Has Your School's Insurance Been Canceled?

Has your local public school's insurance been canceled? If you live in Kansas, the answer might be "yes". EMC Insurance Companies, the Iowa based backer for most of the insurance companies used by public schools in Kansas, has refused, this year, to underwrite a policy for any public school that allows guns on school premises, except in certain instances, such as when police officers happen to visit a school for some reason, in the line of duty. In July of this year, Kansas lawmakers decided not only to extend de facto permission to allow guns at school to  students who hunt in the morning, before school starts; but to also allow teachers to carry concealed weapons to school!

In the tiny public school that is closest to my home, all six of my children have been bullied by oversized, pink, blond children, and when that has not been enough to satisfy the lust for violence among the inbred population that was waiting for us when we moved here, teachers began to bully me and send nasty emails to me, for such infractions as failing to support their favored candidates during elections and failing to attend their churches! The ACLU was forced to step in on my behalf! No loving parent sends a child to Frankfort School in Kansas if another choice is available. Should any of the teachers who stoop to bullying tactics experience a momentary lapse of reason while carrying a gun, the closest child would probably be the first to take a bullet, and the child with the darkest hair and skin would probably be the first at whom the bullet is deliberately aimed.

In response to the new law, allowing teachers of all levels of sanity and intelligence, or lack thereof, to carry weapons to school, EMC has decided that the risk is unworthy, and about ninety percent of Kansas public schools did not have insurance when school started. Because public schools in Kansas are not consolidated, but run by small, "unified" districts and ridicules local school boards, school boards are scrambling to appease insurance companies with newfangled "policies" about guns in schools, in an ongoing effort to convince underwriters that their buildings will be safe. If schools were consolidated and all under the control of the state of Kansas, one decision could be made for all Kansas public schools, and the insurance companies would not have to deal individually with many different school districts. In the mean time, school has started with no insurance for most public schools in Kansas. Failing to carry insurance is against the law in most states for drivers, and most businesses must carry insurance, so I can only wonder how public schools in Kansas get away with this. Also, why has this been largely ignored by Kansas media? Are parents seriously not concerned about children attending uninsurable schools?

It should also come as no surprise when the unified districts that do manage to procure insurance find themselves doing so at a higher rate than they formerly paid. The climate of Kansas schools has already been shown to be unsafe. Shouldn't the local school boards on the unified districts have seen this coming, and begged their representatives to vote otherwise on this law? Now there will be even less money for actual education, such as it is in Kansas.

Some time ago, the local school board thought I was jesting when I explained to them that allowing guns at school in the hands of students is foolish, and that if they did nothing about the guns that were taken to school by certain students, I would make their oversights public. I called the school's insurance company, and was told that under no circumstances should a weapon be taken to a school by a student or a teacher, and that the information I had just given them would be shared with their investors. I suppose those who provide the school's insurance had hoped that the school board folks would wake up and smell the coffee before a tragedy forces their eyes open, but Kansas, instead, has compounded the issue.

In other news, Iowa has begun to grant permits to carry concealed weapons to blind applicants.

Second Reason To Consolidate Kansas Schools

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.

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.

Petition To Inform Governer Browncrack That Education Is Important

This is not really much of a surprise, but Kansas governer Sam Brownback has proposed tax cuts to corperations, (does he think corperations are people, too?) and to the wealthiest citizens in the state, and has told the rest of us that the formula for funding for public schools can no longer be supported and he wants to continue to slash education. The truth is, he cannot afford to ignore the schools, and he should insist upon more money for them, not less. Kansans United In Voice And Spirit has put together a petition, and this is the link to it.

Warning To Students From Topeka Police

Police urge caution as school begins.....................................Who do they think they are kidding?

I will do a public service here, and list all of the tips that cjonline got from the Topeka police for kiddies going to school this year:
■ Only cross the street at crosswalks and watch for cars driving in the area.
■ Obey all traffic signals. Never cross the street against a red light, even if you don’t see any traffic coming.
■ Take the most direct route to school.
■ Walk with a buddy.
■ Never approach strangers. If a stranger approaches you, don’t go anywhere with them. Call out and draw attention to yourself and the stranger and get away. Be sure to report any instances of strangers approaching children to the police.
■ Watch out for dogs on the loose. Don’t approach a loose dog, and don’t touch it.
Children riding the bus should remember these safety tips:
■ Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
■ Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
■ When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk away to keep a safe distance between you and the bus. Remember the bus driver can see you best when you are the farthest from the bus.
■ Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses, but not all do. Protect yourself and be alert.

Now; does anyone remember a post I put on this blog back in April? It was one of my first posts. http://siriunsun.blogspot.com/2011/04/child-safety-and-kansas-schools.html This is when I described what happened when a guidance counselor/cross country coach dropped my daughter off by herself four miles south of our town, and allowed her to be MISSING for over two hours without telling anyone. And when he did tell someone my daughter, fourteen at the time, was missing, he chose to ask an eight year old boy if he had seen her, rather than contacting me or the police. Inexcusable. But he still works at the school, in the same capacity, providing the same dangers to children at taxpayors' expense. So I would add one more piece of advice, Topeka police:

 If your guidance counselor dumps you somewhere outside of town by yourself, and you lose your way, always make sure you have a cell phone, and dial 911 THE MINUTE you realize you are lost.

