September 21, 2024

Public schools have been around for over 350 years in the United States. But over the last 25 years, since Columbine thrust school shootings into our national consciousness, school employees have had to deal with a whole new set of stresses that their predecessors never imagined. Between the too-frequent active shooter incidents in our schools (132 since 1999) and the threats that schools receive via the anonymity of social media, it’s a different world. Today’s post is my attempt to convey how these events take their toll on the students, families, and employees in every school in our nation.

This September, our nation witnessed two painful incidents that will continue to impact not only the schools where those incidents happened, but every school around the country. The school shooting that killed two students and two employees at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia is every student’s, parent’s, and educator’s nightmare. It happened on September 4th, and the high school is still closed. They plan to reopen with partial days on Tuesday of next week. And in Springfield, Ohio, while there was no active shooter, unsubstantiated rumors led to multiple threats to schools (33 to date) that led the superintendent (and city and state officials) to close schools, medical facilities, and government buildings. 

What is not making the news is how these shootings and threats affect those who are part of our schools in every corner of our nation. I guarantee you that after the Georgia active shooter incident, the same scene played out in the homes of most families with school-aged children or school-based employees: parents sent their children off to school and spouses watched their partners leave for work at school with goodbyes clouded by trepidation and fear. How could it be otherwise? I know it happened in my house. These acts are so random, and so unpredictable, and while our hearts go out to those who are actually experiencing the unimaginable, that empathy is heightened by the knowledge that it could have happened at any school.

I know that the chasm between threats to schools and an actual active shooter incident is incredibly wide. But active shooter incidents happen far too frequently, and because of that, these threats, even though almost all of them are not credible, are even more unsettling to all of us.

In the wake of these incidents, school and district leaders across the country are sending messages to their students, employees, and families, reminding them of the safety measures that are already in place. Law enforcement members are reviewing active shooter protocols. School communities are practicing the drills that they would call upon if a shooting occurs on their campuses. Teachers and staff are thinking about how much courage it will take to follow that training and maximize safety for students and themselves. And all of it takes a toll.

In the face of multiple threats, Springfield leaders have provided excellent and accurate information. It started when a person made a Facebook post about a “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” who had lost their cat and was quick to blame Haitian immigrants, going so far as to say they killed the cat. After being confronted about it, she said that she had no direct evidence about her claim, and every agency that investigated found absolutely nothing to verify the outrageous rumor. If it had stopped there, maybe nothing would have come of it. These days, almost all schools deal with threats and misinformation from online discussions (I’m looking at you, Nextdoor), and it can be overwhelming. In most cases, the rumors can be ignored. But sometimes, rumors gain traction.

That happened big-time when the Republican candidates for Vice President and President used their massive national platforms to put that rumor out there again, stating it as fact. That’s when all hell broke loose. People have short fuses these days, and it just takes one statement from national leaders to light those fuses. The result? Springfield sprang into action, investigating every threat, and making it as clear as they could that none were deemed credible. But speaking from experience, when law enforcement states that a threat is not credible, it helps, but it does not make the fear disappear. It lingers. 

I have been through several threats to schools as both a principal and a superintendent. None of those threats materialized, but all of them had to be communicated and addressed. Believe me, everything else takes a back seat when there is a threat to school safety. With every threat, law enforcement officials investigated the threats we received, and none of the threats were deemed credible. Even so, the concern among parents and teachers was so high after one online threat, even after police deemed it non-credible, that we closed a high school for three days. I hated doing it, but the fear was real. The source of the threat was never discovered, and we did go back to school, and for some, that return was very difficult.

We need leaders, local and national, who channel the spirit of Franklin Roosevelt. We need leaders who know that fear is the enemy, and who use their voice to help us all support each other in trying times. The Mayor of Springfield, the Governor of Ohio, and the principals and superintendents in the threatened schools have been channeling that calming FDR voice, investigating threats and ensuring schools are safe, and then stating the evidence, giving the facts, and providing every bit of support that schools need to reopen. And schools around the country, hopefully supported by their local government, law enforcement agencies, and their communities, are seeking to channel that same voice. We are strong, we are together, and we can defeat these rumors. 

