This is what a school lockdown feels like

I was substituting for a very responsible young teacher. She was one of the first, after my four months with New Haven Schools, to clearly write sub instructions both for full and partial lockdown.

I had insisted weeks ago that the District should train subs on lockdown and other emergency protocol. I had been told by the outgoing superintendent Iline Tracey, via e-mail, to check with each school upon arrival. The Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana

had sent me an emergency guide. I do appreciate all of this, but none of it is enough.

When the principal came onto the P.A. yesterday, I was winding down with a group of fourth graders. They were lining up at the door for their teacher to pick them up. I tried not to have any reaction when I heard we were in partial lockdown, but perhaps my expression belied me. A little one looked up at me and said, "One time when we had one there was a coyote outside."

The other teacher whispered back to me and answered my questions. I don't want to divulge protocol because I want to keep children and staff in New Haven safe. But in the minutes to come, I was terrrified. It reminded me of a loudspeaker announcement to shelter in place at one of my university libraries. This was just a few days after my mom had died and I was shaking in the bathroom, huddled in a stall. It turned out to be a test of their emergency procedures. Perhaps in my grief I simply hadn't heard the part that said "this is a drill".

There was no coyote yesterday. I went on to teach the rest of the day. Kids seemed nonplussed. At lunch the aforementioned teacher sweetly obliged my request to come in and check on me, while I was on the phone with my brother in Hawaii. I was not all right, though. And later, reading that a paraprofessional had once been arrested at this school for bringing a firearm did not help. I would have no idea that another lockdown had occured at Barnard Environmental Studies school just the previous day.

What are we doing to our children? The teacher I filled in for can go back to her safe home out of town. I can bus out to Branford. But where can the children go? Why aren't we using every possible dollar to secure these schools and apart from that, promote gun legislation that will diminish this scourge?

A teacher told me they have had incidences where they have had parents with guns. "I know a lot of teachers are quitting."

...

In response, Mr. Fontana e-mailed: "Thank you for sending this to me. I will recommend that subs receive safety training as well. I know the district works very hard on their safety, security planning and response, although I cannot confirm the sub training. I will be recommending that a safety and security training video be produced and be a requirement of all permanent and part-time staff to watch quarterly, and sign off they watched it. We are doing this similar safety training with city employees now as we all take the safety and security of children, teachers, and other staff that may be in a New Haven school or public building very seriously. With the challenge of a large district in lockdowns, fire drills, medical emergencies, weather emergencies, and other hazards, we can always do better, and will."

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Image; The first line has been edited from "the first" to "one of the first".