In recent years, teachers, students, and parents across the United States have become all too familiar with the lockdown drills that take place in schools. Similar to a traditional fire drill — only more daunting — the drills are meant to teach kids what to do in the event of an active shooter on campus. Most people view these drills as a necessary part of keeping our kids safe. But in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, students and teachers are speaking out about what really goes on during these drills and how bleak the outcomes of these protocols may prove to be.
1. In some schools, kids are acting as human shields for their classmates.
Mom Tanai Benard took to Facebook to share the daunting conversation she had with her fifth grader. The boy revealed that for his school's active-shooter drill, teachers are instructed to close and lock the door, then four students are supposed to push a desk against the door to make it harder for a shooter to get into the classroom. "After that, all the class is going to stand behind us on the back wall," the boy said.
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The boy explained that he agreed to do this after the teacher asked for volunteers. When his mom asked him why he volunteered to risk his life so readily, the fifth grader had a striking, heartbreaking answer: "If it came down to it, I would rather be the one that died protecting my friends then have an entire class die and I be the only one that lived."
2. There are few procedures in place to protect teachers and students with disabilities.
Wheelchair-bound teacher Marissa Schimmoeller wrote on Facebook that her school's active-shooter drill wouldn't allow her to do much to protect her vulnerable students or herself since she can't run away, hide in small spaces, or quickly shield herself. In her post, she wrote that she would be terrified, but wants her students to seek safety without having to take her into consideration. "And if there is a chance for you to escape, I want you to go," she wrote. "Do not worry about me. Your safety is my number one priority."
3. In some cases, teachers are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Jennifer Gadd, a middle school teacher, says that protocol — and the fact that the closet door in her classroom only locks from the outside — forces her to usher her kids in the closet to safety and lock them inside, leaving her exposed outside to a possible shooter. When her students questioned the imperfect plan, she explained, "Our school's plan is designed to save as many lives as possible the best way we know how. It is not a guarantee that everyone survives. All those kids in Parkland did exactly what they were supposed to do. They did everything right. And seventeen people still died."
4. Many students won't make it to safety.
Since most lockdown procedures start with teachers being forced to close and lock their classroom doors, some students might find themselves stuck in hallways during the event of an active shooter. Many teachers have revealed that these students are essentially sitting ducks.
“Lockdown protocol, I’m not allowed to open the door once it is closed. Say I pulled students into my room and I have 20, 30, 40, 50 students in here. Then two kids come running up and banging on my closed door to please let them in. I have no idea who those kids are, if they have guns, if they are truly innocent. Protocol takes the decision away from me so I don’t have to make it, but basically I’m not allowed to open my door and risk the lives of everyone in my room," revealed teacher Hannah Sellers in a viral post on Facebook. "It’s a horrible position to be in, especially if those couple students are innocent but I can’t sacrifice the students in my room and run that risk…"
5. Some schools have implemented extreme measures to protect kids.
In 2015, NBC Nightly News visited a high school in Indiana that was dubbed "America's safest school." During their tour, administrators revealed that all teachers must wear a fob device around their necks that contains a "panic button," every door in the school is made with bullet-resistant materials, and security cameras around the school allow them — and the local police — to watch possible active shooters in real time.
But their most important — and horrifying — feature was "hot zones," a "secret weapon" that allows police to deploy smoke cannons hidden in the ceilings to disorient possible shooters. The high school's intensive security system cost about $400,000, but school officials firmly believe that the money spent was "worth it."
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6. Many teachers don't believe lockdowns will protect them.
Teacher Mannwell Glenn wrote on social media that he feels guilty about making his students believe he can protect them during a mass shooting. "The truth is, locks and paper will not keep a semiautomatic weapon from getting through these doors," he wrote
Even if protocols are followed perfectly, the cover of textbooks and desks may not stand up to weapons designed to kill. "I cannot keep children safe by following protocol. I lie to my students every time we have a lockdown drill, telling them that if they stay silent and I keep the door locked they'll be safe. It's not true."