Teachers stage fake gunman attack on sixth graders

[Branket]

Some of you probably heard about this already but I figured it was worthy of discussion.

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (AP) -- Staff members of an elementary school staged a fictitious gun attack on students during a class trip, telling them it was not a drill as the children cried and hid under tables.

The mock attack Thursday night was intended as a learning experience and lasted five minutes during the weeklong trip to a state park, said Scales Elementary School Assistant Principal Don Bartch, who led the trip.

"We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," he said.

But parents of the sixth-grade students were outraged.

"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.

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.

During the last night of the trip, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose. They were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet. A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, even pulled on a locked door.

After the lights went out, about 20 kids started to cry, 11-year-old Shay Naylor said.

"I was like, 'Oh My God,' " she said. "At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out."

Principal Catherine Stephens declined to say whether the staff members involved would face disciplinary action, but said the situation "involved poor judgment."

In my opinion even if it was somehow a useful drill (which I personally believe it was not) it was most definitely too soon after the VT shootings to not be seen in a negative light. I just read it myself and the only other comments that currently come to mind are: 1) What the hell were they thinking? and 2) Why did it have to happen in Tennessee?

I'd like to hear some other thoughts about his one.

[SkWaShDeM]

Having been to Fall Creek Falls back in middle school... I can see how it'd be completely irrelevant to have a drill like out there. Fall Creek Falls is up in the mountains, two turns past the middle of nowhere, not a standard school classroom. Bad timing on the faculty's part, and bad judgment as well. Someone will probably get fired over this. The school will definitely get sued over this. Neither will be a good thing.

[Marswolf]

http://www.cityschools.net/schoolsites/se/index.html

[Branket]

Thanks for posting that up Mars.

I'm glad it seems to be more a case of sensationalized media coverage than a shear outbreak of stupidity on the faculty's behalf, of course I'm sure the school has it's own best interests in mind and the release may be bending the truth a little as well. If everything is really going as smoothly as the release would have us think there would be no reason for the line "The situation is being investigated..."

If indeed there is really no problems within the school then the only bad part is most people who hear about this will only get the media coverage and not the actually happenings.

As someone who has been in public school for the recent outbreak of school shootings over the last 10 years, I'll be interested to see how this turns out. I already know how it would have turned out in my old school district in MI, and lets just say it wouldn't be good for the teachers.

[RandyC]

This story certainly has legs. It's even gone international.

Keep in mind that the above description of the event is a news release to be sent to news outlets, evidently by the school. In other words, it's spin. It may all be perfectly accurate but it certainly seems a significant number of students who attended the event describe what happened very differently than what is in the release.

I don't think this story is over yet.

[Guest Strac]

Ya ever wish the media could be charged for ginning these things up or just using these stories to grow fear? Seems to me that when you try to feed peoples fears, you're no better than someone yelling FIRE in a crowded theatre.

That said, what a bunch of bonehead teachers!!!

[Marswolf]

That said, what a bunch of bonehead teachers!!!

... ...

[Guest GlocKingTN]

Had that been my girls in that particular situation, I would also have been outraged. Kids that age, can be scarred by things like that. Nightmares, flashbacks, etc.!

I disagree with their tactics totally. My .02!!!

[Guest duckriverdave]

Being a teacher, I must admit that these collegues failed to use good judgement. This is the kind of thing that a kid fresh out of college would do. The sad part is that these teachers were not inexperienced instructors. They should have known better.

There is enough stress involved in carrying students on an overnight field trip. You do not need to added pressure of that kind of situation.

This gives my chosen profession a black eye. As in other jobs, we have some teachers who use their heads only for a hat rack.

drd

[Branket]

Being a teacher, I must admit that these collegues failed to use good judgement. This is the kind of thing that a kid fresh out of college would do. The sad part is that these teachers were not inexperienced instructors. They should have known better.

There is enough stress involved in carrying students on an overnight field trip. You do not need to added pressure of that kind of situation.

