Preparedness must be priority at schools

Last week, the students and staff of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School went back to school. I cannot imagine how their community must be feeling and how emotional it was for so many. As days pass since the shooting, I recognize that there is still an immense amount of stress in our schools and in schools across the nation. The sad reality is that school shootings have been a part of our lives for the better part of 20 years. Schools across our nation have been conducting lockdown drills since the April 1999 Columbine tragedy. The reality is that we must continue to be extremely vigilant, and we must make safety our priority. Lockdown drills are one component of our safety plan.

In a recent New York Times Opinion article, Carson Abt, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School details why training is so important:

"As Albus Dumbledore, the wise headmaster of Harry Potter's Hogwarts, said, 'Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.' My teachers are the light. Through a combination of training and determination, they calmed the fear of some and saved the lives of others. When schools across the country lower their flags and share our darkness, they should also share our light. Maybe heroism can't be taught, but preparedness certainly can be. Every teacher should have training for a school shooting like mine did."

No child, no parent, no staff member should ever have to worry about being attacked by an intruder during the school day; however, that is not our reality. Beyond the safety measures of secure entry points and lockdown drills, we must also take great care of the social-emotional well-being of students. The relationships that teachers and staff in schools foster every day with students matter. Schools and the community must commit to making sure that every child knows that:

• We see each child and that they belong.

• We are all different and that we must celebrate these differences.

• Our differences are what make us special.

• We care for each and every child.

As educators and as a community, we must teach and model kindness. In Glen Ellyn School District 41, kindness is one of our Student Profile attributes. When we worked collaboratively throughout our district to create our student profile, it was students who reminded me that kindness must be one of the seven attributes of a District 41 student. This made me incredibly proud of our students. Kindness is something everyone can participate in every day. It does not take any unique talents to be kind; it just takes a wiliness to open ourselves up to each other.

In these challenging times, we need to care for each other a little bit more. We need to give each other a bit more forgiveness and compassion. We need to assume positive intent. We need to remember that we all come to work and school with things that other people just don't know about.

I was speaking with a group of teachers recently, and a teacher told me a story about a 7-year-old student who was struggling in her classroom. She gave the child the needed space and supported her with great care throughout the day. As the teacher left for the weekend, she could not stop thinking about the little girl. On Saturday, it dawned on the teacher that the student's father was not in her life and Friday was the after-school father-daughter dance. Many of the other girls were all dressed up with bows in their hair anticipating the event after school.

My message to the staff of District 41 this week, and to all of us, is to be kind; be understanding; and know that we all have our own "stuff." We don't always share our personal stories, but we may just need a little unsolicited comfort and kindness along the way.

Students in Glen Ellyn School District 41 count on their teachers, families and the community to keep them safe, to support them, and to show them kindness in the world. Thank you to all who do this for our 3,568 students. Thank you to all teachers across the nation. Teachers have incredible influence and are the true heroes in the lives of young people.

Dr. Paul Gordon is superintendent of Glen Ellyn School District 41.