How To Get The Best Education Possible: Tip #91

School safety is a concern for administrators, teachers, staff, parents and students.  Last year Madison City, Alabama, had a shooting at Discovery Middle School. The result is that there is a 14 year old boy dead from a shot in the back of the head and a 14 year old arrested charged with murder. Sadly, this is only one shooting incident that happened in 2010 in the United States. That brings us to tip #91

Tip #91: Make sure your child's school has a safety and emergency plan in place, and everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.


According to news reports everything was done right after the shooting at Discovery Middle School in Madison City, Alabama. The school staff, emergency workers, and students knew exactly what to do. The school nurse started emergency treatment immediately and the HEMSI workers were on the scene within 3 minutes. The student that did the shooting was restrained and the school went on code red lock down. According to the news reports everyone was to be commended for their quick reaction.

The question is was there anything that could have been done before this tragedy happened and what went so wrong?
1. First, this can happen to any school in any community and you can never feel beyond this type of incident happening. Madison City is nationally known for their family oriented community and schools.
2. Second, Parents must be aware of what is going on in their child's life. Below are somethings to be aware of with your own child:

- Are they being bullied?
- Are there drugs or alcohol being used?
-Are their fire arms or knives in the child's possession?
-Are there gangs at the school?
- Are there any unusual entries on email or facebook that your child is concerned about?
- Have you checked their room lately for anything unusual?
- Do you talk to your children and know what is going on in their lives?
- Is there any change in your child's behavior, appearance, or friends that concerns you?
- Tell your child that it they know someone who has a weapon or plans to harm themselves or someone else they need to let an adult immediately. This is never a time to keep a secret.
3. Third, in almost every elementary, middle, and high school, administrators, teachers, and students have concerns for certain student's mental health. Make sure that any mental health concerns are being treated and addressed by professionals.

There is no way to keep tragedies for ever happening, but if parents do their part at home and the school is prepared and does their part, it is less likely to end in the death of a student or school staff.  We all want our schools to be a safe place for our children to learn and grow.