This gives my chosen profession a black eye. As in other jobs, we have some teachers who use their heads only for a hat rack.

drd

My dad taught high school for 32 years and now teaches teacher education and when I told him about this he said almost the exact same things as you. I guess teachers can see things from the same angle.

[Guest jackdog]

I think calling what the teachers did Bad judgement is an understatement, of grand proportions. People that stupid have no reason to be in a teaching profession.

[Marswolf]

http://www.cityschools.net/schoolsites/se/PDF/NEWS%20RELEASE-Scales%20discipline.pdf

NEWS RELEASE

MURFREESBORO CITY SCHOOLS

SCHOOL/COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: CHERYL HARRIS

May 14, 2007 615.893.2313 (OFFICE)

615.525.7173 (CELL)

Disciplinary Action Announced by Director of Schools

Director of Schools Marilyn Mathis has suspended lead teacher, Mr. Quentin Mastin, and

assistant principal, Don Bartch, for unprofessional conduct and neglect of duty due to

actions taken with Scales Elementary School students on May 10, 2007 at Fall Creek

Falls State Park. The suspension is without pay and will commence on May 14, 2007 and

continue through the end of this school year ending June 1, 2007.

[Branket]

Well since it's almost impossible to get the true story out of the media coverage or the school district's release, I can only hope that the suspensions were necessary and no one has been made a whipping boy to please the media and the masses.

I'm just assuming the actual story falls right in between the two sides of the story and if that is the case then I think they have done the right thing.

[Cannon Fodder]

During the last night of the trip, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose

That can't be true, the state parks are a family enviroment where no gun signs are posted everywhere. According to park rangers this could never happen. I guess the kids also didn't see the news cast where the park rangers said this could never happen.

Dumbass teachers. No offense to some, but some of the current teachers and administrators are absolutly stupid. My stepmother is a 1st grade teacher in SC, oh god the stories. I can't believe some of the stupid **** these people come up with and the decisions they make.

[Marswolf]

In my opinion, these people deserved a bit more than a 2 1/2 week suspension.

[Guest duckriverdave]

Does supervision at your place of work ever make dumb decisions? Idiotic actions are not confined to the teaching profession. But incidents like this certainly make the evening news, the illustrious Tennessean, and the talk show circuit. Teachers must realize that they operate in a "fish bowl". The whole world is watching.

I do not live in Murfreesboro so I do not have "dog in the fight". I am certain the good citizens there will handle the situation.

drd

[Guest abailey362]

I guess I'm going to have to play devils advocate here.

I'm sure everyone here had fire drills and tornado drills at school. I'm sure some here had air raid drills where you were told the red's were dropping nukes and that your wooden desk would protect you. Why would having a drill to prepare for a gunman be such a bad thing when the others are praised. Yes, i realize that VT is still fresh in everyone's minds, but so is the tornado that ripped through an Alabama school.

Now I don't think that the field trip was the best setting for this, but even if the schools release about student reaction was "spun" there were still no kids who requested to go home.

These things do need to be addressed and practiced for, and all emergency drills need a sense of surprise. In areas where the EBS is tested on a set schedule no one pays attention or takes it seriously, and it wouldn't be effective if something bad happened around noon on a Wednesday.

[Marswolf]

No, I can't go for that.

With the duck and cover drills, we didn't think the Soviets were actually dropping a bomb on our head at that very minute.

Fire drills just had the bells go off and we marched out in an orderly fashion. We knew it was a drill. They didn't set up smoke makers in the halls and have the Principal get on the speaker and tell us there was a fire in the cafeteria that was rapidly spreading and we had to get out NOW or be incinerated.

In this case, the kids were told there actually was a gunman. That's crossing the line.

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

I have to agree with Mars on this one. When we were in school, we KNEW it was drills being conducted. And we were told BEFOREHAND how to react to such a drill. They didn't scare the piss out of us and THEN tell us what we should've done. Poor, poor choice on someone's part.

Yes they do need to be addressed and practiced, but in the same fashion as tornado drills, fire drills, etc. Inform the kids of what's expected of them, and only then should the drill be performed.