School safety - What is MCPS actually doing and considering doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: mass shootings and drills: this is just a national reality now. Even the private school I worked at had drills and locked doors.

Re: guns confiscated on high school campuses: this is an issue of beefs between specific violent kids with major issues, and highly unlikely to affect your average middle class kid.

Re: chair-throwers: this is the real issue at the elementary level. Kids with emotional disturbances who cannot regulate themselves but who the school cannot legally send elsewhere or restrain or otherwise deal with. This is definitely something you will experience that we need a solution for.

When a kid goes on a chair and desk throwing rampage, why can’t a parent be called to pick up their child?

Because half the time the parents don't pick up the phone. When they do, they often refuse to come get their kid.

Do public schools no longer require daytime contact (functioning) phone numbers before child can be enrolled?

Of course. But now parents have called ID and know it’s the school calling.

With repeated unanswered calls by your child’s school, you inform parents that child is disenrolled…
But schools continue to tolerate all kinds of nonsense, right?

That would work at a private school, not public. You can’t just unenroll a kid for that reason.

You’re just making up excuses.
What would happen if a parent was unreachable after a really bad accident at school? You would call 911 for an ambulance, and the parent would have no clue until maybe dinner time when they got home from work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: mass shootings and drills: this is just a national reality now. Even the private school I worked at had drills and locked doors.

Re: guns confiscated on high school campuses: this is an issue of beefs between specific violent kids with major issues, and highly unlikely to affect your average middle class kid.

Re: chair-throwers: this is the real issue at the elementary level. Kids with emotional disturbances who cannot regulate themselves but who the school cannot legally send elsewhere or restrain or otherwise deal with. This is definitely something you will experience that we need a solution for.

When a kid goes on a chair and desk throwing rampage, why can’t a parent be called to pick up their child?

Because half the time the parents don't pick up the phone. When they do, they often refuse to come get their kid.

Do public schools no longer require daytime contact (functioning) phone numbers before child can be enrolled?

Of course. But now parents have called ID and know it’s the school calling.

With repeated unanswered calls by your child’s school, you inform parents that child is disenrolled…
But schools continue to tolerate all kinds of nonsense, right?

That would work at a private school, not public. You can’t just unenroll a kid for that reason.

You’re just making up excuses.
What would happen if a parent was unreachable after a really bad accident at school? You would call 911 for an ambulance, and the parent would have no clue until maybe dinner time when they got home from work?

Do they not call CPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: mass shootings and drills: this is just a national reality now. Even the private school I worked at had drills and locked doors.

Re: guns confiscated on high school campuses: this is an issue of beefs between specific violent kids with major issues, and highly unlikely to affect your average middle class kid.

Re: chair-throwers: this is the real issue at the elementary level. Kids with emotional disturbances who cannot regulate themselves but who the school cannot legally send elsewhere or restrain or otherwise deal with. This is definitely something you will experience that we need a solution for.

When a kid goes on a chair and desk throwing rampage, why can’t a parent be called to pick up their child?

Because half the time the parents don't pick up the phone. When they do, they often refuse to come get their kid.

That long article about how MCPS is failing our special needs kids did not at all have the perspective that there are some parenting fails that are greatly contributing to the behavior issues. And yes I can confirm that this happens in the ES where I work. Parents don’t want to deal with their own kid.

Here’s an idea. Do the paperwork and push for a special placement and more help. I wouldn’t get my kid either. Don’t have a kid like that but have a kid with sn and we’ve been refused an iep or any help.

Should teachers be assaulted? If a child is violent in the classroom, why wouldn’t you come to get him?

Many of these families beg for help and aren't getting it. If I begged for help and it was denied, at some point no. I tried to get an IEP this year. Long documented SN. I was refused even an evaluation. I reached out the the AP and she said she would help and made a dumb comment why. At some point, schools/admin need to step up and help these kids and teachers or find new jobs.

You responded to a question about classroom violence. A mentality unstable raging child is not a learning problem. It’s a medical problem.

Schools are staffed by teachers, not physicians. If your child is violently raging, he needs a medical facility, not a classroom with a teacher.

Mental health is medical but it’s up to the school to provide an appropriate education. At some point if they keep sending the kid home the kid does not get an education and they need to figure it out.

[Anonymous]

No, it is not the responsibility of public schools to allow violent kids into schools.

If a kid used a butter knife instead of a desk to throw at his teacher, the kid would certainly not be allowed to be in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: mass shootings and drills: this is just a national reality now. Even the private school I worked at had drills and locked doors.

Re: guns confiscated on high school campuses: this is an issue of beefs between specific violent kids with major issues, and highly unlikely to affect your average middle class kid.

Re: chair-throwers: this is the real issue at the elementary level. Kids with emotional disturbances who cannot regulate themselves but who the school cannot legally send elsewhere or restrain or otherwise deal with. This is definitely something you will experience that we need a solution for.

When a kid goes on a chair and desk throwing rampage, why can’t a parent be called to pick up their child?

Because half the time the parents don't pick up the phone. When they do, they often refuse to come get their kid.

That long article about how MCPS is failing our special needs kids did not at all have the perspective that there are some parenting fails that are greatly contributing to the behavior issues. And yes I can confirm that this happens in the ES where I work. Parents don’t want to deal with their own kid.

Here’s an idea. Do the paperwork and push for a special placement and more help. I wouldn’t get my kid either. Don’t have a kid like that but have a kid with sn and we’ve been refused an iep or any help.

Should teachers be assaulted? If a child is violent in the classroom, why wouldn’t you come to get him?

Many of these families beg for help and aren't getting it. If I begged for help and it was denied, at some point no. I tried to get an IEP this year. Long documented SN. I was refused even an evaluation. I reached out the the AP and she said she would help and made a dumb comment why. At some point, schools/admin need to step up and help these kids and teachers or find new jobs.

