Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Neighbor kid said today's BCC lockdown was over 2 hours long and then a shelter in place before school ended for the day. What were police doing for that long?
The threat was called at around 11:30am, lockdown implemented, the police arrived, and I suppose took some time to set-up and confer with admin. Police dog teams cleared each schoolroom and all storage and closets one by one, gave the all clear, and THEN there was a shelter in place, not quite sure why. Dismissal was at the regular time.
It sounds like this first poster has not been inside BCC. It is huge. Frankly, I am surprised they finished the sweep in only two hours.
Yes. Thank you. I’m grateful to the police.
Disgusted by the school board and the PTSA “check your privilege” attitude.
You must be thrilled that the PTSA president announced she will not continue on next year, which is something she had agreed to do when no one else stepped up. Will you volunteer?
I'm very sad the PTSA President is leaving. She did a great job. MCPS has ignored concerns for safety (I know they can't fix it all but they won't address anything)
She gently mentioned that some from a more privileged background may not fully understand why SROs are not always the best idea.
She didn't say this but we know data doesn't support the value of SROs but many don't care. I get it. I'm a middle aged white lady. I would feel better with SROs but it doesn't mean I'd actually be safer.
The person whom she responded to is very vocal about SROs but doesn't really acknowledge the other point of view so the President was trying to help (at least that's how I took it)
Look - the SROs won't save anyone from a bomb. Won't save them from a shooting. What they often do is rough kids up for very minor offenses and then the issue is an MCPD issue rather than an MCPS issue. Typically schools with SROs have a high number of arrests for minorities for offenses that didn't need law enforcement.
The SRO issue aside, I've heard the emails sent to the PTSA were horrific and nobody should have to deal with that - especially for a volunteer job that is really an unpaid full time job.
I couldn't do it and I think those who think the PTSA President has so much power to fix everything should step up and do it.
The SRO debate is truly absurd. What’s the alternative - letting kids walk around with guns, beat each other up? The fact is, kids from high-poverty schools engage in more violence and need the presence of the SROs more. The SROs do not create the violence. SROs are also only one piece of the overall discipline puzzle. My kid goes to a high poverty but very well run school (not MCPS) and they keep that place extremely safe for the kids. Here’s what they do:
- metal detector to enter.
- security guard at entrance
- strict no-phones policy (so no social media fueled fights at school )
- fully staffed behavioral response team to quickly descalate any altercations
- very strict and consistent policies on giving detention/suspension for violence
- very tight control over arrival and dismissal
One thing this school also does is, to the extent possible, remove extreme troublemakers by sending them
back to their homeschool if they are attending out of bounds. Not all school districts work that way, but the ability of the school to effectively give alternative placements for some kids uninterested in learning makes a big difference.