Lockdown drills and simulated shooter attacks are nearly a part of safety protocol at all schools as fire drills were years ago.  Some former educators and experts are concerned that some preparedness may be causing more trauma for students than necessary.  According to the Pew Research Center, over half of all teens nationally told researchers that they worry about a shooting happening at their school.  The study also showed that nearly two-thirds of parents of teenagers fear a shooting at their child’s school.  Former Sturgeon Bay principal Shirley Senerighi :: SEN-ah-REE-gee ::  says an entirely trained professional staff at the school is key to handling a crisis situation.  She says students will look to adults for guidance.

Senerighi, who says she trusts local school officials decision-making on the topic, recommends age-appropriate drills for younger children that are more general.  She says even teenage students should not have to experience any training that may be too explicit and cause unneeded trauma.