Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/274063
FEATURE D E S P I T E T H E F E A R that school shootings inspire in the public, John Czajkowski urges educators to keep things in perspective. "According to the FBI, there is a one in a million chance of someone being killed at school. According to the National Safety Council, there is a one in 80,000 chance of being killed by lightning and a one in 84 chance of being killed during a car accident over the course of a lifetime. There is a one in seven chance of dying of cancer and a one in four chance of dying of heart disease. We can't allow paranoia to rule our lives." P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S C O T T B U S C H M A N Ke i t h B row n, shown with Alejandro Villa, s ay s, "We need to look at differen t approache s and be proactive in dealing with any violence." Keith Brown, vice-chair of CTA's Safety Committee, also sees the shift in a positive light. "I agree that we need to look at different approaches and be proactive in dealing with any active violence on our school campuses including gun violence," says the Bret Harte Middle School English teacher and Oakland Education Association member. "I feel that one of our responsibilities as teachers is to ensure the safety of all students. Most of our members don't believe in arming teachers and don't want that responsibility. But most of the teachers I know — and members of CTA's Safety Committee — are open to looking at different approaches in dealing with a violent situation on campus." While there may be a perception that school violence has gone up, in reality it has gone down, and schools are among the safest places for children to be, adds Brown, whose students live in a high-crime neigh- borhood. And while he approves of training teachers to be proactive to counter an armed intruder, he believes the real solution to school violence lies in addressing the social and emotional needs of students and offer- ing counseling services, anti-bullying programs and a restorative justice approach to create a safe, nurturing environment on campus. However, he acknowledges, these things may not always prevent violence. EX-NAVY SEAL TEACHER LEADS SCHOOL SAFETY EFFORTS IN CHULA VISTA EX-NAVY SEAL TEACHER LEADS SCHOOL SAFETY EFFORTS IN CHULA VISTA J o h n Cza j kow s k i show s how to barricade a classroom door. "Figh ting back should alw ay s be a last-ditch effor t," he s ay s. 28 M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Educator 03 Mar 2014 v2.0 int.indd 28 3/6/14 10:52 AM