I sent this letter to the principal of Kubla’s school:

I wonder what the district is trying to accomplish with last month’s lockdown Drills.  The day of the drill, I asked Kubla to guess what percentage of children shot with guns are shot in schools.  He replied, ‘I don’t know, maybe 50%?’ I explained to him the fact that he’s off by about 50%, and that kids are safer in schools than anywhere else, including in their own homes.

Certainly the school has more important things to teach children, including about keeping safe, than to fill their heads with visions about what to do if someone is hunting them down in their classroom.

Like how to avoid the far more likely threat of being hit by lightning, let alone the ubiquitous harm caused by motor vehicles, or by someone they love.

Children feel much less safe with the drills than without them.  These drills are highly unlikely to help these students, ever.  Why is our district perpetuating these fears?

If you are interested, here is a link to one of the many articles expressing similar views.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/10/11/lockdown-drills-an-american-quirk-out-control/

Can you explain why the school spends class time on these grotesque and statistically insignificant threats?

The principal replied with perfunctory thanks for raising my concern, and something about complying with state mandates.

What does your child’s school teach kids about safety? Does it actually make them safer?

In two weeks I’ll give a free Kidorable Umbrella to whoever makes my favorite comment and shares this post on the platform of their choice.