Educators share ideas: How do we cope with violence? - News

By Robyn Meadows

Published Nov 02, 2006 14:00

How should they prepare for, prevent, cope and deal with the aftermath of a school tragedy such as the Oct. 2 shooting at the West Nickel Mines School in Bart Township?

To learn strategies for addressing new professional challenges, about 40 educators from Lancaster, Berks and Chester counties gathered Wednesday at Yoder�s Restaurant in New Holland for a conference on school violence.

The summit was called by U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts.

�Kids face enough challenges at school without having to worry about safety,� Pitts said.

Three high school principals from the region attended President Bush�s Oct. 10 meeting in Baltimore on school violence, and Pitts asked the three to give presentations at this week�s conference.

They were Andrew Terry from Cocalico High School, Gerard Rosolie from Solanco High School and Wynton Butler from Reading High School.

Among the lessons learned at the national conference were the reasons why students commit violence.

Young perpetrators are often bullied and felt that �nobody paid attention� to them, Terry said, or �they felt like they were being disciplined differently� because of their skin color or their economic status.

The three principals were among the few educators in attendance at the president�s conference. Participants there were primarily law enforcement professionals and people trying to sell security plans, they said.

And they, too, thought it was a good idea to bring the issue of security back to the local level.

During Terry�s presentation, he spoke about streamlining preparations.

Rosolie spoke about how to deal with the media when it descends upon a school searching for the story. Butler spoke about a mix of topics including conducting threat assessments on each school building.

Terry said with 16 school districts in Lancaster County, each district can have a different way of doing things.

He questioned if educators should shout �lockdown� during a practice drill or a real emergency, or whether instead they should devise a code such as Butler�s example, �Mr. Smith is in the building.�

Terry also asked the educators if they just went through the motions during their evacuation drills or if they actually performed them.

�I suggest you go through with it,� he said.

Needs may vary in a rural, suburban and urban schools, but each district should adhere to some basic standards when it comes to drills, Terry said.

He also suggested that each district make sure that each adult in the building has a copy of the crisis plan.

When Rosolie spoke, he drew on his recent experience with crisis situations in the Solanco School District. Two years ago, the district endured 17 bomb threats in buildings. He also faced the deaths of several students.

In March, a popular student shot and killed himself accidentally with what he thought was an unloaded pistol.

Rosolie said it�s a good idea for each district to designate a media contact person.

This person can answer reporters� questions, so the educators can stay focused on their jobs of educating and keeping students and staff safe.

Butler, who leads the 4,500-student Reading High School, said that he�s had teachers quit once they heard all they had to do with a crisis plan.

�These are the pressures that are on the teachers of today,� he said.

He also suggested that principals get to know students on a personal basis � know who hangs out with whom, and where they like to stand after school.

�So no one falls through the cracks,� Butler said.

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