Walmart v. Public Education
In a school environment where lockdowns are becoming increasingly frequent, many students feel more like prisoners than learners. While the intent behind these measures may be to protect, the execution often leads to heightened anxiety and confusion. All of my friends have said that they feel bored, anxious, annoyed, and fed up during lockdown. largely due to the lack of communication from the school administration.
Recent events have cast a shadow over the safety and constitutional rights of students at Montezuma High School. A lockdown was initiated not due to any incident on school grounds but because a student was reported to have a firearm at a Walmart over 50 feet away from the school during lunch time. Being locked down for an incident occurring off-campus—particularly one at a location they regularly visit—only exacerbates ill feelings. This extreme response raises critical questions about how schools manage safety and communication, especially considering that students frequently visit Walmart as an escape from the strict reign of the school officials.
Even when all of the students are leaving for Walmart they all have to go through the front entrance called “The Fishbowl” where they pass through the metal detectors setting them off because they all have their Chromebooks in their backpacks, a constant and loud beeping emerges during the start of lunchtime and someone could easily sneak in amidst the chaos of alarms going off.
Conversely, Walmart’s safety protocols offer a model that could greatly benefit our school environment. In a recent interview with Beverly, a Walmart team lead, she shared insights on how their practices prioritize both safety and customer freedom.
“Do you have detailed rules about what people can bring in here?”
“No, we are not allowed to discriminate against what people bring in here, absolutely no rules on what they can or cannot bring in here.”
“Unless you bring a pet in here that is not a service animal.”
she explained.
Unlike at public schools, where you can’t even bring a baked pie in without being questioned or stopped.
Walmart emphasizes measures that respect individual rights.
Beverly emphasized the importance of trusting customers, stating, “We trust our customers to be responsible. It’s essential to create a welcoming environment rather than one that feels overly restrictive.” This stands in stark contrast to the school’s approach, which has fostered a culture of suspicion and anxiety among students. As Beverly pointed out, “We wouldn’t dream of locking down our store for something that happened outside. That would be ridiculous!” Yet, this is precisely what students at Montezuma High experience during lockdowns.
The constitutional implications of such policies cannot be ignored. The First and Second Amendments protect individual rights, yet the school’s lockdown practices often infringe on these freedoms. Beverly remarked,
“All employees are trained incase of an immediate threat and lockdowns do help in times of need, though when dealing with large groups of people many variables can change and you have to stay fluid and open to anything.”
This crucial aspect is often lacking in the school’s lockdown procedures, leaving students and parents without compromise. During a lockdown at Montezuma High School parents tried to get their children for various reasons out of the building during a lockdown, but the school just could not let them collect their own children under the guise of “policy” and “safety” making everyone frustrated, to add onto the annoyance the drop off zone is about 100 yards from the front door, when parents dropped of their children nobody was there telling them that they could not enter the building, parents are already long gone by the time children make it to the front off the building, leaving them stranded. What if that were to happen during 30 degree weather or during a thunderstorm, based on what the school has done so far they would leave those children to freeze, saying they were just trying to be “safe”.
Moreover, lockdown drills—meant to prepare students for emergencies—can feel excessive and counterproductive.
Beverly noted, “Our customers know they can ask questions and seek help without feeling like they’re being scrutinized.” This openness is absent in the school’s environment, where students often feel isolated and frightened when they speak up and question the effectiveness of lockdowns as well as even simply asking “What is happening and is this a drill?”
Given the recent incident involving a firearm at Walmart, it is crucial for school administrations to reevaluate their lockdown policies and consider adopting the successful strategies employed by Walmart. Beverly concluded, “Creating a safe environment is about trust and communication. We can’t discriminate against people and their rights to live freely.”
The lack of a clear, constitutional approach at public schools creates an atmosphere that prioritizes control over students' well-being.
As a student, I urge the administration to take these concerns seriously and work towards creating a safe, supportive environment that upholds our constitutional rights. By adopting effective practices from Walmart, all public schools should allow children to protect themselves and carry weapons or even teach self defense classes (a real life skill). Ensuring that students feel safe and respected, especially as they navigate adulthood.
