Being past my school years is something I am definitely thankful for. It is not because I thought that was a terrible time period, but because I am not sure if I would be able to survive it now.
If you would like to know why, follow the links to my past posts:
- Getting admitted to a university is not so clear-cut anymore.
- Kids protest more than study.
- Father-daughter dances are being assassinated.
- Teenage girls going bra-less at school is normal.
- e.t.c.
Today, I present to you another fresh idea that has me speechless. Namely, doors removed from bathroom stalls at schools.
What is the reasoning behind it? Someone left a note threatening a school shooting on one of the doors. What is removing the doors supposed to do? Prevent a shooting? Or just have kids stop writing on doors? Are they going to knock down all the walls, too, once something appears on them?
As you can imagine, that move caused an outcry from the students and their parents, but the district did not overturn the decision. Kids are now placing various items in front of the stalls so that other kids know they are using the toilet and would respect their privacy.
Particularly girls have been outraged by this move. Because of that, they are allowed to use a private bathroom in the nurse’s office. Good, right? Not so much. Since it is a single stall bathroom, the girls stand in line much longer than they normally would, and end up skipping parts of their classes because of that. Definitely a good excuse when you are not prepared for class.
Fortunately, I also stumbled upon a positive article about changes at school.
This time around, a school in New York is helping kids survive. And it is not by taking off bathroom stall doors. Instead, the principle continues the tradition to keep the school open on Friday nights. He attributes the fact that he has not lost a single student to gun violence this school year to that very program. It warms my heart to see that last year, there was a free laundry room installed on school grounds.
Kids say that staying at school on Friday nights keep them off the streets and away from a life of crime. Instead, they can play pool, video games or basketball. A warm meal is also served for those that stay in late.
What is even better is knowing that the program continues throughout summertime and occurs three times a week.
Thankfully, when I was growing up, I lived in an alright neighborhood. That is why I am not sure why kids like this program because of “security”. They say it is better than being on the streets selling drugs. Does someone pull them out of their houses to do that? I am not trying to be patronizing. I am just curious as to why one could not just stay at home. You do not have to be hassling if you do not want to. Right?
The laundry room sounds like a genius idea to me. It is fueled by community donations. That is such a beautiful thing. That way, even the poorest can have clean cloths. There is some good left in the world.
Are you in school?
Do you think you could go back to school?
What do you think of preventing a shooting by removing stall doors?
Stay golden,
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One day at a time... 
Hey Goldy
I am currently not in school but I definitely miss going to school and I cannot wait to begin my masters program.. I went to high school in Nigeria where I am originally from and decided to go abroad to continue my study and finish college, I never heard of gun violence or experienced gun violence in school during my period of study both home and abroad. It saddens me to hear that this things are happening in another part of the world.
Removing the doors might be for security reasons which I still don’t get 🤷🏾♀️, but I get at this point the schools are willing to do anything just to keep the students safe.
Another great post, well done 👏🏿👏🏿
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Thank you for reading and sharing your experience. It’s true that it is a sad reality we live in when people have to be afraid in places they should feel safe in.
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Maybe there’s something more to the story about bathroom stall doors. And the kids who prefer the firday nights instead of selling drugs, maybe they’re homeless, maybe their parents, or foster parents, force them, maybe older siblings do, or they owe the bullies or something. don’t know, but if they think that keeps them from the streets and drugs, that’s a definite +.
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This reminds me of one of our teaching workshops when we heard about a student who was always getting detention for minor offenses. Finally a teacher asked why he continued doing little things he knew would get him in trouble. He confessed that he LOVED detention. “My home is too noisy. Here I get some time to myself. I enjoy the quiet. I can actually hear myself think.”
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poor thing.
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Indeed.
Not having safe haven at home is a biggie.
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Something to keep in mind if you are the teacher assigned to after-school detention. 😉
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Most definitely.
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That makes total sense.
Thank you for sharing this.
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You definitely could be right, Jina. When I read about the bathroom stall doors I was taken aback. It didn’t make sense to me. But since there is an increasing number of such things as of late, I did not question it too much.
