This is a sampling of The Education Report, Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog. Read more atIBABuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/katymurphy.
In the aftermath of one of the worst school shootings in history, at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., readers shared their thoughts and concerns, including how they discussed the tragedy with students.
Jim Mordecai: These are senseless and horrible killings in Connecticut. I don't know the best way to explain to students what took place.
But I am reminded when I was years ago teaching at an Oakland elementary and shooting started outside the school. The person being shot at had run from his car trying to get away from the shooters. The school had a principal that had insisted on practicing a lockdown. The person being shot at ran off the school grounds. Fortunately, he didn't try to hide inside the school. And, if he had tried to enter, the school, and the classrooms, were locked down, including the portables.
Makeitgoaway: We already started the process -- amazingly, students told me because they had learned through social media. I immediately read the story on my iPhone and teared up. You MUST talk to your classes as I did today, and reassure them they are cared for and safe. Let your students talk and truly listen. It is not business as usual. We live in a violent society.
Just the previous day, a young lady came and spoke to my class because she is related to the two teens who were