Thank you, Dottie!

Yes, lets do it. She is right - there is no excuse for a 10 minute delay before someone is there who can protect the children. That is what really causes the loss of so many lives.

Amen!

Great idea, having a firefight in a school crowded with our children sounds awesome! I'm sure there wouldn't by any chance of innocent bystanders getting hit by flying bullets.

How about we just keep guns and bullets out of our schools, okay?

Oh, and let's also keep military caliber weapons out of the hands of the deranged as well. Background checks, certifications and licensing should work reasonably well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/nyregion/bystanders-shooting-wounds-caused-by-the-police.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

shouldn't the headline be, district resident comes out of closet as paranoid-schizophrenic at school board meeting?

I agree about the part where you said we don't live in a perfect world.

In addition to the "Bad guys" with guns, there are an incredible number of easily manipulated "patriots" who have actually been convinced by some wingnut on the radio that more "guns and bullets" are the answer to highly complex societal issues.

If you use this argument you should carry it through to it's logical conclusion.

One armed guard will certainly not be enough to protect our youth from a dangerous gunman. They could be out of position or overwhelmed by superior forces. We'll need a lot more protection then just one armed gunman.

Our elementary schools should have an armed SWAT Team standing by.

Better yet, what if the school was ringed with a minefield? Yeah. And concertina wire. What if we mounted .50Cal machine guns in turrets at each corner of the playground and manned them with experienced combat Marines? Maybe a tank guarding the parking lot? A couple of TOW launchers on the roof and the crossing guards equipped with illuminators ready to laze anybody who looks suspicious. And we’ll probably need a Patriot battery on the front lawn, you never know when some deranged lunatic will hijack a jetliner and try to fly it into fourth period algebra.

We could rename it "School of Freedom" or "Liberty Place" and provide militia training to our kids for extra credit - kind of like they do in Afghanistan.

Yea, great idea. guns in schools.

If the unthinkable happens here... "Why didn't anyone do something to stop this when we knew it could happen here?" Perhaps you would be the one to tell the parents "We knew it might happen here but we we were just too stupid to do anything to provide a way to stop and armed intruder, the police swat team got here before the last one was killed though." Too late sir!

My kids go to Rockwood Valley Middle School and Lafayette. Both have armed police. Are there Rockwood schools that do not already have a police presence?
I really don't want armed parents walking the halls. I am glad the board is taking time to discuss this issue instead of doing something as a knee jerk reaction.

I believe this Rockwood parent also was trying to highlight the lack of School Resource Officers in elementary schools.

Dottie, thanks for going to the board meeting and TRUELY standing up for the kid's safety!!!!I agree with you, why should they get an armed guard at those meetings when our kids and staff are sitting ducks!You can try and lock the schools up tighter than a drum .....but CRAZIES will always find a way to get in. Mr Lazar..........in UNICORN land with the candy forests and glitter showers, guns and bullets don't exist! Most people unfortunately have to live in the real world and the kid's and staff have a RIGHT to be safe! WE should demand it!!!!

As a Rockwood parent, the idea that we should arm civilians in our schools is horrifying to me. I'm all for armed protection such as a police presence or assigned resource officer, but arming the janitors or teachers is not the answer.

God have mercy on the "let's fight fire with fire" mentality. We are a country of sick, twisted people if we believe that all we need to do is get more guns. You want the US to adhere to teh second amendment, so do I. Every household should have a musket. It makes me feel quite comfortable adding vigilante thinking to our schools. Let's arm our clergy too, there have been some church incidents.

Your right Jeff!!A great solution to this problem would be to just do NOTHING! Maybe God will have mercy on US sick and twisted parents who want to keep ALL the kids and staff safe at the schools! We wouldn't want to thwart the CRAZIES that want to murder innocent children after all....I mean it might hurt their feelings or cause them to be stressed if they only murder 1 person instead of 10!!!!

