The Core of the Training Issue in Schools

RJ Hilton returns to continue the discussion.

"This is the core of the problem.

What this boils down to is you have a certain amount of time that districts will allow for training on emergency and safety situations. You’re already past the point where you don’t have enough time to train people on the really likely threats. When an event triggers media attention to rare threats, it just makes things worse. The fact is, even with what you are teaching, people are failing to meet minimum standards.

A focused killer can be difficult to comprehend and schools feel helpless to defend against it. People will grasp for straws to make it less scary. Believe it or not you can be as clear and concise as you possibly can but still not have the impact you’d like. Explaining to them not to get carried away because active shooter is only a very small possibility, doesn’t make them feel less helpless, no matter how clear and concise you are. It’s likely many have already made up their mind, what they want to hear. They are simply trying to decide who they want to hear it from. Michael Dorn says, more or less, let's discuss the issue more. Schools have to decide if that will be enough.

The question becomes how do you tell schools what they want to hear in a way that doesn't do damage but at the same time fixes what isn't working. Time available is important but more importantly is how that time is utilized. From my experience and what I'm hearing here, the people aren't really engaged during their normal routine. When they're required to make decisions on things other then what they are immediately focused on, they mentally have to switch gears. The problem is, it takes time and it happens in pieces, so reaction is spotty at best. 

Resolving the problem doesn't normally take a lot of man hours but it does initially take a lot of follow up. It's a matter of getting people to increase their normal range of awareness in their everyday life. The question is, is that type of thing possible logistically considering the bureaucracy. It requires a few minutes every one or two months, demonstrating they are still being paid attention to and what they are doing is important."

In real, practical terms, this is the core of the problem.  Schools have very little time to provide for staff and student training.  High-stakes testing drives the curriculum, and time is at a premium.  Should schools use what little time they have to prepare for something that, statistically speaking, will never happen?  Or should they spend their precious time preparing for identified hazards?

Facebook

Our Forum On