SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING SECURITY IN KISD SCHOOLS   BY MARY MCGARR:

People often imply that as a board member with only one vote, I did not get much accomplished as a board member.  I usually counter that mostly "I stopped things."  But that's only half true.  I worked really hard to suggest things that would improve our schools.  I wasn't looking for credit and didn't get any!  Here is a list of security suggestions that I gave to the superintendent and the other board members.  When you look at it, you have to wonder why the superintendent wasn't thinking of these things on his own, but he wasn't!

                                                                                   Security Reports

After reviewing the individual reports from each school, [and that was probably the LAST time any board member reviewed the Security Reports!] I had these additional questions and concerns.

1.  Have the fire alarms at Sundown been repaired?

2.  Not all the schools seemed to have a plan in the eventuality of an intruder.  Could this event be covered by each school? Seems like a District-wide policy would be in order.

3.  Some schools seemed to have a more believable code of alert to use in case there were intruders.  Could this code be standardized so that even if employees of the district who aren't usually at a particular school happened to be there, in an emergency they too would know what was happening?

4.  On some schools' emergency call lists, the number for the Constable (463-6666) is not included.  This particular branch of the police patrols most of the area in the central zone south of I-10 and is almost always in the neighborhood, whereas the sheriff's department is not.

5.  Could someone co-ordinate the grass mowing schedule so that the mowers are never around students?

6.  Did you discuss establishing a security hot line in the high schools?

7.  What efforts will be made this year to stop the selling of drugs at football games?

8.  Teachers and students both want legal advise about their rights.  I'm not sure what they have in mind, but could you find out?  If it is feasible, perhaps one school could have an attorney come and a video tape could be made to share with all the schools.

9.  Katy High School has apparently established a student court. Could we hear about what they are doing?

10. Teachers at Mayde Creek High School have reported to me that a great number of their students are leaving the campus at lunch time.  Could this problem be addressed?

11.  Was any discussion held on the concept of parent shadowing as a means of curbing individual bad behavior in our schools? ["Parent shadowing" is a discipline technique where, if a student has been extremely disruptive, continues to be so, or has committed an offense that is serious, one of his parents is required to come to school and sit in the back of his classroom ALL DAY for a week and watch what he does.  It is a terribly embarrassing event for the student as well as his parent, inconvenient for the parent, and the practice is very effective--not only for that particular student, but also for anyone else who will see that there are consequences for bad behavior. You'd think the schools would do that all the time! It doesn't cost the school district a penny. It wouldn't take too many episodes of this practice to improve student behavior all over the place!] Perhaps the superintendent when he is visiting in Austin could contact our state representative and ask him to create legislation that would enforce this proposal.

12.  One of the schools commented on the concept of placing "equal blame" when students have a fight.  The comment centered on the practice, if established, precludes kids from reporting a fight because they do not believe equal punishment is deserved when one is defending one's self.  Could you perhaps develop an administrative policy that addresses this issue? [I am not in favor of the "equal blame" technique.  It is not fair, and it is a self-defeating action.]

13.  Does the district have a policy common to all schools concerning misbehavior on the bus?  With the additional monitoring, more kids are going to be caught, and I think their punishment should be severe.  A stake through the heart will do.  [And you wouldn't believe how many people thought I was serious]

14.  One of the best deterrents for bad behavior is to make sure all kids are involved in an activity.  That is why I constantly harp on the fact that I think the individual school administrators need to keep track of the students' participation in extracurricular activities.  Along this line, Taylor used to place all new students in an English class with the class officers, Student Council reps, et cetera. It worked really well in acclimating the new students at the school and getting them involved quickly in school activities.

15.  One of the most often requested items is an identification/picture badge for all employees, board members, and students.  What would the cost of this effort be? What are the upsides and downsides for such a proposal? Is the practice too intrusive?

16.  State law requires that school districts have a fire drill within the first week of school.  Do we do that?

Interestingly, some of my ideas were put into practice--some were not, and they are still hanging out there like an elephant in the room.