Since I do PR for an education-related organization, I’m always reading the latest education headlines. One of my daily reads is eduwonk , a Washington-type with an affinity for education policy news. So he got my attention with a post today about Chechen terrorists who may have made their way into the U.S.
What’s most disturbing to me, as the article points out, is the recent edict by the Education Department for ALL SCHOOLS–not just those in “high-risk” cities–to look into security measures around the school. I actually hadn’t heard anything about this until last weekend, when I was in Ohio with my college girlfriends, one of whom is a fifth-grade teacher. She said all the staff at her school had received an e-mail telling them that there had been recent attempts at some schools to get detailed plans for schools, such as bus routes and building schematics. This is in a small school outside Cincinnati, Ohio.
Could terrorists be targeting our schools next?
Eduwonk, who seems to be a well-connected guy, also posts a comment from a security expert friend, who points out that many of our schools actually have policies in place that could be more dangerous in a terrorism situation:
“My concern with the schools is that, in our area at least, in the event of any so-called “code blue” emergency–terrorist, biohazard, chemical release, severe weather, all the schools would go into “lock-down.” and prevent any children from leaving school even if their parents come to claim them. There are not enough police to protect every school. Clever terrorists could create a code-blue diversion by releasing suspect smoke/gas, for instance, or by making a threat, solely in order to precipitate the lockdown. The terrorists would then have their choice, just in this [the Washington, D.C.] area of 300 unprotected schools, none of which were designed with safe havens or even the most basic security features. If they chose wisely they could find among their hostages the children and spouses of movers and shakers in the government.”
Chilling.
On the other hand, is our intelligence community doing enough to make sure that we’re truly only raising the alarm where necessary? Asking school staff and administration to carefully review security policy is one thing, and I’m all for the Dept. of Ed. offering suggestions for effective security management. But issuing unspecific “terror warnings” to schools? i.e., “something bad might happen, it could be something like this, but we really don’t know, so everyone just keep your eyes open, hey?”
Looks like the Dept. of Ed. has taken a page from the Homeland Security Handbook.
Regardless, the Chechens have proved they don’t mess around, so I hope all you family and friends who work in schools are keeping your eyes and ears open.
