BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BURLINGTON -- Educators need to pay attention to the little things like fights, name calling and bullying to keep their schools safe, a national school safety expert said Friday.
"Historically, schools have protected themselves from outsiders," Peter D. Blauvelt, president of the National Alliance for Safe Schools, told a group of Northern Kentucky school principals and administrators.
"Those five cases last year were not outsiders. It was us inside," Mr. Blauvelt said. "How do we protect ourselves from the enemy within?"
He referred to the school shootings in Pearl, Miss.; Jonesboro, Ark.; West Paducah, Ky.; Edinboro, Pa.; and Springfield, Ore., as a wake-up call for educators.
During a daylong seminar sponsored by Boone County Schools, Mr. Blauvelt told about 50 educators how to recognize potential crises and prepare to handle such situations.
Mr. Blauvelt also urged the principals and other administrators to pay attention to their students, open up avenues of trust and create a school where violent acts can be prevented.
"When we don't pay attention to the little stuff, when the fight goes on unresolved, that's when things fester," said Mr. Blauvelt. Mr. Blauvelt said he was surprised no one picked up on what those student shooters would eventually do.
"In every case, the kids talked about it," Mr. Blauvelt said. "Why weren't we listening? Had these kids threatened to take their own lives, we would have thrown a whole battery of help at them." As president of the National Alliance for Safe Schools, Mr. Blauvelt acts as a consultant for school districts, performing safety assessments and conducting seminars.
He was the head of security for the schools in Prince Georges County, Md., during desegregation efforts there. And he is often called upon by the national media as a school safety expert (most recently by the British Broadcasting Corp. to comment on the sentencing of the two boys in the Jonesboro, Ark., case) and by lawyers as an expert witness.
What educators should do is be practical, Mr. Blauvelt said. He suggests:
When fights start, take pictures of those involved before breaking up the melee. The photos can be good indicators of instigators in the crowd and a positive identification of those involved.
Be aware of other problems that might exist if the same student is frequently sent to the principal's office by the same teacher. Maybe the student has problems at home; maybe the teacher needs new ways to deal with the situation.
If you know a student's name, use it. It often gets a response. Change from faculty meetings to staff meetings. When the entire staff knows how to handle potentially dangerous situations, the whole school is safer.
Make an arrangement with the police department. For example, if there is an unconfirmed report of a gun in school, don't call 911. Call and speak to an officer or sergeant and ask them to come to the school. This prevents the media and residents with scanners from overreacting.
Create strict sign-in procedures for school visitors. Have a secretary sign in the person. Assign badges. Hold the visitor's drivers license if necessary.
And teachers should remember that kids fight in school for a reason, Mr. Blauvelt said. "It's safe, and they know you're there to stop it."
With that in mind, Mr. Blauvelt said teachers should make a commitment of trust and two-way communication to their students on the first day of classes.
"Teachers should tell the kids that sometimes they'll come to class and it won't be a good day," Mr. Blauvelt said. "The teacher should tell the kids, "If you tell me, I'll help you through. And when I'm having a bad day I'll tell you and maybe you can help me through.' "
