Reform the schools, reduce the violence?

Responding to the recent tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech, I have to wonder when the violence begins and how it becomes as pervasive, in our society, as it does. Over this past weekend, I attended a teacher training in Philadelphia. During a conversation with a colleague, I explained that I was going to be working at a certain high school and her response was “Wow—you are really lucky because they have metal detectors there…” Though this high school is not in Baltimore, and I will not be teaching there long term, it made me think about what expectations we set, as a society.

I think Jonah had it right in that “nobody wants to feel like they are entering a high security prison when they arrive at school, but it seems as though this is the direction we are headed.” However, I also believe that our safety may not be from the monitors, cameras and extra personnel he described. I agree that we should look at the root of the problem and help our students find more productive, ways of dealing with their conflicts and emotions that do not include violence. The question then, is how do we know about the violence and what can we do to stop it?

While not the center of my conversation, the metal detector statement stuck in my head. How is it possible that we have allowed people in our society to pervert the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right to bear arms so badly? What are the expectations we set for our youth and how can we make sure those expectations don’t include an allowance for violence?

According to an article in the Washington Times, 81 percent of the nation's schools experienced one or more violent incidents in 2003-2004, the most recent school year reported by the U.S. Department of Justice. Thirty-six percent of urban school students report gangs in their schools. In 2004-2005, there were 48 school-associated violent deaths of students, staff and non-students, more than double the 21 of the previous school year. These staggering numbers suggest we do not know what to do about the prevalence of violence.

I am not suggesting that we allow the government to set ground rules about adults owning weapons to protect themselves or use for recreational activities, as is constitutionally guaranteed. However, there should be a social norm that shooting your classmates, professors, teachers and/or family members shouldn’t be one of those pastimes which is acceptable.

I am asking, however, if it is fair to use the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitutional rights against us… I recently read an article about a Minnesota high school that not only suspended a student for his creative writing in a creative writing class, but got him institutionalized for several days. Does free speech or expression extend to writing about violence in school? According to officials at Virginia Tech, probably not. Sent to counseling and watched by the authorities, Cho, the VT gunman was allowed back to class, which has been acknowledged as a mistake of prodigious proportions.

How does this connect to Baltimore City? The violence I see every day is pervasive—one high schooler “playin” with another by pushing him against a locker, threats against teachers and more likely at my school, other students, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on and on. This laundry list of violent actions in Baltimore City prompted a school reform effort in the late ‘90’s that has since petered out of high schools in the City. What penalties can be enforced for these students who “play” and how can we make sure that the violence in Baltimore City is curbed? How can make it so the Department of Justice statistic that “almost 10 percent of children in Baltimore and almost 9 percent in Washington, D.C., were afraid to go to school, aren’t afraid anymore? Clearly I don’t have a variety of answers or strategies to implement, but this is worth further discussion, investigation and most importantly, action!