By Mark Wozniak
Buffalo, NY – New York State's Education Commissioner Richard Mills weighs in on the issue of school violence at some Buffalo schools.
Commissioner Mills toured Bennett High School in Buffalo Thursday to discuss changes to improve graduation rates. He met with reporters in the hallway of the high school just as students changed morning classes. WBFO News asked Mills about some of the recent troubles with school violence within the city district. Mills says he believes Schools Superintendent Dr. James Williams is on the right track in trying solving the problem.
"He has involved law enforcement in a very direct way," Mills said. "He is building the alternative high school concept. This has worked in many other places."
Mills says not even a small amount of violence is acceptable. He says schools should provide a safe environment for students so they can focus on their school work and not be concerned with their safety. But even with some of the measures taken in the Buffalo district, some students still manage to enter schools with a weapon. The superintendent is not in favor of installing metal detectors. Mills says some communities discovered that metal detectors work well, but others say they are offensive.
"I think it really starts with a direct talk with the students, and with the entire community. I'm sure the young people in these schools want to be safe. When parents send their kids to school want two things -- 'keep my child safe and teach my child to reach.'"
Mills says the State Board of Regents has been focusing on data regarding school violence to identify which schools are persistently dangerous. He says that is very important in order for the entire community to focus on the problem and help make changes.