As far as the after hours school comment – I thought about that, too – that they are being forced. However, what prevents the abuser from showing up at school and forcing them from there. I’m sure one could threaten them not to stay late in school, etc. But you are absolutely right – it’s a good thing. And I shall take it that way.
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It is good to hear something positive that is happening in schools for a change.
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Right? I thought so, too. Even I am tired of the negativity and stupidity.
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Yep, this sounds completely crazy to me as well. I don’t understand what removing the stall doors is meant to achieve. The Friday night stay late sounds fine, but aren’t there already after-school activities the kids can do? I’m glad I went to school when and where I did; no drugs, no guns, no knives, just lots of fun and the occasional fist fight, much simpler times…
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Same. Simpler times indeed. Some people call it boring, but I liked it that way.
But then again, I knew a person who feared getting shot much less than having a broom stolen off her porch back in the day…
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It’s been six years since I passed out of school. I tell people that I would love to go back to the carefree life of school and be a kid again. But most of the teachers who taught me, they’ve left. I’d want them back too. And my classmates, of course.
I really don’t know how to react to kids choosing to go to school to escape from becoming a criminal. Is it good that they choose it or is it bad that they are living in such an environment?
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I’d like to go back to that carefree lifestyle, too. There was so much free time to do stuff (even if I complained about not having time then). But the politics would probably drive me insane. And the new teachers, and the classmates. You’re right.
It definitely is a bad environment, but one should feel safe at home.
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We always complain about not having enough time. Even if I get 48 hours in a day, I’d still complain 😀
Yeah, one should feel safe at home. It’s disheartening that these kids don’t have that kind of environment at home which makes them opt for school.
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We do always want more. Such is human nature.
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Yes.
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I was a teacher for over 30 years. At our school, all the girls’ bathrooms had doors on the stalls, but not the boys’. I think it was due to some repeated vandalism in the boys’ bathroom, but that seems like cruel and unusual to me.
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Interesting. Your school would probably be sued for inequality and discrimination nowadays.
Why do no schools put up graffiti of their own? That way they could control what’s on there, and it would deter kids from vandalizing it more. You know, if there isn’t an empty canvas…
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Great idea!
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Removing stall doors…knee jerk reaction by bureaucrats. 🙄 You know, those folks short on common sense and heavy in paycheck.
If school actually taught real life skills, I’d go. But, they don’t. They teach memorization & regurgitation. They teach “think like us or else…”
One day, I will hack out the story of the Army medic that sat in front of me to renew his driver’s license.
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Yea, it’s true. Formal education isn’t ideal, but I think it’s getting worse…
Now I’m intrigued.
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What if being at home with abusive dad and doped up mom is worse than the streets? I spent my fair share of time as a youth and as a young adult not wanting to go ‘home’ in the evenings. The misconception is that these kids have a safe place outside of school.
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Thank you for pointing that out.
That’s exactly why I ask for everyone’s input.
I think of home as a safe place, even if not ideal.
Otherwise, I thought the parents would normally be out, not caring about the kids, so the youth could go home and just hide there. So thank you for pointing out that something else can happen, too.
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How have you been?
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Exhausted. A lot has happened since I had time to blog. Had to move on sort of short notice, work picked up a bit, finally settled one of my court battles, helped my partner with her first vending event, had a break-in, and just started home schooling the wild child.
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That’s a lot, indeed.
I hope you didn’t lose too many valuables in the break-in.
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One has to actually have valuables first! After the shock of it wore off, it was actually pretty funny. I’ve laughed at the thought for years, saying that nobody would want my old, wore out, and second hand crap that badly. Sure enough, they went through every damn thing and took two pillowcases and a tiny paper cup of change (mostly pennies and nickels because the laundry gets the quarters and kids get the dimes and nickels for chores). In response, the girls are road tripping to Seattle today to pick up a doberman. The running joke is it’ll be named “Killer Eat Yo F***in Face Off!” Ugh, Dad and his language 😶😅
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2 pillowcases. Too funny. Well, it’s a reminder that no matter how bad we think we have it, someone has it worse.
