Re: Your State has got to be the closest place to hell on ea

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On 10/04/11, PsyGuy wrote:
> Yes really this isnt a quantity issue but a quality issue, when the
> profession in your state fails a child so utterly and with such
> depraved in distance yes it reflects on your states entire educational
> system, and this incident was in the news.
>
> Well if teachers dont regulate the signing out process, do you not
> train your staff??? What about oh who are those leades responsible for
> the safety and education at a school who usually have their
office in
> the front of the school, what are they called oh yeah PRINCIPALS and
> ASSISTANT/VICE PRINCIPALS. Do you have any of those? Are they Trained?
> Do they not go through Professional Education?
>
> This isnt an issue of a single school its endemic of a larger failure
> in your states training and education of those in the education system.
>
>
> On 10/02/11, Victoria wrote:
>> I don't normally respond to posts like these because they are
>> obviously meant to be inflammatory. But I also don't want people
>> thinking we actually agree with posts like these.
>>
>> First, this is an awful thing that happened and I hope all of those
>> that were negligent face the most serious consequences possible.
>>
>> Second, this is one school, one incident in our state and you have
>> generalized that all schools in Mississippi do this. Really? Seems
>> like that would be nation-wide news.
>>
>> Third, teachers do not normally check students out. So your
>> conclusion that something is wrong in how teachers are trained does
>> not even make sense. It is the office personnel (secretary usually)
>> that does this job.
>>
>> I definitely agree, they should all be checking id and making sure
>> those people are on the lists. I think that's true of every school
>> in every state. Tragedies like this should never, ever happen.
>>
>> But please do not assume that all schools in Mississippi are
>> negligent because one is.
>>
>>
>> On 9/29/11, PsyGuy wrote:
>>> I mean they checked a NINE year old girl out like a used library
>>> book, to a serial pedo rapist!!!!!
>>>
>>> Doesnt that resonate with you that something is wrong in your
>>> states approach to training teachers?
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9/28/11, April wrote:
>>>> On 9/22/11, PsyGuy wrote:
>>>>> Have you read the following article???
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.tcta.org/legal/decisions/district_had_duty_to_pr
>>>>> otect_student_from_off_campus_assault
>>>>>
>>>>> How could monsters like you be allowed to teach or even be
>>>>> considered part of the human race is beyond me???
>>>>
>>>> I totally agree with you! The sad part about it is that I
>>>> don't ever see them( people in the office) asking for ID or
>>>> even checking to make sure the person is on the list to pick
>>>> up a child. My son school does as for ID and they ask the
>>>> relationship and they look it up. I don't care how many times
>>>> I check my son out, they do it !

I had not heard of this story before. This tragedy should send red flags
throughout the country; however I think your tactic of hostility on a
teacher's blog is misguided. I'm not even from Mississippi, but I couldn't
help but want to defend their teachers from your attack. Another poster
did a great job explaining to you the procedure of checking-out children
from a school, but I'm compelled to elaborate further.

Teachers generally do very little in the office on a daily basis, other
than sign in and check their mailboxes in the mornings. Our job is to
teach children in our classrooms. We have never, ever been in charge of
training the staff! A matter of fact, in my school system the principal or
vice principal are not totally responsible for training secretaries, if
at all. Most secretaries do receive some training from a district
administrator at the School Board's District's Office. It is doubtful
even still, that the district administrator in charge of secretaries is
trained as an educator. My guess is that his or her background is business.

Now that being said, I agree that there appears to be a major break down
in the checking-out procedure at that school. I don't know if it was
negligence on the secretary's part, or the principal's lack of
administrative directive, or a lack of an adequate school system's policy,
or the lack of security procedures, or a lack of a child protection law or
whatever. I think it’s prudent of us all not to place judgment or blame
without knowing all of the details. As with all human interactions, it
can be complicated. I am a teacher, and have limited knowledge of
organizational management, but if I had to guess a solution, I would say
it is simply at the school system’s superintendant's door.

It is clear that you are highly motivated, even passionate enough to
alert people of this tragedy. In my opinion, it would be far more
productive for the future safety of children, if you moved beyond a
teacher’s blog, and instead become a problem solver. If lack of training
or human error is the cause of this tragedy, then it could happen anywhere
in the world, not just in Mississippi. Perhaps you should think of ways to
rectify those issues that caused this tragedy.

If you are concerned and motivated enough to rectify this problem, may I
suggest some ideas that may help you get started: Change your mode of
thinking in order to become a change agent. Research the current
procedures that are locally used in your city's school system. If you see
failings in that system, research how to change it. There are probably
books written about this very topic. Now days there are probably computer
programs that can assist school systems with this effort. I believe my
school office uses one. I will now definitely inquire about its
effectiveness. If they have a fool proof system, research how to best let
other systems know about it.

There are many ways to have an effect on school system's procedures from
within and from without the school system. Sometimes, all it takes is to
talk to the right person at the school board. I would start with the
person who supervises or trains the secretaries. If that doesn't work,
then you could talk to, e-mail, or send letters to one or all of the
following: school administrators, school board members, the
superintendent, the mayor, political types, the PTO or PTA, and local
newspaper. If you are successful locally, and state-wide then you can
address the issues regionally or on a national level. If you are in need
of support for a major organized effort, you could approach church
leaders, local college professors, politicians, and/or teacher
organizations.

Good luck and God's speed.

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