I think its a great idea. Although I wouldn't arm just anybody that's a teacher or janitor. Have select faculty that have experience or are well trained that explore the halls of the schools. Keeping guns on the teachers poses too much of a threat for someone who's inexperienced, especially if they are scared to use one to begin with. The fear I have is that we arm too many faculty and then our halls are littered with gunfire due to everyone trying to be the "hero". Arm faculty that act as hall monitors from time to time because if a situation were to occur atleast those individuals are not stick in a classroom therefore they have the ability to react in case of an intruder. The less guns in the school the better, but no guns is just simply ignoring the truth of where this world is at nowadays.

So I pose you this question...if its ok to have guns in our middle and highschools, why not our elementary schools? Elementary aged students are more vulnerable.

She's right, they are a bunch of hypocrites. An armed guard at the meeting and no police at the schools. They increase their salaries, hire expensive out of state "friends" and then cut the budgets where we really need it.

Anyone who's ever been in a real gunfight or combat knows that it almost always comes suddenly and without warning. If someone isn't there to respond on the spot it's too late and game over. We need professionally trained people at the scene before the shooting starts, not after. They can be police, properly trained teachers, janitor's or anyone else who has had the proper training (and I don't mean regular CCW training). The weapons need to be carried concealed on that person at all times, not in a purse, a desk, a briefcase or anywhere out of their immediate control or reach and the students should not know who they are.

If we're going to spend money on the proper people to protect our schools and are having a hard time finding it, maybe we need to take it away from overpaid administrators who practice favoritism in hiring and spending our money. I have two kids in this district in school and for years all I've been hearing about is how more money is needed and seen that money wasted on far too many people and projects that don't really matter. Let's finally put some money where it matters the most, the safety of our children.

And that's the problem. Criminals will always have access to artillery, no matter how many more laws we enact. It's time we stand together as law abiding citizens and protect our youth and ourselves(college students) from a tragedy occurring..the risk is there for guns in schools, but theres no greater risk than not taking action.

You support your arguments with statistics but look at sandy hook. It's that mentality that it "probably" won't happen that lands people in hot water. Preach statistics but I will not allow my children to become another one of your statistics due to ignorance.

For debatable purpose let's try an excersize. It's the middle of the night and some breaks in and burglarizes your home. What do you do? Your most vulnerable when your asleep, so you jump out of bed groggy with confusion and only a second to react. You have a better chance with a gun protecting you than your good looks and instability from being sound asleep. My point: assuming your a gun owner, you give yourself the chance to protect so why not give our kids that same chance to be protected.

I never said armed guards..I said well trained faculty that way its more cost effective..asking everyschool to sub contract a private party for protection is an outrageous idea that would cost us too much money. I see no harm in the principles or other staff carrying a gun on their persons during the school day.

And proper training will extinguish your fears of harm.

Dear Larry, I can tell you are a deep thinker. With all due respect, your thoughts would be helpful in Unicorn Candy Land and believe me I wish we all lived there. However, placing an armed police officer or an armed guard at every Elementary school will at least give the kid's and staff there a fighting chance if God forbid one of these crazies gets into the school. Keep analyzing your computer stats and I will trust and depend on the Police! This is anything but a knee-jerk reaction.....do you watch the news?

And another thing..you say that arming schools based off of fear is irrational..but wouldn't not arming schools based off of fear be the same? Irrational.

Random question..lol..how do u select to reply to a post rather than just posting? Lol not tech savvy here

Everything you listed about your fears can be resolved through training with the exception of a teacher massacre..but if some faculty wanted to shoot up a school they could do it without permission to carry a gun on the premises..that would pur then in the list of unsound criminals who are not gonna follow the laws..atleast if a faculty member were to commit such a violent act there would be other staff to put it to an end.

Thank you for your nice words Pam. I do have to make one correction though:

I live in the real world, not "unicorn candy land".

In the world that I live in there are already far, far, too many innocent people dying because we look for simple answers to complex issues - like "More guns" being a reasonable and effective method to reduce school violence.

yes, I do watch the news, and to your point, I think pretty deeply (well, I try).

Because I am informed, I support Obama's 23 proposals to reduce the impact of gun violence. I hope you will join me in this very reasonable effort.

