Will there be a discussion about lessons learned from Uvalde?
Tonight, the Mayor will meet with the council and the Police Chief and Technical Services to discuss Information Technology (IT) Security Issues Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, sec. 21(a)(4)
While IT security is a must, I'm not sure FPD can handle such a subject and perhaps more importantly, I believe school security should be on the table for executive session as well.
Tomorrow night is a SC meeting. On the agenda, nothing about the latest school massacre. Although I don't have children in FPS, I do have grand children in another Town and it terrifies me that crazies could strike any where any time and there's nothing I can do about it.
I wrote to Priscila Sousa SC Chair a while ago and she responded quickly. From the tone of her response "the Director of Security has been diligently fielding parents concerns and continuing the constant reevaluation of the safety plan". questions from parents".
I hope all parents who have questions get answers as I'm sure most parents would ask, if teachers can prop open doors without an alarm going off. Who's call is it to storm an active shooter in a class room? Is it the responsibility of the armed resource officer to stop any armed intruder? Who is making the authorities aware of kids who drop out or kids who are violent at school? Should parents of school age children and who are gun owners be subject to safety inspections at home by the police?
And if the latest school shooting disaster in Texas wasn't enough to shake your foundation, according to the Globe today, 14 mass shootings have happened across the country since Tuesday. Just over the holiday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, there have been 11. Also since Tuesday 10 people have been killed and 61 injured.
When will this stop?
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 1:48 PM
19 Comments
19 Comments:
I just learned the teacher who allegedly propped open the door hired an attorney to correct what the cops said in the famous second press conference. They said the teacher propped the door open and that's how the killer gained access to the building. The authorities have confirmed the door did not automatically lock when closed. And the cops knew that fact an hour before the press conference. So willing to through the teacher under the bus to cover their tracks.
So my question now is, how did that door lock not work? what kind was it and do we have any here in the FPS's.
Should we learn something from Uvaldi?
I was so surprised there were no parents, or anyone else for that matter, at the SC meeting last night during the public comments section. And other than Sousa asking for a moment of silence, really no discussion at all about this. Framingham high had a lock down yesterday. Why are they being so secretive about what is going on in our schools?
Where were the parents last night for this meeting? I see so many of them posting on Facebook pages that they are worried, but not worried enough to take the time to show up at a school committee meeting I guess. Just worried enough to make themselves sound like good parents by posting their worries, but not willing to do anything to address them
Where is the PTO in this discussion? And where is the teachers union?
Jim are you and the LWV going to do anything on this? Seems like it is something good for you to arrange a public discussion around. And are you planning to do the budget review again this year as you have for the last 4 years? There seems to be a big lack of involvement by the LWV in the community lately and I hope that is not a change in your view of the role you can play.
Great questions about the teachers union and the PTO. I sent P.S. a few questions I had.She replied that she will get the answers without compromising security.
I was also surprised not to see or hear any parent with kids in the school not ask any questions. I get why some things are double top secret, but is every answer to every question a security risk if answered? I feel for all the parents who have concerns I know I'd be in their face looking for answers if I had kids in FPS.
While your team is taking questions, I have a few that are relevant IMO.
Can teachers/students/anyone prop open doors without an alarm going off.
Whose call is it to storm an active shooter in a classroom?
Is it the responsibility of the armed resource officer to stop any armed intruder?
Who is making the authorities aware of kids who drop out or kids who are violent at school?
What was the outcome of the shell casings found at 2 schools?
Steph and I are no longer involved with the League. We had hoped the new leadership of the League would be more proactive and hold informational meetings as we did in the past but they have all they can handle trying to pull together candidate forums this summer.
I remember being at a Moms Demand Action event at the high school several years ago where the then police chief, Ferguson, said we have nothing to worry about here in Framingham. I hope that mindset is not still in play. We must be prepared for the worse, and hope for the best. The time to detail the plan is before the crisis happens.
Another shooting last night in Tulso. This is a pandemic and we need to face it head on like we did Covid
Do we have a resource/police officer in Framingham High School? If so, what is that person’s responsibility should a situation like Texas happen here? Anyone know?
I'm sure we have a resource officer at the HS. I was there to register kids at lunch time to vote for several years and saw resource officers every year I was there.
Your question of responsibility is an appropriate and timely one that should be answered by a number of people including the school security chief, FPD Police chief and Bob Trembly IMO.
You ask if there will be a discussion about what happened in Texas. Looks like there will not be. This is a matter I would expect to have more community members speaking up publicly asking for more information but other than a few facebook posts by the usual posters I have not see anything. Anyone know if the school department, school committee, or city itself are planning to hold any type of informational event to allow questions from the public and to hopefully let us know there is a good plan in place if god forbid this were to ever happen here in Framingham?
What does IMO mean Jim? Sorry, old and not familiar with that.
No need ... I'm old as well...in my opinion I'm getting to lazy I guess to spell it out.
All I heard from the SC Chair is that questions will be answered while not jeopardizing security in the near future.
I'll post the answers to my questions when she SC Chair responds.
I hope everyone heard about the child car seat inspections the cops will do at Walsh this Saturday. By appointment as well. The officers are trained in correct baby car seat installations. It would seem to me new parents picking up their babies from the hospital are already given instructions on how to install a car seat and I believe won't let the parents go without a properly installed car seat. I wonder how many parents with babies don't know how to install a baby car seat.
Tragedy after tragedy and we all think it can't happen to us so we don't see the need to prepare for it. But if it does happen to us, will we be ready? That is the question we all need answered by our police dept., school dept., and city administration. Why aren't they doing that?
Can the residents of Framingham just arrange a Zoom meeting and ask Trembley, Sisitsky, Sousa, and the Chief of FPD to join in for a conversation about this issue or does the city have to do that, not residents?
The administration can have a zoom meeting if it wants too, like our former Mayor did during the pandemic. Publicize it broadly and have all the players zoom in, including the school security chief.
Or
Have a in-person public meeting in the Blumer Room and again have all the players on the panel. It could be televised on Gov TV as well from that room.
I've written to the co-president's at the Town Wide PTO and asked if they are planning anything in the wake of the past school shooting. They could run a zoom meeting and invite registered residents to ask questions of the panel.
I like that PTO idea Jim. Let us know how that pans out
It's been a week since I emailed the two PTO presidents with a question... no response.
In the meantime, the HS went into lock down for a bomb threat called in from California. And today I read in the MWDN the feds are looking into a discrimination case against FPS.
So the lack of questions among parents of school age children in our schools regarding any lessons learned from the Uvaldi school shooting is disheartening.
No one wants to talk about it or answer questions. Parents are going to have to fend for themselves at this point, I've done as much as I can.
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