Huntsville is once again making national news. A shooting on the University of Alabama-Huntsville campus has left 3 dead and 3 injured. A female faculty member, Dr. Amy Bishop Anderson (pictured at left), has been taken into custody. What is our world coming to? News reports say that the faculty member was in a meeting and had just learned she would not be granted tenure. Violence is never the answer. Are our universities and colleges safe? What about the high schools and middle schools?
Last week, Todd Brown, 14, was shot Friday at Discovery Middle School in Madison. He died. What was a gun doing in a Middle School? Are our schools safe? I'm not sure what I would do if I had school age children in this day and age. When I went to school and when my kids went to school, we didn't have to worry about drugs or guns. What's this world coming to? This shooting incident in Madison, Alabama was covered on Fox News and CNN. I hate to think that this is what Huntsville/Madison is getting known for. What can we do to make our schools safer?
Comments
“I hate to think that this is what Huntsville/Madison is getting known for. What can we do to make our schools safer?”
I guess it depends on whether we’re really interested in keeping our schools safe or more interested in maintaining our status on some Top Ten list in an out-of-state magazine.
Part of the problem may be that our local “leaders” and power-brokers (i.e. land-owners, developers, and real estate folks) spend too much time worrying about what Huntsville is known for. Perhaps they’re spending too much time cultivating an IMAGE instead of dealing with reality. If so, it’ll come back to bite them in the ass.
When we decided to move here, we were impressed with the schools academic ratings. However, now that we’re here, I’ve discovered that the focus of the school system is maintaining those RATINGS – not necessarily teaching the kids. My son spent the better part of his first year here practicing for the standardized tests! I was not pleased or impressed.
I’ve read at least one commentary suggesting that – because federal funding is based on attendance – Madison let a known delinquent stay in the school system rather than expel him. I’d buy that argument, having received a letter from the “attendance nazis” here following my son’s EXCUSED absence for a doctor’s appointment! Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad they take attendance seriously and I’d want to know if my son were skipping school (although I WOULD know without relying on the school to tell me). I’m just willing to accept the possibility that the schools are taking attendance seriously for the wrong reasons.
All the policies and mechanisms to keep our schools safe are in place already, but it’s all just window dressing if money or influence can buy a known juvenile delinquent a transfer into a new school instead of expulsion. As with many problems in our nation, we have to have the political will to act – not just implement “policies.”
I really don’t care whether Forbes or Money Magazine readers or editors think Huntsville/Madison is good or bad. I care whether Huntsville/Madison actually IS good or bad, and I have no vested interest in lying to outsiders about it.
I’m so sorry to hear about this tragic news coming out of Huntsville. My thoughts and prayers for peace to all those affected.
What happened at UAH is not a school shooting, it’s an incidence of workplace violence by a disgruntled employee. It’s completely unrelated to what happened at Discovery.
I disagree that they were unrelated: Both shootings involved a gun that was discharged in an educational setting. I think they are related!
I agree that the two incidents (at Discovery and at UAH) are very different in nature. I do think that if we want to take education seriously, we need to consider the SIZE of the facilities which we build. There are definitely merits to having smaller facilities which house fewer students. Also, sound educational philosophy should determine the grouping of grades housed in one facility (ie 6th – 8th vs 7th – 9th) rather than which facility has enough space available. Again, the bottom line is the $.
We hate huntsville. Can’t wait to move. Expecting a southern town, this isn’t it. It’s fake.