Have these teachers lost their minds?

Parent Cafe
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<p><a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2003705908_fakeattack14.htm[/url]”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2003705908_fakeattack14.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>This wasnt even a month after Virginia Tech</p>

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<p>I think this is what you’re referring to. The Seatletimes link didn’t work for me.</p>

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<p><a href=“News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com”>News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com;

<p>These teachers (staff members?) used a severe lack in judgement. I can’t imagine how terrified these 6th graders must have been, hiding under tables, with a hooded “gunman” at their door.</p>

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<p>Unbelievable. I can’t believe that not ONE of those adults thought that this was a bad idea!</p>

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<p>I’m a reasonable person, slow to jump to conclusions, but every last adult that participated in this stunt deserves to be fired and I hope that the parents in that community demand it. </p>

<p>What a bunch of absolute morons.</p>

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No, I don’t think so. I don’t think they ever <em>HAD</em> any to begin with!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:</p>

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<p>Statement posted on the school’s web site…</p>

<p><a href=“http://cityschools.net/schoolsites/se/index.html[/url]”>http://cityschools.net/schoolsites/se/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>^^corona, thanks for that link…Wow, there’s some spin for ya! ;)</p>

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<p>I thought this post on a local blog made a very good point

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<p>What transpired was somewhere inbetween. It wasn’t smart, I agree. </p>

<p>Some traditions (camping pranks) should be allowed to slip into the sunset.</p>

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<p>I can see that the district would prefer that students being frightened by teachers telling them there was a gunman loose & " this is NOT drill", to be forgotten- but if you allow this sort of manipulative distressing behavior by adults that children are expected to trust, to go unpunished, what are they going to think of next?</p>

<p>And really Opie- how far will you go to defend any behavior by teachers?</p>

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<p>That is absolutely ridiculous. The school should be ashamed.</p>

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<p>I would guess there are many parents visiting their attorneys today. The school system may not be ashamed but they may be a lot poorer once lawsuits are filed and settled. In my opinion, this went way beyond a “campfire prank.”</p>

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<p>It doesn’t get much dumber than this.</p>

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<p>In Boston- not so long ago- “artists” involved in creating publicity for a tv show, were arrested in connection with devices placed in Boston ( and other cities- where they were apparently ignored)- that unintentionally caused a panic.</p>

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<p>emeraldkity4 yeah, just heard the other day that they got off with some community service.</p>

<p>I REALLY hope those teachers get fired. Those kids are going to be having nightmares for years to come.</p>

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<p>“And really Opie- how far will you go to defend any behavior by teachers”</p>

<p>Em are REALLY positive it occurred the way it was reported? Have you not learned to wait a bit before casting judgement of what actually happened? </p>

<p>Hasn’t things like the Duke LAX rape case taught you, to wait just a little bit?</p>

<p>“It wasn’t smart, I agree” This is approval? </p>

<p>“Some traditions (camping pranks) should be allowed to slip into the sunset.” </p>

<p>This is approval?</p>

<p>or would you prefer I jumped in and demanded their castration? </p>

<p>I am sorry my outrage does not match yours, it certainly makes me a lesser person. </p>

<p>Did you find it curious that only 42 parents attended of the 69? Did that mean roughly a third didn’t care? Should we report them to DSHS? Obviously these are parents who don’t love their children. </p>

<p>Having read the district’s account and the papers account of things, I am guessing that it falls somewhere in the middle. That’s not a defense of anything, it is understanding human behavor and communication skills. </p>

<p>Actually, my first thought I suppressed, was why does this stupid stuff always seem to happen in the south? Are they just stupid there or what? But then I thought for a second or two and resisted the temptation until I learned more about things. </p>

<p>Sorta like the 6 guys that were planning to attack ft. Dix. Now it’s coming out that the government was paying someone to incite these guys into action. The actual leader of the group was on the government payroll and set up the thing. What’s the truth? It might take a while to find out. </p>

<p>I really don’t like getting outraged too quickly. Because if the situation is misreported, I just feel dumb. I try to apply commonsense to the situation, even this one. </p>

<p>I figured this was somebody’s idea of the "guy with the hook " campfire story. Somebody else (assistant principal) should have said not a good idea guys, let’s think of something else. But I am still waiting, as I probably will for your apology here, for a while for all the info to come out.</p>

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<p>Even without an accurate account…for me…anyway you slice this…this was a terrible idea. </p>

<p>First, IF it was a drill, it should be known that it is a drill and they are preparing them to be ready for the real thing should it ever take place. If you announce “this is not a drill”, but it turns out to have been one, then who would believe it whenever it WAS the real thing? </p>

<p>However, the account that they posted (not the news, but the statement from the school district) is that this was a PRANK the teachers led. That sort of prank is the worst possible judgement I can imagine! Pranks by teachers can be fun. But this had NO fun element and incited horrific fear in young kids that could affect them a very long time and in light of recent real incidents of this sort. What is funny about such a prank? </p>

<p>Whatever happened to pranks such as putting a toilet paper web around the cabin? Something like THAT is a prank. Something that simulates being under attack in a crime situation is not a prank.</p>

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<p>All I needed to hear was the CHILDRENS perception</p>

<p>The Duke case was concerning adults & actually my instincts about that situation were correct.</p>

<p>I don’t hear the principal or anyone from the district denying that the children were not told THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
<a href=“http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/05/young_children_.html[/url]”>http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/05/young_children_.html&lt;/a&gt;
Thats all I need to know
The children trusted the teachers- they were made to feel afraid for their lives- whether all of them totally believed it was happening 100% is immaterial.</p>

<p>I daresay even when the VT slayings were occurring- students and staff found it hard to believe it was happening & they were adults.</p>

<p>I realize that people make mistakes- but I want the person who is entrusted with the safety of my children when minors to be responsible.
This is not responsible behavior</p>

<p>I have been on many field trips with grade school, middle school and high school students- & have never heard of, or seen anything like this.
I cannot imagine the motivation of these teachers-
their statement that the students were prepared for a “prank” is also immaterial.</p>

<p>A prank is short sheeting a bed or putting cellophane over a toilet seat-</p>

<p>Children in our district are expelled from school, if they accidentally leave a squirt gun in their backpack after an overnight at a friends- because of the no weapons policy.</p>

<p>I think adults should be held responsible for their deliberate actions</p>

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<p>Since when is it acceptable for adults, particularly those in positions of authority, to pull “pranks” on kids? Suppose the kids pulled a prank on the teachers, particularly one that went wrong? Does anyone believe for one moment that the kids wouldn’t have been disciplined?</p>

<p>I expect teachers to act like adults, not like middle-schoolers. Pranks, even benign ones, between those of differing power, should be OUT, tradition or not.</p>

<p>(And my feelings hold even if the district’s account is true and the paper’s account exaggerated. Doesn’t matter to me. Adults should not pull pranks on kids. Although I tend to agree with Opie that the truth is somewhere between the two versions.)</p>

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<p>I can’t even imagine adults sitting around and rationalizing such an idea…either as a “drill” that is called “not a drill” OR as a prank. </p>

<p>So, using this type of reasoning…would it be OK to approach a kid from behind with a knife to his throat and say, “Don’t move, or I’ll kill you.” Let me see…tell them also, “this is not a drill.” Ten minutes later, say, “ha ha, this was a drill.” Or, “ha ha, gotcha! Fooled ya!”</p>

<p>This is OK??? It is about the same thing.</p>