Teacher shot at Newport News elementary school

[Anonymous]

This is a harrowing account of the day in today's WaPo: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/10/richneck-elementary-school-shooting-timeline-warnings/

How could that school admin not take this seriously given the child's history?

It gives me a lot of concern because my DC's school had an incident this week with one child choking another on the playground, then destroying the classroom he was put into to calm down. Next day, the kid was back at school like nothing ever happened. I'm sure there is much, much more to this story than I'm aware (my DC is not in that grade), but it frankly terrifies me something like this could be his next move.

[Anonymous]

The school had no doors and there were no lock down drills. And he was only there for a half a day.

Wow.

I know that people are all like: parents should have a voice in their kids education. But it really sounds like the teachers should have a stronger voice. And I know that my IEP friends are going to be enraged about this: but if your kid is violent he really can’t be protected by an IEP anymore.

If your child was an adult, he would be tried for assault. If you think that your child’s aggressive behavior should be excused- you’re part of the problem.

And for goodness sake: teachers can’t hit a child back. They are not allowed because they can be sued for hitting a kid. Which is at this point a result of the parents being awful.

If your kid is strangling teachers or other kids: they should be suspended for a week and expelled with a second offense. I’m sorry: but if you can’t raise your kids to not be violent, then it isn’t the school systems responsibility to fix your kid. It’s yours.

[Anonymous]

The negligence of that AP is astounding. And in this day and age to not have doors on some of the classrooms, I just can't. I would not be able to send my child back to this school/district. The demonstrated widespread apathy appears systemic.

[Anonymous]

Still stunned that the staff member had to ask permission to search the kid.

[Anonymous]

Details in that story are beyond disturbing.

[Anonymous]

Question: where was the principal? Was she at school?

[Anonymous]

How do two classrooms not have doors? I can't even picture that? Its must be so noisy.

[Anonymous]

Mainstreaming is MUCH cheaper than having separate special ed schools or residential schools for kids who need serious psychiatric help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do two classrooms not have doors? I can't even picture that? Its must be so noisy.

I grew up going to what was called an "open space" elementary school. It was one huge area per grade, blocked off with bookshelves and filing cabinets. No doors anywhere. When I drive by that school in my hometown, I often wonder what it's like on the inside now. I can't imagine anything like that as a school now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school had no doors and there were no lock down drills. And he was only there for a half a day.

Wow.

I know that people are all like: parents should have a voice in their kids education. But it really sounds like the teachers should have a stronger voice. And I know that my IEP friends are going to be enraged about this: but if your kid is violent he really can’t be protected by an IEP anymore.

If your child was an adult, he would be tried for assault. If you think that your child’s aggressive behavior should be excused- you’re part of the problem.

And for goodness sake: teachers can’t hit a child back. They are not allowed because they can be sued for hitting a kid. Which is at this point a result of the parents being awful.

If your kid is strangling teachers or other kids: they should be suspended for a week and expelled with a second offense. I’m sorry: but if you can’t raise your kids to not be violent, then it isn’t the school systems responsibility to fix your kid. It’s yours.

The bolded is a reminder that most people have no idea what an IEP is. Including you, PP. It's not a pass on behavior. Nothing in an IEP indicates that a child is allowed to harm other kids. And the majority of violent, disruptive bullies aren't on IEPs. The problem has never been children on IEPs, as much as you don't like them. It's money. There are simply not enough resources available to give each child the education and support they need and everyone suffers. The federal government isn't funding its share of special education. There aren't enough teachers, and can you blame them? There isn't enough training or support. And for the children with the greatest needs, there aren't enough spaces in specialized schools. You get what you pay for in public education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mainstreaming is MUCH cheaper than having separate special ed schools or residential schools for kids who need serious psychiatric help.

Oh it’s not even that.

I have this crazy mom who has an autistic kid who is constantly posting on Facebook about how kids with disabilities need to be mainstreamed. She posted a NYT article about how kids are secretly being taken out of schools. And it is so evil!!!!!

Fun fact; I read the article and the comments. And the comments were all like: year, so your kid is one out of 30. Are we supposed to throw all thirty under the bus because your kid has a bad day?

And frankly: with this Virginia case, I’m going to say no.

At some point, public schools have to put their foot down on “disabilities.” I get that parents have a right to an education for their kid but the way that this is going their kids are all going to be homeschooled if there isn’t some kind of balance. Parents have too much power now. And because 1 out of 30 kids has to be “mainstreamed” we are going to bring down 29 kids so that one kid can have a fit?

What mainstreaming has done has made the stigma against these kids even worse.

Oh- plus her kid isn’t medicated. At all. And needs to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school had no doors and there were no lock down drills. And he was only there for a half a day.

Wow.

I know that people are all like: parents should have a voice in their kids education. But it really sounds like the teachers should have a stronger voice. And I know that my IEP friends are going to be enraged about this: but if your kid is violent he really can’t be protected by an IEP anymore.

If your child was an adult, he would be tried for assault. If you think that your child’s aggressive behavior should be excused- you’re part of the problem.

And for goodness sake: teachers can’t hit a child back. They are not allowed because they can be sued for hitting a kid. Which is at this point a result of the parents being awful.

If your kid is strangling teachers or other kids: they should be suspended for a week and expelled with a second offense. I’m sorry: but if you can’t raise your kids to not be violent, then it isn’t the school systems responsibility to fix your kid. It’s yours.

The bolded is a reminder that most people have no idea what an IEP is. Including you, PP. It's not a pass on behavior. Nothing in an IEP indicates that a child is allowed to harm other kids. And the majority of violent, disruptive bullies aren't on IEPs. The problem has never been children on IEPs, as much as you don't like them. It's money. There are simply not enough resources available to give each child the education and support they need and everyone suffers. The federal government isn't funding its share of special education. There aren't enough teachers, and can you blame them? There isn't enough training or support. And for the children with the greatest needs, there aren't enough spaces in specialized schools. You get what you pay for in public education.

I call bs.

The kid has an acute disability and was allowed half day classes with a parent shadowing the entire time. That is most definitely a sign of an IEP.

And your experience might be different but based on my teacher friends, it’s not. It’s getting worse and parents aren’t teaching their kids how to behave or medicating their kids so that their brains normalize.

And no- not every IEP allows for violent behavior. The IEPs allows for “bandaids” to deal with the aggressive behavior vs actually medication or therapy.

And this kid: had a lot of bandaids before he shot a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do two classrooms not have doors? I can't even picture that? Its must be so noisy.

I grew up going to what was called an "open space" elementary school. It was one huge area per grade, blocked off with bookshelves and filing cabinets. No doors anywhere. When I drive by that school in my hometown, I often wonder what it's like on the inside now. I can't imagine anything like that as a school now.

I was at a school like that! 4 classes in one huge room just as you describe.

[Anonymous]

I grew up going to what was called an "open space" elementary school. It was one huge area per grade, blocked off with bookshelves and filing cabinets. No doors anywhere. When I drive by that school in my hometown, I often wonder what it's like on the inside now. I can't imagine anything like that as a school now.


I was at a school like that! 4 classes in one huge room just as you describe.

There was also a model a while back that had little hallways that opened into the room without a door--and some were designed like restrooms where you zig zag into the room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do two classrooms not have doors? I can't even picture that? Its must be so noisy.

I grew up going to what was called an "open space" elementary school. It was one huge area per grade, blocked off with bookshelves and filing cabinets. No doors anywhere. When I drive by that school in my hometown, I often wonder what it's like on the inside now. I can't imagine anything like that as a school now.

I was at a school like that! 4 classes in one huge room just as you describe.

My middle school was like that. Chaos.