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Faculty and staff at a local CMS public school have started to discuss their concerns with the school’s safety, from both inside and outside the school. Around the time of the production of this article, there were more than three fights by 11 am, a fire alarm was set off (in which a fight broke out), and an intense call for “law and order” by the administrators through both email and the school intercom. It felt as if the administrators and professionals in the building had no control over the students. This happens much too often, causing employees of the school to question the leadership, safety practices, and procedures of Charlotte Mecklenburg schools.

In the midst of chaos, we spoke with school staff about their feelings about the school’s safety, especially on days like this. It is common for there to be multiple fights in a day, followed by strict enforcement of modified lockdown. However, these events should not be a frequent occurrence. Days with multiple fights and related acts take a toll on the school and place many professionals in an uncomfortable work environment. Due to a shortage of staff and the overcrowding of the school, many teachers have classes with as many as 40 students. It can be a difficult task to watch over so many students at once. It becomes even more strenuous when students are acting out in large groups, forcing teachers to shift their focus from providing students with education to preventing any frivolous behavior.

In response to questions about the safety concerns of the school, multiple educators explained how and why they do not feel safe while at work. From breaking up fights and enduring the possibility of a physical altercation with a student, to worrying about mass violent actions, the average teacher casts doubts on the safety of the school. As we continued the conversation, multiple  CMS teachers  shared collectively that the school administration and the county as a whole do not make employee safety a priority. One of the teachers in the discussion referred to her morning duty at the metal detectors, explaining her discontent and doubt in the effectiveness of the devices. Simply put, she explained how she believed that they did not truly work, and that using teachers to  randomly check bags in the mornings was insufficient. This is a duty that was forced upon the teachers with no real training.

This instance should not be looked over, but should instead be thoroughly analyzed and investigated. Does it make sense to give such an important security task to someone who has neither the training to handle these issues nor  the power to enforce it? In short no. However, this is a way for the administration to take the blame off of themselves in the event that a weapon is found in their school. Due to our current economic disparities (which lead to short staffing, underprivileged students, and inadequate resources), the school system tends to force teachers to take up more responsibilities without additional pay or training to maximize their state-supplied budget. These safety practices and procedures will no longer be sufficient for the workers of the school. This is evident by the number of teachers beginning to speak out about their concerns.