School Teachers Stage Fake Gunman Attack
Wonder what they would have done if a student had fought back and stuck a pencil into a teacher's eye? Probably expel, charge, and sue the student.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271972,00.html
Parents Outraged After Elementary School Teachers Stage Fake Gunman Attack
Sunday , May 13, 2007
AP
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
Staff members of a Murfreesboro elementary school staged a fake gunman attack during a school trip, telling them it was not a drill as children cried and hid under tables.
Parents of the sixth-grade students at Scales Elementary were outraged after learning about the prank that occurred Thursday night during a weeklong trip to a state park.
Assistant Principal Don Bartch, who was present, said the scenario was intended as a learning experience and only lasted five minutes.
"We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," he said.
During the last night of the school trip to Fall Creek Falls, a state park about 130 miles southeast of Nashville, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose.
The students were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet. After the lights went out, about 20 kids started to cry, said 11-year-old Shay Naylor.
"I was like, 'Oh My God,' " Shay said Saturday. "At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out. (A teacher) told us, 'We just got a call that there's been a random shooting.' I was freaked out. I thought it was serious."
A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, even pulled on locked door and pretended to be suspicious subject.
"This was not a good experience," said Alisha Graves, whose son went on the trip. "Those kids were crying and they were terrified."
Some parents said they were upset by the staff's poor judgment in light of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 students and professors dead, including the gunman.
"The children were in that room in the dark, begging for their lives, because they thought there was someone with a gun after them," said Brandy Cole, whose son went on the trip.
Scales Elementary Principal Catherine Stephens held a meeting Saturday afternoon at the school after a handful of parents called to complain.
She said she was saddened by the situation and that the school was handling it. She declined to say whether the staff members involved would face disciplinary action.
"The circumstance that occurred involved poor judgment," Stephens said. "My hope is that we can learn from this, and in the end, it will have a positive result of growth for all of us."
Still Shay and her mother, Niki Morris, said they forgave the teachers for scaring the students.
"(It) went too far because it was too gruesome," Shay Naylor said. "You'd think a teacher wouldn't do it, but they did. But they're great teachers. If (the assistant principal) loses his job, I will break into tears. He's the best assistant principal I've ever had."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271972,00.html
Parents Outraged After Elementary School Teachers Stage Fake Gunman Attack
Sunday , May 13, 2007
AP
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
Staff members of a Murfreesboro elementary school staged a fake gunman attack during a school trip, telling them it was not a drill as children cried and hid under tables.
Parents of the sixth-grade students at Scales Elementary were outraged after learning about the prank that occurred Thursday night during a weeklong trip to a state park.
Assistant Principal Don Bartch, who was present, said the scenario was intended as a learning experience and only lasted five minutes.
"We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," he said.
During the last night of the school trip to Fall Creek Falls, a state park about 130 miles southeast of Nashville, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose.
The students were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet. After the lights went out, about 20 kids started to cry, said 11-year-old Shay Naylor.
"I was like, 'Oh My God,' " Shay said Saturday. "At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out. (A teacher) told us, 'We just got a call that there's been a random shooting.' I was freaked out. I thought it was serious."
A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, even pulled on locked door and pretended to be suspicious subject.
"This was not a good experience," said Alisha Graves, whose son went on the trip. "Those kids were crying and they were terrified."
Some parents said they were upset by the staff's poor judgment in light of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 students and professors dead, including the gunman.
"The children were in that room in the dark, begging for their lives, because they thought there was someone with a gun after them," said Brandy Cole, whose son went on the trip.
Scales Elementary Principal Catherine Stephens held a meeting Saturday afternoon at the school after a handful of parents called to complain.
She said she was saddened by the situation and that the school was handling it. She declined to say whether the staff members involved would face disciplinary action.
"The circumstance that occurred involved poor judgment," Stephens said. "My hope is that we can learn from this, and in the end, it will have a positive result of growth for all of us."
Still Shay and her mother, Niki Morris, said they forgave the teachers for scaring the students.
