Among the public, I think the general perception is that if something were to happen, it would happen at the upper grades. That's not a fair assessment. It can happen anywhere, and we know that. Teachers and principals also are on guard for students who appear troubled. And, barring a clear and identifiable threat, that's the way it should be, he says.
Young kids are very impressionable.
We want to provide a safe environment . . . It can't be a prison-like environment. It creates fear. Yet some urban school districts have decided that safety issues outweigh such concerns. This year, hand-held metal detectors were distributed to Chicago's 491 elementary schools.