AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2009 > March > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLockdown at Cherokee schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two teenagers were arrested and three Cherokee County schools were on lockdown Thursday following a series of events that started with a tip from parents.
Police ultimately found a revolver in a ceiling tile in a restroom at Woodstock High and other weapons at a student’s home. Police are still figuring out what the teenagers planned to do with the guns.
As the story was updated on ajc.com readers’ comments focused on a few areas. Some took issue with how easy it was for the boys to get the guns. Others wondered where the parents were.
But many questioned how school officials could have allowed this happen. They assumed that the boys were bullied or had disciplinary problems. Others blamed the incident on the school —- with about 2,300 students — being too big.
Parents and others often raise these issues when something goes wrong on high school campuses. Are these the right complaints?
In these situations, can you really blame the school?
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Comments
By jim d
March 6, 2009 8:54 AM | Link to this
Stupitiy abounds!
What the hell were they thinking? Laws regarding this type of thing are well known. So as far as i’m concerned —throw the book at them.
As to who is to blame? C’mon we can’t blame anyone other than the two criminals. THEY made the choices to violate the law, not the school nor the parents.
several questions we should address might be.
1) Would I surrender my rights to own weapons because someone is stupid? NO!
2) Should schools be responsible to prevent criminal activities? NO!
3) Should parents be responsible for having stupid kids? WELL MAYBE!
By DB
March 6, 2009 8:58 AM | Link to this
I really don’t care WHY they did it. Any reason at this point is simply an excuse. The fact is, they did it, they knew they were breaking the law whe they did it, and now must face the consequences.
If they weren’t a disciplinary problem before, they sure are one, now.
By Joy in Teaching
March 6, 2009 9:06 AM | Link to this
I found it incredibly irritating to hear those comments from parents criticizing the school for the timeliness of the lockdown and how it was handled.
Oh boo hoo! So their precious kid sat on a bus or in a classroom for a few hours. At least they were definately safe!
As to how the school could have ALLOWED this to happen….
Are they SERIOUS? I’m pretty sure that school personel didn’t make the guns available to those two boys. I’m also pretty sure that school personel didn’t suggest in any manner that to bring a gun to school was a hunky dory thing to do.
It seems to me that the “lets blame the schools for all of our problems” phenomenon has been elevated to a whole new level by some.
By Reality
March 6, 2009 9:53 AM | Link to this
Schools can never do anything right. It will always be the fault of schools. Parents are never to blame. The kids are never to blame.
One kid hits another kid - it is the school’s fault.
One kid has no lunch money - it is the school’s fault.
One kid doesn’t do their homework - it is the school’s fault.
One kid flunks his exam - it is the school’s fault.
It doesn’t matter what we are talking about. It will always be the fault of the school - at least according to some.
Schools spend so much time reacting to things that are are really not their fault, they lose focus on their true purpose. THAT is the real crime here!
By jim d
March 6, 2009 10:13 AM | Link to this
Reality,
No too sure I agree with this one “Parents are never to blame” since we can always come to these blogs to see much blame layed on parents.
The point is that we must start laying the responsibility where it belongs—and that dear friend is at the feet of the perps. These kids were 15 & 17, they clearly should have known right from wrong and I’m confident they did.
I think much could be remedied if we would just quit treating teenagers as kids suckling on a teat and start holding them accontable as adults.
By V for Vendetta
March 6, 2009 11:08 AM | Link to this
Jim D hit the nail on the head for using the word missing from many of the articles and posts regarding these two high school morons—ACCOUNTABILITY.
Throw the book at them; I don’t care how “good” or “bad” they were.
However … . I totally agree Jim D that I don’t want my rights infringed upon by the stupid children of the world. That having been said, I grew up in a house with plenty of guns. My father made it VERY clear that if I even thought about those guns when he was not around, he would beat the living 5hit out of me. They weren’t locked up. They weren’t hard to find. But you know what?
I never touched them.
Long story short: I think the parents should at least be looked at, though I wouldn’t use the word “blame.” It’s pretty despicable to raise kids so flagrantly stupid.
By jim d
March 6, 2009 12:46 PM | Link to this
V,
Me too! and it’s something i’ve passed down to mine.
Mine grew up in a house that not only contained weapons—but loaded weapons. They were taught proper handling methods and respect. (they always respected if the weapon didn’t harm them —- I WOULD!)