"(It) went too far because it was too gruesome," Shay Naylor said. "You'd think a teacher wouldn't do it, but they did. But they're great teachers. If (the assistant principal) loses his job, I will break into tears. He's the best assistant principal I've ever had."
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They cried and were terrified?
Try the real thing.0 -
Public education at it's best. 0 -
I saw this on another board. I'll say the same thing here.
I'm probably in the minority but I don't think this was a terrible idea. It was probably carried out too far, but I keep thinking about grade school and fire drills. We all knew they were coming, none of us took them seriously, and we spent our time laughing and being happy that we were out of class for a few minutes.
What was learned through this? Teachers could see how students would react under "real world" rules to the "fire drill" situation.
Of course, someone's getting sued. You know that's going to happen.0 -
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
I saw this on another board. I'll say the same thing here.
I'm probably in the minority but I don't think this was a terrible idea. It was probably carried out too far, but I keep thinking about grade school and fire drills. We all knew they were coming, none of us took them seriously, and we spent our time laughing and being happy that we were out of class for a few minutes.
What was learned through this? Teachers could see how students would react under "real world" rules to the "fire drill" situation.
Of course, someone's getting sued. You know that's going to happen.
And just how did this prepare the teachers to handle a shooter? It didn't. They would just hide and cry too.0 -
quote:Originally posted by PC800
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
I saw this on another board. I'll say the same thing here.
I'm probably in the minority but I don't think this was a terrible idea. It was probably carried out too far, but I keep thinking about grade school and fire drills. We all knew they were coming, none of us took them seriously, and we spent our time laughing and being happy that we were out of class for a few minutes.
What was learned through this? Teachers could see how students would react under "real world" rules to the "fire drill" situation.
Of course, someone's getting sued. You know that's going to happen.
And just how did this prepare the teachers to handle a shooter? It didn't. They would just hide and cry too.
It doesn't, but I never suggested it did. What it did was gauge the reaction of the students to a "real" threat versus one where the threat was nonexistant and the students knew it.0 -
The Army uses that kind of un-announced training every time. Keeps us on our toes and ready for anything. If it's good enough for America's fighting forces, why can't it be good enough for the students who will become America's fighting forces in the future? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by PC800
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
I saw this on another board. I'll say the same thing here.
I'm probably in the minority but I don't think this was a terrible idea. It was probably carried out too far, but I keep thinking about grade school and fire drills. We all knew they were coming, none of us took them seriously, and we spent our time laughing and being happy that we were out of class for a few minutes.
What was learned through this? Teachers could see how students would react under "real world" rules to the "fire drill" situation.
Of course, someone's getting sued. You know that's going to happen.
And just how did this prepare the teachers to handle a shooter? It didn't. They would just hide and cry too.
It doesn't, but I never suggested it did. What it did was gauge the reaction of the students to a "real" threat versus one where the threat was nonexistant and the students knew it.
The Moral: dont cry or your gonna get shot?0 -
quote:Originally posted by cartod
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by PC800
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
I saw this on another board. I'll say the same thing here.
I'm probably in the minority but I don't think this was a terrible idea. It was probably carried out too far, but I keep thinking about grade school and fire drills. We all knew they were coming, none of us took them seriously, and we spent our time laughing and being happy that we were out of class for a few minutes.
What was learned through this? Teachers could see how students would react under "real world" rules to the "fire drill" situation.
Of course, someone's getting sued. You know that's going to happen.
And just how did this prepare the teachers to handle a shooter? It didn't. They would just hide and cry too.
It doesn't, but I never suggested it did. What it did was gauge the reaction of the students to a "real" threat versus one where the threat was nonexistant and the students knew it.
The Moral: dont cry or your gonna get shot?
LOL sure why not?
