Schools in Crisis

What in the world is going on with our children's future? The news just keeps getting worse. Another shooting? This is not something the parent of a college bound high school student needs to hear.

From what I've read, the shooter was a good student and did not raise any flags with administration or students. It makes you wonder how many other ticking time bombs are out there and what we as a society can do to protect our greatest treasure; our children.

Yesterday, while getting my routine dental cleaning, I had talked to the dentist and hygienist about the girls and how they were doing, etc. The hygienist then proceeded to tell me about the time her daughter was riding the school bus and a boy set her hair on fire with a lighter! What?!!

Her daughter was in a charter program too and her school was for students in the "medical bound" program. However, the powers that be saw fit to pick up students from another school; a school of last resorts for kids who have been kicked out of the mainstream. Great idea huh?

She then proceeded to tell me what lengths she had to go to in order to have this kid arrested; which included threatening a lawsuit, just to make them take him off her bus! (The school board thought a 3 day suspension was sufficient for taking out your BIC and setting fire to someones hair.)

Because the incident occurred over two separate police jurisdictions, she had red tape. Finally, one Pinelles County Sheriff's Deputy was furious and once the kid set foot on the school yard, he arrested him.

This story reminds me of the story I watched on the local news about the school that was on my list of "choices" for Hopey. In this situation, a 13 year old girl was stabbed in the eye with a pen by a boy. The last I had heard, the doctors weren't sure if she would regain her sight or not.

What is the solution? Tougher gun laws? A Psychological evaluation with a score to match your SAT? Does anyone know?