Growing up was a bit different for me—we had an arsenal and had access to it anytime we wished to go hunting or to shoot varmits arond the farm. I got my first shotgun at the ripe old age of 10 and my son learned at that age how to handle and respect weapons although he didn’t get his first A/R until he was 18. BTW, he qualifies as expert.
By Reality
March 6, 2009 2:18 PM | Link to this
Wow. I guess that sarcasm doesn’t translate well into a blog post…..
By Dr. Craig Spinks/Evans
March 6, 2009 2:39 PM | Link to this
Things are improving: Ten years ago, The Public may never have heard anything at all about a weapons incident like this one because of school administrators’ misguided efforts to massage the images of their respective schools. Student safety ran a poor second to public perceptions in the minds of several unscrupulous administrators under whom I had the misfortune to serve.
By Lee
March 7, 2009 10:45 AM | Link to this
One theme that I tried to hammer home with my own children during their teenage years is “Everything you do has a consequence and what you do now can have an effect 10, 20, 30+ years down the road.”
Sometimes that effect is good - other times bad.
This 17 year old is about to learn about that first hand. Years from now, when he can’t find a job because of his prison record, maybe he will finally understand. That is, if he can break out of the prison revolving door.
I have a small sliver of empathy for the 15 year old. Very small. Based on the sketchy news accounts, it appears that he was just a “hanger on.” Choose your friends wisely my son. Maybe he too will finally understand.
Hats off to the school and law enforcement authorities. Sounds like they all handled this one well.
By catlady
March 7, 2009 4:15 PM | Link to this
Next year will this show up in the behavior reports that are whitewashed so frequently? THAT is the question. I have seen my own elementary school take obvious assaults and turn them into nothing, so I have little faith that this will be correctly reported. Can someone from the AJC monitor it? Schools quite flagrantly underreport these things, and only school personnel seem to realize it.
By Dr. Craig Spinks/Evans
March 8, 2009 7:16 AM | Link to this
(C)atlady, are you referring to situations like the one involving 44K GCBOE disciplinary incidents which, due to a purported CLERICAL ERROR at the GCBOE, didn’t reach the GDOE’s Twin Towers office until the AJC reported several stories on underreporting disciplinary data in this NE ATL suburban county’s public school system?
By Dr. Craig Spinks/Evans
March 9, 2009 3:25 AM | Link to this
Can you believe that there have been only 12 posts made regarding this incident pertaining to safety at a GA high school? Hopefully, our indifference will not prove deadly.
By jim d
March 9, 2009 4:20 AM | Link to this
Well Doc,
You really shouldn’t expect more—we’re not talking about teachers salaries, after all. Sad thing is that i wouldn’t be surprised to see these kids re-admitted to a public school somewhere.
By ScienceTeacher671
March 9, 2009 8:36 PM | Link to this
Doc, maybe it’s just me, but I couldn’t think of what to say on this one without more information. The parents gave a tip, and fortunately the students were caught before any damage was done.
Without knowing more details, it’s hard to tell whose “fault” it is, other than the fault of the two boys involved. YMMV.
By high school teacher
March 9, 2009 8:47 PM | Link to this
I had to “simmer down” before I posted on this - I was slighty annoyed that Laura insinuated that many held the school responsible for this. Just how can a school be responsible for a student hiding a gun in the bathroom? I was even more annoyed when I heard the recording of a parent calling 911 wanting to know the reason of the lockdown, claiming that the school should have told them and that it was utterly ridiculous that she couldn’t find out. HELLO!! Like the office staff is still answering the phones during the lockdown? Sure, lady, why don’t you go and check out your child in the middle of a lockdown. Teachers follow a very strict protocol during lockdown - all in the name of safety of the students. We are instructed not to open the door to ANYONE, even administration or police, for fear that the invader is forcing them to ask you to let them in.
Just how is the school to blame for this problem?
I was glad to hear that the boy’s own mother is the one who called the police to report that her son had taken several guns from their home. Not a phone call I would want to make, but go mom. You did the right thing.
By momma3teens
March 15, 2009 8:08 PM | Link to this
I’m glad to hear the mother called also. If I had to make a call like that about one of my kids, all I can say is my kid better hope and pray the police gets to him before I do!!!