School Safety & Guns in America: Where Do We Go From Here? | KMOX Radio Show Included

Nearly 300 school shootings have occurred since the December 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy. Many condolences to all the families affected by the tragedy in Broward County last week and my prayers go to everyone impacted by repeated losses of life on school campuses across the nation over several years. We can never take enough extra actions to keep our students safe. In addition to praying, I urge and encourage other leaders to take prudent action also and stand with students across America.

After reflection and wise counsel, I chose to speak with the media about guns and school safety as well as support our young sages and scholars in being a part of the national discussion, leadership, and action.  Conversations for healing, a better understanding, and better systems are a potent tool and form of action. Students, staff, and stakeholders have a right to go to school (and work) and come home alive. As a CEO of a school system, I have a responsibility to give people the tools to make this possible. Leaders have a responsibility to create "a more perfect" system to end days like February 14, 2018, in Broward County and make true school safety a reality, daily. With each student death, I feel a degree of shame within my sorrow. As citizens, we have a responsibility to make America "a more perfect" union. There is violence in our silence. 

As such, on Sunday, February 25th and on Monday the 26th, KMOX aired a discussion with Brian Kelly and four experts, myself included, with various views on the matter of guns, rights, and school safety. (Feel free to listen to this discussion using the link below.)

My stance is simple. We all must be leaders by finding our place and space to lead and be a part of the change to make today better than yesterday. We are responsible for our children and school/district’s welfare and everyone has a role and responsibility. Prudent actions are better than words.

As a school system CEO, the responsibility of students, staff, and stakeholders within our school system are in my hands. While such weight and responsibility are real, it does not rest with me alone. Responsibility also rests with anyone in power and everyone with a voice.

The tragedy in Broward County last week and other losses of life on school campuses across the nation over several years have driven another student-led movement and increased interest in the suburbs in student-led civic engagement efforts and actions, including the idea of school walkouts. Having youth speak truth to power -- and especially to lawmakers and policymakers in this case -- is necessary when newer and better actions are needed and desired. Throughout our history, the youth have challenged status-quo at key moments enough to change history be it the Little Rock Nine with school desegregation, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee with the Civil Rights Movement, or in popular culture with Jazz, Rock-N-Roll, Rap, or any other consistently applied youth engagement of action to the right power establishments.

On Friday, I spoke with scores of students about school safety and in the afternoon, I met with the St. Louis County Police Chief and others in law enforcement.  Our Jennings student-scholars are strong, unshaken, and feel safe at school and appreciate our staff and community for their love, supervision, and support.   The St. Louis County Police Department have given us great support and regular active shooter training.  We have added a school resource officer (SRO), police patrol outside of the schools on foot and in cars, more cameras, portable metal detectors, and more.

Since 2011, I have shared with police officials, superintendents, and others, the need and steps towards a stronger approach to school safety. Schools must practice better school safety offense and defense. For the schools that I led and organizations that I have consulted across the country, we discuss my method of using the HEART, HEAD, and HAND.

Start with the heart, great relationships make the difference. Mental health and trauma-informed practices show that you care about your people and everyone's wellness and well-being. Trauma-informed practices and self-care for staff, students, and community members (parents and stakeholders) under stress are an essential part of our professional development, plans, and daily actions. Proudly, the system that I lead has:

• About two therapists per school thanks to our great mental health partners;
• The only elementary School-Based Health Clinic in Missouri, with Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Center, resulting in a total of two clinics for pre-kindergarten to 12th graders offering medical, dental (with free cleanings), vision and free glasses, mental health, minor procedures, and more; and
• Over 10 partnering agencies who help us to have monthly staff, student, and community events as de-stressors like yoga, dance, plays, concerts, happy hours, community health fairs and health screenings, lead screenings, and more.

Secondly, regarding the head, knowledge is power. Better communication, professional development and training, and partnership collaborations strengthen our defense and offense. Key difference makers include 4E training--Educate, Evade, Escape and Engage, active shooter simulations, and real-time intelligence regarding on the ground occurrences, daily. It is important to have real-time communication tools (i.e., secured online plans, alerts, and a secured Marco Polo type communication, connecting the police station to your district camera feeds for real-time viewing of all school districts and more). Staff, students, and others need to practice how to (professionally) run, hide, fight, and communicate during an emergency.

Lastly, regarding the hand (defense): We partner with the St. Louis Police Athletic League (PAL) to teach boxing and self-defense to students at our Jennings Gore Community Education Center. Other agencies through Fit and Food Connection offer self-defense classes, fitness, food, and more to our staff and community from this same Jennings location.

Still, regarding the hand and good offense, law enforcement and others know that force or force during the first minutes of an active shooter is the best hope of stopping a close shooter. So, leadership and action are needed to support:

• More SROs in schools, especially for the schools that do not have one
• More trained professionals with firepower to support our schools and community (trained security staff)
• The creation of A-Teams or Active Shooter Action Teams of (3 to 5) voluntary staff members per school with the continuum of force training to be placed at key places like entry points to defend and secure a school until outside reinforcement arrives. In short, this team should be identified as professional fighters and lead the active shooter training with the staff each year, regularly collaborate with local police (to include to the type of attire worn), and have law enforcement and/or military warfare experience (Such methods are in place in Texas and Arkansas, currently.)
• More training for offense (power/force on power/force to fight) and defense (4 Es or active school shooter training and activities, hiding, running and blocking).

By no means does this article intend to be comprehensive. There are many additional points and actions that can be shared and be helpful. I support individuals who choose to champion such causes. (For instance, I understand that additional actions to reduce the number of guns may lead to fewer human mishaps.) Yet, my focus here is on what school leaders should consider and can champion for increased school safety.

On Friday evening after the shooting, I met with a group of student leaders from various schools called SPARK and heard their passion, cause, and pleas for change. For several days, I listened to my own student-scholars, in person and on air (TV), share with the world wisdom and the Warrior way.    

Here is what some students want you to know:

1. Students are leading in their own way.
2. Some students will protest and others will not, but all of them care about this issue.
3. When students are leaders and the leaders are the students (learners), something good can occur.
4. Students are on Twitter and Snapchat planning (nationwide).

It appears that there are at least three major student-led efforts underway:

1.   March 14: @WomensMarch Action – call for school walkout for 10 to 17 minutes (for 17 lives loss)

2.   March 24: March for Our Lives for all to participate in Washington, DC (@AMarch4OurLives)

3.   April 20: National School Walkout for students across nation in local districts (@schoolwalkoutUS)

In closing, the aim of my communication and action, here and now, are simply to:

1.   Engage and enlighten/inform,

2.   Empower us to be prepared to take the lead regarding the tone of our school systems and community, and country,

3.   Empower us to help our children/students chose the best way to learn and engage with the community and send their own message to lawmakers, and

4.   Encourage leaders to take prudent, personalized action.