School Drill Update

I realize obama's immigration speech will be the number one topic of discussion today. To provide a little variety for those weary of the controversy, here's an update on an earlier story regarding an active shooter drill at a public school that went a little too far.

Here's a brief flashback to the original story:

Students, teachers and parents were taken by surprise after an “active shooter drill” brought the Winter Haven middle school into lockdown as armed police officers burst into classrooms with their weapons drawn.

Students at Jewett Middle Academy said they were terrified when police officers burst in the doors for a planned active shooter drill ... Seventh-grader Lauren Marionneaux told WTVT-TV that when the officers burst into her class with an AR-15, she was in fear for her life.

Here's the update:

The principal of a Florida middle school was suspended Tuesday after approving an unannounced safety drill last week that put armed police officers in classrooms with guns drawn, sending the school into lockdown mode. Terrified students texted parents, fearing for their lives.

The drill, organized by Jacquelyn Moore, principal of Jewett Middle Academy Magnet, and the Winter Haven Police Department, has garnered national attention. It showed “a lack of good judgment,” Kathryn LeRoy, superintendent of Polk County Schools, admitted at a school board meeting on Tuesday...

"a lack of good judgment" - no argument there. But I also have to question the judgment of school and police administrators that fostered an environment where their underlings thought this was a good idea. Note that the suspended principal and the participating LEOs didn't break any rules.

... district rules for lockdowns have been amended. In the future, officers will not carry weapons during lockdown drills, administrators will notify students and parents at the start of a drill to let them know it is only a drill, and staff members will oversee phones and school entrances to let people know that lockdown is a drill.

Moore’s decision to carry out this drill is emblematic of a growing problem in school administrations, says Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services in Cleveland, Ohio. “I have long been an advocate of schools diversifying their drills, but over the last two years — since Sandy Hook — I have seen more and more cases that have gone over the top and crossed the line of reasonableness,” he tells Yahoo Parenting. He has no doubt that Moore was acting with good intentions, but still, he adds, “too many administrators are thinking emotionally rather than cognitively. While we all want safety for our students, we need to look at what we’re doing to be sure it isn’t hurting more than helping.”

“too many administrators are thinking emotionally rather than cognitively" - and too many administrators are avoiding responsibility and accountability for the actions of their employees.