Seriously, no, the lessons learned here is:
A) We live in a society where we care about people's feelings more than anything else, and we want to shelter our children from anything bad that might happen in life, so the goal is to shelter them and let them pretend that bad things don't happen to innocent people and anyone who violates this rule should be fired and subsequently sued.
and
We discover how children react in dangerous/deadly situations. We then develop a strategy to change the outcome by learning from the observation.0 -
That was a good exercise. It only works one time and makes people very aware of how they would feel and react under real life situations. A good test in my opinion.
Poor babies tramitized. BS time to get real and live in the real world and learn to deal with reality.0 -
I think it is a good idea to see how people react in a real situation.
You can't pretend that a plan will work as well in real life as on paper. A certain chap whom we know as "Monty" made that mistake all too often and it is a deadly mistake to make.0 -
quote:Originally posted by sig232
That was a good exercise. It only works one time and makes people very aware of how they would feel and react under real life situations. A good test in my opinion.
Poor babies tramitized. BS time to get real and live in the real world and learn to deal with reality.
+1. Kids these days are WAYYY to sheltered and pampered. Their playgrounds are made out of injection molded plastic with soft, squishy edges. The playgrounds I grew up on were made out of squared lumber and exposed steel pipes and chains. The only things that were plastic were the spiral slides and swing seats. The ground was covered in small rocks (pebbles, really) surrounded by a wooden perimiter made of treated 4x4s held in place by rebar. The part of the playground that had the kickball fields set up was bare asphalt with the bases painted on it, and a scattering of rocks from the playground equipment area. The basketball courts were asphalt with regulation height steel hoops on steel poles. Nothing was candy coated, and if we got hurt, it was our own damn fault and the adults didn't try to sue anyone.
Keep in mind that I'm only 21. So much has changed....and not for the better.0 -
because you are an adult and you are a soldier!
I would be pissed if they did that to my kidquote:Originally posted by Zulu7
The Army uses that kind of un-announced training every time. Keeps us on our toes and ready for anything. If it's good enough for America's fighting forces, why can't it be good enough for the students who will become America's fighting forces in the future?0 -
quote:Originally posted by Zulu7
quote:Originally posted by sig232
That was a good exercise. It only works one time and makes people very aware of how they would feel and react under real life situations. A good test in my opinion.
Poor babies tramitized. BS time to get real and live in the real world and learn to deal with reality.
+1. Kids these days are WAYYY to sheltered and pampered. Their playgrounds are made out of injection molded plastic with soft, squishy edges. The playgrounds I grew up on were made out of squared lumber and exposed steel pipes and chains. The only things that were plastic were the spiral slides and swing seats. The ground was covered in small rocks (pebbles, really) surrounded by a wooden perimiter made of treated 4x4s held in place by rebar. The part of the playground that had the kickball fields set up was bare asphalt with the bases painted on it, and a scattering of rocks from the playground equipment area. The basketball courts were asphalt with regulation height steel hoops on steel poles. Nothing was candy coated, and if we got hurt, it was our own damn fault and the adults didn't try to sue anyone.
Keep in mind that I'm only 21. So much has changed....and not for the better.
yep,
one of our (mine and my friends') favorite activities with the swings was to get the going fast and see how far we could launch ourselves into the sand pit. I'd probably get sent to the conselor for doing that today [V]
(I am 23, oh hey, congrats on the big 21 I guess I missed that)0 -
quote:Originally posted by tsavo303
because you are an adult and you are a soldier!
I would be pissed if they did that to my kidquote:Originally posted by Zulu7
The Army uses that kind of un-announced training every time. Keeps us on our toes and ready for anything. If it's good enough for America's fighting forces, why can't it be good enough for the students who will become America's fighting forces in the future?
I wouldn't be pissed off even if I had a kid in that school. That's too good an oppertunity to teach to pass it up or complain about it. Once you know how you'll react, you can learn how to function with a clear mind under the circumstances.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Zulu7
quote:Originally posted by tsavo303
because you are an adult and you are a soldier!
I would be pissed if they did that to my kidquote:Originally posted by Zulu7
The Army uses that kind of un-announced training every time. Keeps us on our toes and ready for anything. If it's good enough for America's fighting forces, why can't it be good enough for the students who will become America's fighting forces in the future?
