanted to dig to the root of the problem. They wanted to make it tougher to get a gun and tougher for children to have access to one.

"In this state, guns just float around. Juveniles have even been able to rent them," adds Johnson. "We believe there must be tighter restrictions and stiffer penalties, and every adult owner of a gun must be held accountable."