School Uniforms In Kansas?

I read a commentary written by Ric Anderson for cjonline about dress code and schools this morning. In it, he ponders, because of gang identities conveyed by fashion choices, if it is time for Kansas to consider uniforms. He also states that anyone who does not think that Topeka has problems with gangs probably still believes in the Tooth Fairy. I should just ignore that, but instead, I am going to state that Topeka, and the rest of Kansas, really don't have problems with gangs, unless one considers the Methodist Church a gang.

For other reasons than gangs, the article seemed to kick up a lot of defensive sounding comments from readers who would not want uniforms as a dress code in their childrens' schools. I remember resisting such things as a kid, but I don't think uniforms really hurt me, or my siblings. In fact, one year, when Dad was in the hospital, toward the end of his life, and my sister needed a uniform to start school, no one had gotton a chance to shop with her, and about a week before the first day of school, all the local stores were out of uniforms and white blouses that went with uniforms in my sister's size. My stepmother begged me to pull out my sewing machine and make her a jumper. I did, thinking it would look horrible, but to my surprise, it looked great, and she was the "belle of the ball" on the first day of school! I don't think any of us missed the teasing and "fashion bullying" that often goes on in schools, either. But people who have never worn uniforms for any reason seem to think that all individaul identity fades away when kids attend schools that have dress codes and uniforms.

No uniform can really rob a person of personal identity, any more than a party dress can give a spoiled brat a personality. What clothing can do is establish professionalism. I take myself seriously, therefore I dress as if I want you to take me seriously, too, when I am at work. Apparel can also convey respect; if I am going to be in your office for some reason, I will dress like I take you and your work seriously, not as if I am on a picnic. Hopefully, you will pick up on the cue and treat me with respect, as well. But a polieman's unform, a soldier's uniform, or a judge's robes do not make any of them alike. Students will not necessarily be turned into conformists, either, if they have dress codes, and (gasp) even other rules...................

People also bellyache about the cost of school uniforms, but how many of you have been shopping for teenage girls lately? I have two teenage girls and one ten year old girl, so I think I am a pretty good authority on the subject of the prices of fashion for school aged girls. I also know that uniforms would be a lot less expensive.

So........as a Kansas parent, I would not mind if schools had stricter dress codes or uniforms. It would not bother me in the slightest if my children were forced to express their individuality by getting the best grades, or creating the best art, producing the best music, or starting up the most needed volunteer efforts while in school, instead of insisting on the latest fashions, which, in my opinion, is just another boring form of lazy conformity.

Oh; here's Ric Anderson's article.

Child Safety and Kansas Schools

Anyone who's listening, I will tell you a story. It's a true story, and it happened in October of 2009. Thankfully, it had a happy ending.

My oldest daughter used to be quite the avid cross country buff when she was thirteen years old. She was good at it, too. But one day, while she was at practice, and I was at home, just assuming that all was well, her coach drove past my house, stopping to talk to my eight year old son. Mr. Coach wanted to know if Mr. Eight Year Old had seen his older sister. Mr. Eight Year Old had not. No one had seen my daughter in over two hours. She was lost. Why was she lost? Because her coach had dropped her off by the side of a highway, four miles south of the town we live in, by herself, and just left her. It was part of cross country practice. No supervision. If she had been stung by a bee, had tripped and hurt herself, or had some other medical emergency, no one would have been there to help her. (at this juncture, you should know that I offered to volunteer to help with cross country, but since I do not attend a Christian church, my offer was rejected. The school staff thought it better to take chances with a child's safety in the way I just described) When my daughter realized that she did not know her way back, she started to wander of a side road, hoping it would bring her to a house, or another person. This area has a lot of commercial farms, and there were no houses or places my daughter could go to for help.

Back to my eight year old son.......Twenty minutes went by. While he did not realize the signifigance of his conversation with Mr. Cross County Coach, (also Mr. Guidance Counselor) he did realize that no one knew where his sister was, and it was getting later and later, and no one was looking for her. So he told me about it. I looked all over town, called all her friends, searched the school (why was the school left unlocked after everyone had gone home?) and finally started home to call the police, when a couple of senior boys drove up with my crying daughter in their car. It was still within a few minutes of when I found out she was missing, but this cross country coach had known all afternoon, and had not called the police, or spoken to me. Why? I guess whatever he cared about, it WASN'T my daughter. Well.........I actually DO care about my daughter. Nowhere else have I met a teacher that did NOT care, at least a little, about the children he teaches, but I think that is what the problem is with Mr. Cross Country Coach/ Guidance Counselor.

Suppose it was not young men from her school who found her, but a dangerous person? I have been told time and time again by the people who live in this small Kansas town that "those things don't happen here", and "there ARE no dangerous people here", but there was a sex offender whose address was with half a mile from where my daughter was abandoned. The police were quick to point that out, but the principal only argued his harmlessness as a sex offender with them and the school board is not worried about the incident.

My children no longer participate in cross country at their school. It isn't safe.