One of the most prevalent and bluntly horrific issues in society today is the issue of violence within schools. Every year the percentage of school shootings rise, and stories of terror continue to flood the media. According to Statista, in the six months from January to June 2025, there were over 116 reported cases of gun violence in schools. The second amendment right to “keep and bear arms” puts lives on the line everyday. Gun violence is truly a bipartisan matter, affecting both sides of the aisle, and reflecting the utter division within the United States. Schools are not the only institutions that have experienced devastating incidents due to the lack of gun control within the United States. Violence occurs everywhere from workplaces to religious spaces. This issue affects children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly. With gun violence such a prevalent issue, schools are taking necessary and proactive measures to enforce proper security within their communities. At Parker, the administration and security team have instated an immense number of safety measures, and rightfully so. However, as one trails through the halls of Parker, they won’t make it far without hearing whispers of backlash from students who deem the new security system as “excessive” and “overly protective.” While I appreciate and applaud the investments Parker has made for the sake of safety, I consider aspects of the new sign in and sign out system to be somewhat drastic.
Vital systems are in place at Parker to ensure the security of the community. Nonetheless, I believe some of the measures to be slightly extreme. I took some of my feelings of hesitation surrounding the system to someone who I knew could answer all of my questions: Dean of Upper School Joe Bruno. I was interested in knowing when the sign in and sign out system was originally implemented. “Well, really, the system has been in place as long as I’ve been Dean, which is since 2019. But as the years have gone on, it has become apparent and more important that we heavily enforce it. We are a school in the middle of a major city, and our new number one priority, in addition to educating our students, is to keep students safe,” Bruno said. His statements emphasize the fact that the United States is becoming more dangerous by the minute, and the need for tightened security continues to rise. The warmth in the Parker community creates an atmosphere of safety, yet in today’s world there are no promises of protection. This is an overwhelmingly gut-wrenching truth, but one that needs to be recognized. It is never harmful to be overly cautious, and that is exactly what the Parker administration is doing to ensure safety.
As a JK-12 school, Parker has a unique ability to introduce the importance of security to younger students from the beginning and reinforce those ideas for older students. Even so, the security systems in place can be viewed as a pain or an extra step that many students don’t want to deal with in the mornings. However, it is essential that Upper Schoolers properly abide by the security guidelines––not only to set an example for younger students, but to practice and uphold true security because it is a concept that is going to last forever.
Sadly, there are a handful of events that come to mind when thinking about violence in schools. Our country’s lack of gun control legislation puts students’ lives at risk everyday. I believe that the implementation of gun reform is past the point of being necessary: it is essential. Gun violence is too frequent and too normalized. Change must be made to protect all people, but especially students and faculty in schools.
In the world today, the practice of security is a skill all must have. Parker is doing a tremendous job of keeping the community safe, and teaching all students how to live in society as safe citizens. Parker has made strides in implementing numerous security precautions in addition to the sign in and sign out system, including two sets of 24/7 locked doors on both the Clark and Webster entrances, regularly scheduled lockdown drills, and constant staffing of top-grade security officers. The fact that Parker has such amazing security and is always striving to improve it goes back to the school’s mission of emphasizing the importance of being a good citizen in democracy. Parker’s effort to always do more and do better is the exact mindset we all must have regarding security, in order to make our society a place where students don’t have to fear for their lives each morning when they enter school.