You responded to a question about classroom violence. A mentality unstable raging child is not a learning problem. It’s a medical problem.

Schools are staffed by teachers, not physicians. If your child is violently raging, he needs a medical facility, not a classroom with a teacher.

Mental health is medical but it’s up to the school to provide an appropriate education. At some point if they keep sending the kid home the kid does not get an education and they need to figure it out.

Physicians are equipped to figure out how to calm violent kids, not teachers.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what we expect schools to do. We live in a country where guns are freely available and mental health help is not. Violence will take place everywhere, schools included. Expecting schools to solve that is futile, in my opinion. I haven’t seen any suggestion that would reliably stop someone motivated to cause harm.

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to place the kids with learning and emotional disabilities in Special Education classes and have paraeducators work with them more closely?
Our teachers were overwhelmed with so many children with IEPs in the classroom and the test of children had to suffer through interruptions that included yelling, outbursts, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to place the kids with learning and emotional disabilities in Special Education classes and have paraeducators work with them more closely?
Our teachers were overwhelmed with so many children with IEPs in the classroom and the test of children had to suffer through interruptions that included yelling, outbursts, etc.

Yes, but MCPS got rid of many of the special education programs and its a fight to get them to pay for a private in less they choose to. Many families cannot afford an advocate and attorney to fight it. MCPS/BOE two years ago, along with the MVA and a auto trade program, got rid of one of the few autism programs. No one seemed to care that it was taken away. They need to put a lot more money into special education, expand RICA, etc. Many parents are blown off like us for even doing an evaluation when asked (my kid doesn't have behavioral problems, something else and its been ignored for years as we handle it outside).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure what we expect schools to do. We live in a country where guns are freely available and mental health help is not. Violence will take place everywhere, schools included. Expecting schools to solve that is futile, in my opinion. I haven’t seen any suggestion that would reliably stop someone motivated to cause harm.

There is a lot of mental health eval available but its not always easy to access and not enough inpatient for younger kids. MCPS spends a fortune on it. The problem is most providers aren't skilled and younger kids are excluded from diagnosis and medications that may help (i.e. bipolar).

[Anonymous]

18:44, Again, schools are simply not equipped to handle medical emergencies. Schools are for teaching and learning.

If parents don’t want to come and pick up their unwell children, then yes, you have to call CPS. Teachers should not be punching bags for violent kids having another episode of rage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many MAGA posting on this thread.

Maybe MCPS should stop giving them so much ammunition.

Thanks for admitting it, but you guys don't need ammunition to start spreading and showing your ignorance.
It's obvious.

You agree MCPS gives plenty of reasons to MAGA. Without that, the MAGA complaints would be hollow. But MCPS always provides concrete examples to bolster the MAGA rants.

[Anonymous]

I think PP posted a couple of months ago asking specifically about RHES, and with a long list of questions about how "hardened" the school is.

At the time, people mostly gave realistic responses about how MCPS approaches ES security, and how private school standards like dedicated police officers/guards at the ES level were unrealistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:18:44, Again, schools are simply not equipped to handle medical emergencies. Schools are for teaching and learning.

If parents don’t want to come and pick up their unwell children, then yes, you have to call CPS. Teachers should not be punching bags for violent kids having another episode of rage.

They handle medical emergencies every day. Be real.

Then teachers need to document and fight to get these kids what they need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18:44, Again, schools are simply not equipped to handle medical emergencies. Schools are for teaching and learning.

If parents don’t want to come and pick up their unwell children, then yes, you have to call CPS. Teachers should not be punching bags for violent kids having another episode of rage.

They handle medical emergencies every day. Be real.

Then teachers need to document and fight to get these kids what they need.

The Department of Education decided to allow VIOLENT CHILDREN to remain in the classroom. Teachers by themselves have no ability to change the federal mandates.

It’s we, the TAXPAYERS, who have the RESPONSIBILITY and the POWER to DISMANTLE this DESTRUCTIVE federal agency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: mass shootings and drills: this is just a national reality now. Even the private school I worked at had drills and locked doors.

Re: guns confiscated on high school campuses: this is an issue of beefs between specific violent kids with major issues, and highly unlikely to affect your average middle class kid.

Re: chair-throwers: this is the real issue at the elementary level. Kids with emotional disturbances who cannot regulate themselves but who the school cannot legally send elsewhere or restrain or otherwise deal with. This is definitely something you will experience that we need a solution for.

When a kid goes on a chair and desk throwing rampage, why can’t a parent be called to pick up their child?

Because half the time the parents don't pick up the phone. When they do, they often refuse to come get their kid.

That long article about how MCPS is failing our special needs kids did not at all have the perspective that there are some parenting fails that are greatly contributing to the behavior issues. And yes I can confirm that this happens in the ES where I work. Parents don’t want to deal with their own kid.

Here’s an idea. Do the paperwork and push for a special placement and more help. I wouldn’t get my kid either. Don’t have a kid like that but have a kid with sn and we’ve been refused an iep or any help.

Should teachers be assaulted? If a child is violent in the classroom, why wouldn’t you come to get him?

Many of these families beg for help and aren't getting it. If I begged for help and it was denied, at some point no. I tried to get an IEP this year. Long documented SN. I was refused even an evaluation. I reached out the the AP and she said she would help and made a dumb comment why. At some point, schools/admin need to step up and help these kids and teachers or find new jobs.

You responded to a question about classroom violence. A mentality unstable raging child is not a learning problem. It’s a medical problem.

Schools are staffed by teachers, not physicians. If your child is violently raging, he needs a medical facility, not a classroom with a teacher.