I wouldn't be pissed off even if I had a kid in that school. That's too good an oppertunity to teach to pass it up or complain about it. Once you know how you'll react, you can learn how to function with a clear mind under the circumstances.
Talk about a teaching moment! Thats when kids really listen! When they get home its an opportunity for parents to reinforce what they should do if the situation presents itself.
The point is to protect your children and to give them the skills to know what to do in an emergency. Look how kids react today in high schools when gunmen enter the schools, they line up like sheep to the slaughter. Parents need to teach their children some basic skills for protecting themselves similiar to handling fire drills and perverts!0 -
Yes, but lets stick with reading writing and rithmitic until they are in junior high.
I geuss they are so far ahead of schedule, and emotionally stable this was a good idea.
i would not expect elementry kids to preform as well as high school, who I dont expect to do well as college kids, who did little against Cho @ VT.
start with the college kids0 -
My god....this was totally acceptable by some of you and just a fantastic thing to use to teach them about real life......but you bi**h and moan, holler for the deaf to hear when a film about homosexuality is shown to 8th graders?????????????????
Scare the s*** out of them, perhaps to the point of nightmares and a whole lot of other damage, but dont let them know about homosexuality....0 -
quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
My god....this was totally acceptable by some of you and just a fantastic thing to use to teach them about real life......but you bi**h and moan, holler for the deaf to hear when a film about homosexuality is shown to 8th graders?????????????????
Scare the s*** out of them, perhaps to the point of nightmares and a whole lot of other damage, but dont let them know about homosexuality....
Wasn't that film rated "R" though? I don't see a connection.0 -
Good Idea as far as I concerned ...Should have sent a note home stating... your fat over fed little tubby tubby didn't get out of the room in time and would have been killed had this been the real thing...
Please pick best option..
___1. Allow teachers to carry guns...
___2. Supply school with Funeral director of choice...
___3. Put Tubby Tubby on a diet and I'll hope he makes it when it is for real...
___4. Do nothing I am Anti-Gun (you Know.... a Moron)0 -
quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
My god....this was totally acceptable by some of you and just a fantastic thing to use to teach them about real life......but you bi**h and moan, holler for the deaf to hear when a film about homosexuality is shown to 8th graders?????????????????
Scare the s*** out of them, perhaps to the point of nightmares and a whole lot of other damage, but dont let them know about homosexuality....
I don't see the connection here, either.
Yes, the film was rated R, so unless those kids are all 17 or older, they shouldn't be watching that movie, not without parental consent. It doesn't matter to me if this is a Stallone movie where he's shooting up the bad guys or shows two guys porking each other til they puke (and, no, I've not seen Brokeback Mountain, but that's not the type of movie I'd jump to see anyway).
Also, one is a lesson on how to deal with survival in a horrific situation, whereas the other is showing a movie under the guise of ulterior motives and agendas. The two really aren't comparable.
One presents a very interesting learning opportunity -- what would most kids do in this sort of situation and gives educators an opportunity to assess the reactions and formulate a strategy to develop a more positive outcome (not saying that they'd have the brains to do it, I'm merely suggesting that the opportunity exists).
The other is showing a film that, for the life of me, I can't begin to guess why it is in the classroom. What educational purpose exists? Is this in a literature class and, if so, why aren't they reading the book instead of watching the movie? Is this a social science class and, if so, how is the movie relevant to the course material?0 -
The connections is what are you teaching them and the stupidity of some...
Teach the kids about terrorism...Scare them senseless to the point of nightmares and untold damage to them, but thats life huh?...
But god forbid they see a movie about life, one that may disgust them or answer some questions for them....
In other words, scare the hell out of the kids (younger kids, younger than was shown the movie) but dont let them know about real life...0 -
quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
The connections is what are you teaching them and the stupidity of some...
Teach the kids about terrorism...Scare them senseless to the point of nightmares and untold damage to them, but thats life huh?...
