Many teachers are now locking their doors during classes due to recommendations by the Dakota Ridge High School resource officers, deputies Dave Bruening and T.C. Houston. The officers advised this for one main reason: safety.
Safety in schools is an important factor to take in when being a part of the staff, student body, or administration. The reinforced locked door “policy” contributes to the safety of DRHS but is in place as more of a recommendation than a policy.
“We’ve been talking it over a while, and a lot of the horrific things that happen in schools are because of unlocked and opened doors,” Bruening said, “whether it be exterior doors or even interior doors.”
With such a potentially severe consequence, one might think it should be a policy, and at one point it was a requirement. However, some teachers’ classrooms got too hot with the closed doors, and teachers were often bothered by the distraction of walking to and from the door in the middle of class. These problems resulted in a pushback against the policy. It has now changed to a recommendation instead.
Students seem to understand this is for their benefit.
“Well, it’s a safety measure,” DRHS junior Pamela Agahire said. “I think all of us are kinda just used to it, and teachers have their own way of like, maneuvering with it.”
But what about other new policies? Are there any new rules that can be put in place to increase safety?
“There’s two of TC and I, there’s about 70 teachers, and there’s about 20 admin. You guys (students) win by far,” Bruening said. “So I would say… if you see something, say something.”
One issue that has been noticed by some DRHS students doesn’t involve fights or any physical danger, but rather mental and emotional danger.
“It’s more like how people treat each other,” Agahire said. “But there’s not really anything you can do about that because even if you set a rule, then people are just gonna, you know, disregard it.”
But if students will disregard a potential rule, like Agahire said, then what should students and adults do about the problem mentioned?
“I think students need to take their safety as a priority and not be afraid to say something in most any situation,” Bruening said. “That’s not being a narc, not being a snitch. That’s not being a tattletale. That’s being an active member of a community.¨
Deputy Houston agrees.
“Pay attention, be aware,” Houston said. “Keep your eyes and head kinda on a swivel…pay attention to what’s going on around you.”
When walking through the halls, staring at your phone, try to take a glance around at the peers near you, or look to see who is entering and leaving your classrooms, and if you see anything off, tell an adult immediately. If you have an idea for a safety measure, talk to the resource officers.
“All Eagles, all family, as people have said,” Bruening said. “So we gotta live that.”