Written with assistance from ChatGPT
Recent events have cast a shadow over the safety and constitutional rights of students at Montezuma High School. A lockdown was initiated not due to any incident on school grounds but because a student was reported to have a firearm at a Walmart over 50 feet away from the school during lunch time. Being locked down for an incident occurring off-campus—particularly one at a location they regularly visit—only exacerbates ill feelings. This extreme response raises critical questions about how schools manage safety and communication, especially considering that students frequently visit Walmart as an escape from the strict reign of the school officials.
Even when all of the students are leaving for Walmart they all have to go through the front entrance called “The Fishbowl” where they pass through the metal detectors setting them off because they all have their Chromebooks in their backpacks, a constant and loud beeping emerges during the start of lunchtime and someone could easily sneak in amidst the chaos of alarms going off.
Conversely, Walmart’s safety protocols offer a model that could greatly benefit our school environment. In a recent interview with Beverly, a Walmart team lead, she shared insights on how their practices prioritize both safety and customer freedom.
“Do you have detailed rules about what people can bring in here?”
“No, we are not allowed to discriminate against what people bring in here, absolutely no rules on what they can or cannot bring in here.”
“Unless you bring a pet in here that is not a service animal.”
she explained.
Unlike at public schools, where you can’t even bring a baked pie in without being questioned or stopped.
Walmart emphasizes measures that respect individual rights.
Beverly emphasized the importance of trusting customers, stating, “We trust our customers to be responsible. It’s essential to create a welcoming environment rather than one that feels overly restrictive.” This stands in stark contrast to the school’s approach, which has fostered a culture of suspicion and anxiety among students. As Beverly pointed out, “We wouldn’t dream of locking down our store for something that happened outside. That would be ridiculous!” Yet, this is precisely what students at Montezuma High experience during lockdowns.
The constitutional implications of such policies cannot be ignored. The First and Second Amendments protect individual rights, yet the school’s lockdown practices often infringe on these freedoms. Beverly remarked,
“All employees are trained incase of an immediate threat and lockdowns do help in times of need, though when dealing with large groups of people many variables can change and you have to stay fluid and open to anything.”
This crucial aspect is often lacking in the school’s lockdown procedures, leaving students and parents without compromise. During a lockdown at Montezuma High School parents tried to get their children for various reasons out of the building during a lockdown, but the school just could not let them collect their own children under the guise of “policy” and “safety” making everyone frustrated, to add onto the annoyance the drop off zone is about 100 yards from the front door, when parents dropped of their children nobody was there telling them that they could not enter the building, parents are already long gone by the time children make it to the front off the building, leaving them stranded. What if that were to happen during 30 degree weather or during a thunderstorm, based on what the school has done so far they would leave those children to freeze, saying they were just trying to be “safe”.
Moreover, lockdown drills—meant to prepare students for emergencies—can feel excessive and counterproductive.
Beverly noted, “Our customers know they can ask questions and seek help without feeling like they’re being scrutinized.” This openness is absent in the school’s environment, where students often feel isolated and frightened when they speak up and question the effectiveness of lockdowns as well as even simply asking “What is happening and is this a drill?”
Given the recent incident involving a firearm at Walmart, it is crucial for school administrations to reevaluate their lockdown policies and consider adopting the successful strategies employed by Walmart. Beverly concluded, “Creating a safe environment is about trust and communication. We can’t discriminate against people and their rights to live freely.”
The lack of a clear, constitutional approach at public schools creates an atmosphere that prioritizes control over students' well-being.
As a student, I urge the administration to take these concerns seriously and work towards creating a safe, supportive environment that upholds our constitutional rights. By adopting effective practices from Walmart, all public schools should allow children to protect themselves and carry weapons or even teach self defense classes (a real life skill). Ensuring that students feel safe and respected, especially as they navigate adulthood.
Written with assistance from ChatGPT