It is far different work to reopen a school after a shooting. While fear remains an enemy, you have an entire community that has been traumatized by unspeakable violence. The work to reopen a school after a shooting is long and intensive. Unfortunately, we have too many clear examples from our past that show us what students, employees, and communities need. It takes time, and it requires those same strong and calm voices, speaking in unison, to bring students and employees back to the grieving campus.

These incidents remind us that schools are invaluable pillars in every community. Schools hold our most precious resources – our children. Schools are designed to provide the education and inspiration needed to build a better future. And schools are staffed by employees dedicating themselves to making their students’ lives better. And no matter where it happens, when one school is attacked or threatened, all of us feel the impact.

Schools are reopening in Georgia and Ohio because entire communities are coming together to fight threats and rumors, and to provide support for each other when the unthinkable happens. City officials, state officials, and most of all, law enforcement officials are all locking arms with our schools, and sending strong, clear messages to school employees, parents, and students that they are not alone. And to those in all of the schools across the nation, I know that you feel the repercussions of these atrocities and threats. And I wish you well as your communities rally together, uniting against threats and real dangers, and visibly doing all you can to let your students, parents, and educators know that we are all in this together.

Post #117 on www.drmdmatthews.com

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NOTES

A few cuts from this latest post. 

• I remember talking to my wife while I was dealing with the threat that eventually closed the high school. I was very bothered by parents being unwilling to send their children to school, even though the police had made it clear that it was not a credible threat. I stated to her that we would certainly be sending our child to school if we lived there, and looked to her for agreement. The look she gave said, “Maybe. But it would be a discussion.” So actually, I don’t know what we would have done. 
  
  
• This post contains no solutions for stopping these threats and acts of violence. I don’t know the answer. Speaking realistically, I do not believe that assault weapons will go away. Putting parents on trial for putting assault weapons in the hands of their children is a good start. I like the legislation out there that makes leaving unlocked guns in your home a crime, and I like anything that requires extensive background checks for gun purchases. The training that schools provide for lockdowns saves lives, but following those protocols under fire requires incredible courage from every school employee. And it takes outstanding collaboration between schools and law enforcement leaders.

• In my career, I felt very fortunate to work with outstanding men and women in law enforcement. I could always call one of the leaders in the police department to make sure we were both transmitting the same messages. I did not want my communications to harm the police investigation, but I needed to provide the most accurate information possible to my community. 

• After a threat has been issued, having police cars on campus and extra personnel walking the hallways give employees and students a feeling of security. They should feel that way. Sometimes it’s hard for PD to give up having cars on patrol, but it makes a massive difference.

• And my last comment on law enforcement officers that they are ready. In speaking with many police leaders and officers, they were disgusted with the lack of action in Uvalde. In the communities I know, and I believe the same is true across the nation, law enforcement will take quick and decisive action. If there is an active shooter on campus, I feel certain that they would use all of their lessons, and storm on campus as quickly as possible to save as many lives as they could. They are true heroes.

Also, I could have written an entire post just on how important communications are during these times. Dealing with a crisis is hard enough, but if leaders don’t take the time, even though a situation is rapidly unfolding, to simultaneously share information with parents and the community as quickly as possible, it will only make the situation worse. Having been through this too many times, I have appreciated having people I can call upon to help me think clearly during what can be a chaotic situation. It is through that clearer thinking that leaders can convey the right information to their communities in a timely manner. I may have to write that post.

Two resources for those who want to look at this terrible topic a little more. 

• Like I said, it’s been a little over 25 years since the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. This blog post summarizes the violence and gives excellent background on this seemingly never-ending problem.
  
• I wrote a post about school shootings back in May of ‘22. Here it is if you are interested.