Not too long ago, I discussed, on this site, what I consider to be the first reason to consolidate Kansas public schools, rather than leave them under the control of unified districts and unprofessional local school boards consisting of uneducated folks with no teaching experience. This allows the unified districts too much leeway to violate federal and state laws, since none of them answer to federal or state authority in any way. One of those laws that Kansas school boards attempt to sidestep has to do with student safety and weapons; specifically firearms.
Before she graduated last year, my daughter shared with me the fact that she did not always feel safe at school because some of her classmates took guns to school. I was shocked to hear this, and asked her why this was happening. She told me that during hunting season, boys in her class went hunting before school started, and instead of taking the guns home and putting them away, they would leave them in their lockers, or in the back seats of their cars! This particular school, in Frankfort Kansas, has all grades from kindergarten to grade twelve, and no one besides my daughter had ever considered the possibility that a small child could open a car door, find an unattended weapon, and create a tragedy. Also, at least one of the children cited by my daughter as taking weapons to school is a confirmed bully, and allowing such a child to take weapons to school is crazy, but this is school in Frankfort, Kansas.
I went to the local sheriff's office to complain about this, and was told by the undersheriff, Tim Ackerman, that because of the Republican leanings of most Kansans, and because many of them go to fundamentalist Christian churches, Frankfort School does not have to worry about tragedies such as the ones in Columbine, Colorado and Newton, Connecticut. Later, I called the Kansas Department of Education, and was told that Kansas schools do not have to really obey the law. It is only a "recommendation" in Kansas, not a requirement. The best alternative my family was able to find for the protection of everyone in our home was to find another school that is not affiliated with Kansas public schools or USD 380.
The only way to change this, and make Kansas schools safe is to either put the entire mess (and I DO mean mess) of public schools in Kansas in receivership, or simply consolidate Kansas public schools and make them answerable to state and federal authorities. Most Kansans hate that idea, but if Kansas were truly able to understand the law and govern themselves, public schools in Kansas would all be in compliance with the law.
Before she graduated last year, my daughter shared with me the fact that she did not always feel safe at school because some of her classmates took guns to school. I was shocked to hear this, and asked her why this was happening. She told me that during hunting season, boys in her class went hunting before school started, and instead of taking the guns home and putting them away, they would leave them in their lockers, or in the back seats of their cars! This particular school, in Frankfort Kansas, has all grades from kindergarten to grade twelve, and no one besides my daughter had ever considered the possibility that a small child could open a car door, find an unattended weapon, and create a tragedy. Also, at least one of the children cited by my daughter as taking weapons to school is a confirmed bully, and allowing such a child to take weapons to school is crazy, but this is school in Frankfort, Kansas.
I went to the local sheriff's office to complain about this, and was told by the undersheriff, Tim Ackerman, that because of the Republican leanings of most Kansans, and because many of them go to fundamentalist Christian churches, Frankfort School does not have to worry about tragedies such as the ones in Columbine, Colorado and Newton, Connecticut. Later, I called the Kansas Department of Education, and was told that Kansas schools do not have to really obey the law. It is only a "recommendation" in Kansas, not a requirement. The best alternative my family was able to find for the protection of everyone in our home was to find another school that is not affiliated with Kansas public schools or USD 380.
The only way to change this, and make Kansas schools safe is to either put the entire mess (and I DO mean mess) of public schools in Kansas in receivership, or simply consolidate Kansas public schools and make them answerable to state and federal authorities. Most Kansans hate that idea, but if Kansas were truly able to understand the law and govern themselves, public schools in Kansas would all be in compliance with the law.
Tim Ackerman, the cop who thinks voting Republican and going to church are great ways ensure that kids can safely attend school with guns in tow during hunting season.
No comments:
Post a Comment