by Shannon Perry
Shannon Perry is an author, conference speaker, recording artist and radio host. Her brand-new conference, “In Her Shoes,” is designed specifically for mothers and daughters, tackling issues such as bullying, self-esteem, body image, social media, dating as well as other topics affecting tween and teen girls. Shannon holds a Master’s Degree in Education and Counseling and is a Certified Instructor in Parenting Classes and Crisis Counseling. For more information visit www.ShannonPerry.com.
As I watched the children of Sandy Hook Elementary run
from their school in tears that dark December day, I, too, found myself weeping uncontrollably. As
a former Elementary School Counselor, the Newtown, Connecticut school
shooting was the unimaginable scenario I had often feared for my own
school now turned into a horrible reality. For
years, I sat behind a desk as a school administrator at an elementary school in
Houston, Texas. I often pondered what an attack
from outsiders would involve. With over
one thousand students enrolled, how would we possibly move everyone to safety?
I often prayed over students as I watched them travel up and down the hallway
from my office window. Their innocence
could so easily be targeted by spineless evil.
A day never passed in which I didn't consider what my actions would have to
be if such a scenario should occur.
Being on the front lines at a public school involves far more than most
can imagine. From outrageous parental
demands to threats of bombs and suicide, the job description of teachers and
administrators has certainly been re-written over the past few decades. During
my nine years as an Elementary School Counselor, I saw just about
everything. From lockdowns after
continued bomb threats, to women running into my office after being raped on
the street, my days were usually unpredictable, and anything but
"ordinary." One in particular
came to mind as I watched the Sandy Hook events unfold.
In
the spring of 2004, a young father abruptly entered my office. His visit was unannounced so I was not aware
of his arrival or his intention. It didn't take long for him to explain. He had been reported to Child Protective
Services (CPS) for abusing his children, and assumed that the report had come
from my office. While he had no proof,
and my report was confidential, he was correct.
I made the report the morning one of his children showed me the imprint
of a boot heel in their forehead. The
father kicked the child in the forehead out of anger. I did indeed call CPS after seeking medical
attention for the child. When CPS
notified the father that he may lose his children if the abuse continued, the
father pursued me as the source of the call.
While calling CPS is usually done in confidence, it doesn't take long
for the perpetrator to attack the one they most likely suspect. Usually, it is a school official.
While
in my office, the father shouted obscenities and repeatedly slammed his hand on
my desk. I advised him to calm down or I
would call for assistance. His next
statement was chilling and one that I will never forget. He pointed his finger at me and growled,
"I will leave, but I'm warning you now.
If I am ever reported to CPS again or if I lose my children, I will kill
you." I knew he meant exactly what
he said.
Fortunately,
those children were kept safe and their father never had another opportunity to
abuse them. Two weeks after visiting my
office, at the age of 34, their father suffered a major heart attack and
died. I would like to say that this was
an isolated case, but I was threatened on more than one occasion as I sought to
protect children who were in abusive or dangerous situations.
Protecting
the children from danger went beyond the confines of my office. We were often called to evacuate our school
building due to bomb threats and hours of study time were often lost as a result. Lock downs due to outside danger or hostile
parents also became part of our routine.
The irony of it all? I worked in
a district highly recognized among national rankings and known for its safety
and security procedures. Unfortunately,
policies were not enough to keep "crazy" from my office or out of
Sandy Hook Elementary. I resigned my
position in 2005 and went into full-time ministry, but I still stay connected
to the kids who were on my watch.
As
I continue following updates on the children, families and staff of Sandy Hook,
my heart is grieved by the statements and suggestions made by those who have
never served in the trenches of a public school. Those who know how to best protect our
children are those who are with them on a daily basis. There has never been more evidence than the
example set by those at Sandy Hook. The
number of children lost is tragic, but the potential number of children that
could have been killed --and were not --says one thing: administrators and teachers were prepared to
courageously go above and beyond their call of duty. Teachers and administrators are well aware of
imminent dangers on a daily basis, but most take the risk for one reason: they
love children.
For
years, teachers and school administrators have fought to be heard. Sports
figures and Hollywood celebrities receive the rewards of recognition and
financial restitution, but what about our educators? I am a great supporter of my hometown football
team, but I often wonder why educators are not more celebrated. We reward those who carry a ball, but not
those who carry our future. As the Bible
clearly reminds us, "Where your
treasure is, there your heart will also be." Our priority as a nation must be to protect
the lives of the innocent. The cowards
and bullies that target our schools must be met with a resounding reminder that
we will do WHATEVER it takes to protect our children. We place armed guards around celebrities,
airports and Presidents because they are valued. Do we place the same value on the lives of
our children? Removing guns only treats
the symptom, encouraging those who are intent on doing to evil acts to simply
find other methods. If a gun is not
available, they will find the materials to create a home-made bomb. We will never be able to remove enough
weapons to stop heinous acts. The main
issue is one of the heart. Where IS the
heart of our country when it comes to protecting the innocent?
As
one who has lived in the “trenches" of the Elementary School life, several
suggestions come to mind for improving our school's safety. Placing armed guards at surrounding entrances
of the schools may not prevent attacks, but it would certainly deter them. If we can find the tax dollars to build
larger stadiums, surely we can prioritize our monies to help protect our most
innocent lives. We could certainly train
a few individuals in every building to responsibly carry a weapon. Just as many churches allow armed individuals
(often unnamed) to protect their members, unnamed individuals would be armed
and prepared to take action in the school.
Making this fact known publicly would likely deter those who would
otherwise attack the vulnerable and possibly save lives.
An
additional plea I would make is to curriculum departments, parents and the
media. We MUST address the violence that infiltrates our children's lives
through mainstream media. Although
statistics contradict a correlation between shootings and violent video games,
the media has become a source for students to view killing as "normal." Just turn on your television at any given
moment, and if you have more than five channels, it won't take long to find a
murder transpiring or one being plotted. So how do we address this issue in the
schools? We begin when they are young.
Children must learn anti-bullying strategies and the effects of hurting
the innocent at an early age. We need to
help students learn to welcome "good" and shun "evil" both
in and out of school. Schools cannot do
this alone, however. Parents must
reinforce to their children that the idea of hurting the innocent people is
unacceptable. As a parent, refuse to allow
your children to watch violent movies or television shows. Instead, fill their minds with positive images
as you watch things that bring "life" into your home. The mainstream media must realize that we as
a nation will no longer buy into the lie that violence is the
"norm." When we stop
supporting violent movies, television shows and video games with our wallets, our
society will change. It truly is up to
us.
The
final and most important suggestion I would make as a former "trench"
survivor is that we pray. When we invite
God back into our schools, we invite His covering. Although we are told we cannot publicly pray
as a group during school hours, nothing stops us from praying as
individuals. The job rests on our
shoulders as we wait for our leaders to remove politics and prioritize the
safety of our children. The prayer I once prayed over my own school is the same
one I pray daily over schools across this land: "Father, place your angels around our children and those who serve
them, and protect them from evil that would so cowardly and intently prey on
innocence."
Our
children should be our highest priority.
May we all have the courage to take the necessary steps to make their
young lives our most important responsibility.
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