Does Safety Conflict With Parents Rights Summary

In the article titled “Does safety conflict with parental rights?” the author, Edwin Darden, delves into the issue of safety of children within the school environment. He makes mention of several school tragedies that have occurred in the United States in recent years; such as Columbine and Newton Conn. and concludes that parents are an integral part in making sure schools are safe havens, even if that means placing stricter policies on them. Darden states that “parents can be petulant, vindictive, and, in the worst instances, violent” (Darden, 2013, p. 68). However his end conclusion is that safety precautions must be established without sacrificing the school-parent relationship and children need to know that their parents; whom they love can be trusted by their educators. There is ultimately a delicate balance between the two and therefore “the balance between school security and a positive, nurturing school climate is tender and based on trust” (Darden, 2013, p. 68).

For example, the shooter at Virginia Tech was in fact a student, as were the two males responsible for the tragedy at Columbine. In Newton, Connecticut the person responsible for the mass shooting was that of a teacher’s child and when tragedy struck the Amish community in Lancaster, PA the man responsible was a local milk truck driver. Case in point, is that most of these horrible incidences were caused by people with whom the victims knew. When reading Kauchak & Eggen, they make mention of a term called “Loco Parentis” which basically means teachers are to “use the same judgment and care as parents in protecting the children under their supervision” (2014, p. 254). This responsibility not only falls on teachers but administration as well. Proper precautions and safety guidelines need to be established within the school