Doberman, oooooh, yea!
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It is a whole different world then when I was in school and I am thankful that all of my kids are finished with school as well. If I had still had children of school age I would be considering options other than public school – private school? charter school? home school?
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Yup. I can definitely align with your thought process. Insanity.
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I’m sorry to hear about the shootings. Gun violence is very rare here in high schools (except in some Northern states), but it’s VERY common in Federal universities. In fact, my school is termed the second most violent school as far as gun violence is concerned. I mean, I’ve gotten so used to hearing gunshots that the bangs are like music to my ears. But things are better now thanks to the school that’s taking security measures.
I understand the need for the schools over there in the US to take security measures, but I can’t get my mind wrapped around how removing stall doors protects the kids. It makes no sense.
As for the kids who choose to go to school on Friday nights, I think it’s fine. Although I don’t think I’d do the same if I were in their shoes. You can live in a toxic environment and decide to not let it influence you negatively.
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Gun violence is such an interesting topic. There’s a specific agenda that is being circulated in the Western world. I’ve heard about the Muslim shooting in New Zealand, but I haven’t heard about the massacre of Christians in Nigeria last month (and not only). We don’t get to hear about your school shootings. That’s sad. Be safe!
“It makes no sense.” Thank you for saying that. It proves I’m not THAT crazy.
See? Yes. Exactly that. That’s why I didn’t get it, either. Is someone forcing you to sell drugs? No? Then don’t. Yes? Then they probably will force you out of the school, too. No?
But as I read other people’s comments, I can see how there can be a toxic situation at home (ex. physical abuse) and one would want to avoid that. I guess out of sight, out of mind. As long as the parent (or other abuser) doesn’t see the kid, they forget he exists and lets them be.
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I’ve been a teacher for 50 years. Classrooms went from being 35 in a class to 20. It was supposed to give kids more personal attention. Schools were supposed to teach that actions have consequences. That 2+2 always was 4 and you might as well learn your addition and multiplication facts well enough to do them in your head. Of course, you had to write correct English for your Social Studies paper. Of course you had to study Shakespeare, Of course you had to learn a science. You learned how the world worked in school so you could handle it in the real world. We have spent so much time and effort to address the emotional and social aspects of the students, that the parents no longer feel an obligation to do it. They don’t take their kids to church or concerts or parks. The schools broke the family and now the schools have to BE the family.
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WTH? Your comment didn’t show in my notifications. I only saw it because I was looking into my comments and wanted to see if there is any spam that’s not spam. Yours landed in the right folder (not spam), but it didn’t show in the notifications. Makes me wonder if there are any others I’ve previously missed.
What a phenomenal observation. As someone who likes psychology, without even knowing it, I’ve always tried to help the kids that were on the outs. That had clear mental issues. While we had a special hour every week dedicated to ANY issues, that was mostly the time everyone used to relax, or do the homework that they didn’t do, or study for the upcoming test. Mental health wasn’t the priority. While I know that some people might have benefited from such a customized approach, I agree that that should not be the focus of formal education.
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The removal of the stalls is outrageous! It reminds me of a book I read called Farewell to Manzanar which focuses on the internment of Japanese Americans in California. The camps had bathrooms with no stalls, and women would take makeshift cardboard (if I remember correctly) for privacy. Honestly, I would not like to go back to my school days. I remember my high school had several lockdowns when I was a senior. Some parts of my education did not have the best quality: I remember how one teacher frequently showed us history videos for assignments, another was absent quite a lot, so that we were left with mindless textbooks assignments, but no quality “learning”.
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Thanks for illustrating the situation by showcasing such an event from the past. Great comparison. Scary.
“Mindless textbook assignments” about sums up probably most of our education. But I look at them fondly now. Probably because it’s contrasted with my life today, which is more difficult, etc.
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That’s true! I hadn’t thought about it that way.
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I would feel the same about coming back to school. Hearing what is going on at schools these days. I doubt if I would be able to find a good place for my baby so that the appropriate education is delivered.
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Homeschooling is starting to become more and more popular.
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