Interview: Jason Rollins

1. What do you think about teachers having guns in schools?

I am against teachers having guns in school because I think that they are unsafe
to
have on school property. Students could get a hold of the weapon or teachers
could react negatively in a volatile situation.

2. Have you had any violent student interactions?

Yes! Several years ago, I had a student who brought a gun to school. The SRO
and
the principal came into my room to remove the weapon and the gun. The situation
scared a lot of people but I didnt feel like I was in any harm. I have also had a
desk
thrown at me and many threats made against me over the years.

3. How do you think we should keep schools safe?

Schools should work together to help encourage positive relationships between
teachers, parents and students. Schools should also have great communication
skills and have caring teachers and support staff that work hard to make sure
incidents dont happen.

4. How do you think we should help traumatized students?

I think the school systems in general could offer more counseling for all students
but especially students who have mental health issues. I also think that additional
training is badly needed for all teachers. Sometimes if teachers could see or know
the warning signs of a student who is having mental health issues then we could
stop the situation before it occurred.

5. How do you go about threat assessment at your school?

We contact our social worker and our administrators who immediately becomes
involved with the situation and they normally conduct the threat assessment
tests.
After the assessment has occurred, the entire team including all of the students
teachers and parents meet to have a follow up meeting.

6. What does your school do to prevent violence?

We try to stop the violence before it occurs. We work on building relationships so
that students feel comfortable with confiding in teachers or principals. Our school
also does a great job at connecting students who need additional help to outside
services for more intensive help!

7. Do you think schools should have metal detectors? Why?

No, I do not think there should be metal detectors in every school. I think kids
should come to school to be educated in a positive environment. Metal detectors
give the appearance of a negative situation. As a parent, I would not want my child
to attend a school that has to have a metal detector. I know there are situations or
occurrences where these types of safety protocols are needed but I think they
should be for short term use only.

8. Does your school have procedures for unsafe situations? what?

Yes, we practice drills for lockdowns, fire drills and for dangerous weather
situations such as tornados. A couple years ago my school participated in a off
campus evacuation where the entire school was evacuated to a safe space. This
experience was designed to help students, parents, teachers, medical personnel
as well as the police go through the process of an actual evacuation so that
everyone could learn from the mistakes that were made so that in an actual
emergency, we would be better equipped to handle these types of situations.