But god forbid they see a movie about life, one that may disgust them or answer some questions for them....
In other words, scare the hell out of the kids (younger kids, younger than was shown the movie) but dont let them know about real life...
I don't see how you can say a gay cowboy movie is about real life. (I haven't seen it, so I may be off base)0 -
The fact there are gay people in life is a fact of life...just as there are terrorists in real life....
But you dont teach by scaring the hell out of the kids, and expect them to go on as if nothing happened..but the point of MY original post was the stupidity of saying its okay to scare the kids senseless(young children) but its not okay to show a movie about something one of them may be questioning (older children)....
I0 -
BR,
With all due respect, you've failed to explain why the movie was shown. Yes, there are gays in real life. So what? Were they showing episodes of Boston Legal in the classroom? There are lawyers in real life. Were they showing Pirates of the Carribean in the classroom? History is ripe with pirates, and piracy is still real in some parts of the world. Were they shown Debbie Does Dallas in the classroom? Sex is real life.0 -
I dont care as to why the movie was shown....THe point is/was (if you had read my original post) you justify scaring the s*** out of little kids, but god forbid you show them something about real life sexuality....What are you afraid your kids might learn?...a terrorist will blow them up or a homosexual will talk to them?.
Makes one shake their heads...0 -
quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
I dont care as to why the movie was shown....THe point is/was (if you had read my original post) you justify scaring the s*** out of little kids, but god forbid you show them something about real life sexuality....What are you afraid your kids might learn?...a terrorist will blow them up or a homosexual will talk to them?.
Makes one shake their heads...
Actually, I have a problem with BOTH.
This test was a good idea, but age inappropriate.
The movie might be a good idea, but is still age inappropriate.0 -
I dont think its a good idea to scare anyone (enforcement excluded)with the "nightmare scenario" just to test the reaction. If your saying it was OK then maybe they shoulda fired a few live rounds over their heads to really test the reaction. If you want to know the reaction, listen to the interviews of the VT kids that have been thru it. My .02. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cartod
I dont think its a good idea to scare anyone (enforcement excluded)with the "nightmare scenario" just to test the reaction. If your saying it was OK then maybe they shoulda fired a few live rounds over their heads to really test the reaction. If you want to know the reaction, listen to the interviews of the VT kids that have been thru it. My .02.
I think it is always better to have rehearsed before you appear in the big show...
Especially in one such as this where you have multiple endings. Run /lay down and die / fight back unarmed / ignore stupid rules and blow the idiot away........
A little rehearsal and maybe you could of had The VT Shootings <The Directors Cut> Were five or six CCW's ingored the school rules and and you had 23 less victims.....
Regardless you might learn that there is little to be gained by laying down and taking 3 slugs to the head and not put up a fight.....0 -
quote:Originally posted by Zulu7
The Army uses that kind of un-announced training every time. Keeps us on our toes and ready for anything. If it's good enough for America's fighting forces, why can't it be good enough for the students who will become America's fighting forces in the future?
Uhh, because they are KIDS, not soldiers. Duh. Wanna bet what would happen to a kid if he said there was a shooter and there wasn't?0 -
quote:Originally posted by rogue_rob
quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
The connections is what are you teaching them and the stupidity of some...
Teach the kids about terrorism...Scare them senseless to the point of nightmares and untold damage to them, but thats life huh?...
But god forbid they see a movie about life, one that may disgust them or answer some questions for them....
In other words, scare the hell out of the kids (younger kids, younger than was shown the movie) but dont let them know about real life...
I don't see how you can say a gay cowboy movie is about real life. (I haven't seen it, so I may be off base)
Guess you have never heard of Gay Rodeos? Google it:
http://www.igra.com/
http://www.tgra.org/cms_home/
http://www.gayrodeo.com/
http://www.hgra.net/
http://asgra.org/
http://www.nsgra.org/cms_home/index.html
http://www.georgiagayrodeo.com/
http://www.larodeo.com/
and the list goes on.0
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