You can support Obama all day but his policies will not keep out criminals. I support Obama bit I believe his gun laws are making it more difficult on the law abiding citizens because at the end of the day the criminals will always find a way.

LOL again I state that the mentality of it probably won't happen makes us more susceptible to violent crimes. Also I repeat, criminals will always get their hands on guns, no matter what laws are passed. They are criminals, its what they do.

Brittany and Larry,

Since you are both up for a debate, how about changing the subject for a bit and talk about how ONLY 44 percent of Rockwood students met all four college readiness benchmarks, significantly
outscoring the Missouri average of 27 percent. While overall scores declined
somewhat as compared to 2010-2011, it is important to note that the number of students tested increased dramatically as the result of Rockwood’s implementation of the ACT to all students in their junior year of high school.

http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/news/Pages/01172013AnnualReport.aspx

1. Does this percentage surprise you?

2. Do you think a larger percentage of Rockwood Students should meet this benchmark?

Lol I agree with Larry on this one..has nothing to do with the issue in this forum

LOL

I know it doesn't. However, on this subject it was just going on and on and on.. So, since you two seem to have the problem of security in Rockwood solved, let's have you debate another subject and see what solutions come from this.

Id have to educate myself more about the topic..but from the way it sounds it would only make sense for the percentage to decrease if there are more students testing than years before. The question I have is why are they being made to take the ACT junior year? I'm sure if the district had the students test senior year then the percentile would increase. Students would be more educated and be more ready to start thinking
about colleges.

Go Dottie! She isn't crazy, she isn't nuts, she is concerned. You can walk into many of our schools throughout the Rockwood School District and not be stopped at the beginning or end of day. So, yes security does need to be stepped up for the children.

Great point Joyce. While every other district in the St. Louis County area are adapting and changing their security measures in response to parent's concerns following the tragedy in Newton; Rockwood is having conversations.

Larry, I'm sorry but, you are SO naïve! Being GREAT at having "conversations" does nothing to "actually" make the kids safer! This requires 'real" ACTION on Rockwood's part! Some districts have already hired extra police and have them in place at the schools right NOW!(Melville for one)! That's called....putting you money where your mouth is! I find it seriously offensive that Rockwood is trying to tell parents that if this bond issue doesn't pass they cant afford safety measures for the kids!!They have the money RIGHT now but wont use it! I guess they need it for more "clickers" and smart boards...oh and more library renovations...who cares if we cant afford to buy any books or materials for those libraries....I mean the kids can always go there and watch T.V, right?

@Larry-does everything come down to politics with you???I am concerned about the safety of ALL children and adults at Rockwood.....I really don't think that reading about Karl rove is going to help ANYONE take security measures right now to make our schools safer. My goodness.........what makes you think that the elementary schools don't need security??Frankly, that sounds ridiculous. Maybe they haven't been targeted as much as secondary schools.......BUT you act like there is NO threat just because they are elementary schools.....this thinking does not offer any solutions and is VERY NIAVE! Keep running your stats.....I will keep working on bringing about some actions that might make our kids safer at school!

@Larry-with all due respect you are so out of touch with reality it's frightening! It is NEVER fear mongering to want to protect children, or anyone else at the schools,SORRY!As a parent I am tired of your La-La land attitude about the very real world that we live in. Being PROACTIVE is considered by most to be very wise. This is how we can overt a crisis.(God forbid) if one would crop up! I guess, if I am following your argument(difficult) that you would say......wait till a few more Elementary Schools get shot up and more kid's and teachers get killed and then you can plug some numbers into your computers risk analysis and see then if "your stats" warrant a police officer at Elementary Schools,right?

My question to Mr. Lazar,
Have you ever used a gun or had a gun safety class? Do you know how to use the weapon properly? I have never seen a gun fall out of a holster and onto the floor. If you are trained to use a gun you respect what it can do. I have known how to use a gun for 40 years. I respect what it can do and know my gun safety rules. Maybe you should take a gun safety class so you will be better informed.