I have no idea why (::cough::), but I ended up in a loooooong conversation about school security this week. Okay, so it's more like a daily thing to end up on the topic anymore, which, how great would it be if it weren't a necessary conversation? I'd like to live in that place where school are left unlocked, there's no armed police officer walking the grounds, and kids are free to come and go.
OH. WAIT. I DID LIVE THERE. It was a fancy place called "the 90's."
Somewhere in all of the some-people-think-it's-politics-but-it-shouldn't-be talk of the week, it dawned on me -- my high school was wide open. All of the doors. I know it was because I had a fantastic scam that I pulled my last year to prevent getting hit with a tardy.
I graduated as a junior so I could go to Spain as an exchange student without worrying about credits transferring and such. Nobody at my school had ever graduated early, so it wasn't like I got permission the first time I asked and that was it. Rather, I spent countless hours in the principal's office pleading my case and proving that I was making the necessary progress on the extra work I had to do to make it happen.
And thus, I would often start my day by stopping in the principal's office. I'd touch base or ask some random question or whatever and then I'd leave with an excuse for walking into my first class late. The trick was, though, that I didn't start in the principal's office on time. I'd show up for school 10 minutes late or whatever, cut in through one of the doors in the back where the classes were, and saunter my way to the front office. If anybody knew, they didn't let on.
It was only possible because we could enter through any door. If we'd been forced to go in through the front, it would have been REAL obvious I wasn't through the door on time.
Also, I left for lunch every day. We were free to come and go from the school at any time. No signing out, no security checks, nothing. So we went to Taco John's, loaded up on cheap bean burritos, and returned for afternoon classes.
At this point, I can't bust either of the girls out of school for lunch unless I write a dissertation for the school board, get a police escort, and bribe at least three school officials.
It's a different world.
