In the news, we hear of heads rolling after a company fails to live up to certain standards. That is not necessarily the case in education. Tragedy strikes and the school district personnel get condolences, empathy, sympathy, pats on the back and, well, sometimes promoted. I bet guest speaker fees factor in also.
In my former school district, the principal eventually became superintendent of the small district of one school. Thank goodness she stayed local. Maybe for the parents, it was the devil they knew versus the unknown. Years later, after her retirement, she became principal at my former parish's elementary school. Besides teaching at the college level, she also works at a community college. My book explains what happened to two others in that public school. The pedaled their wares. Did they learn anything? Were they thankful, in the end, that I kept active, talking and writing? Maybe one day I will know. Maybe their learning curve was short? Did Columbine wake them up?
My book explains how I feel about failures in our schools, as does this blog.
2026 may indicate a change in how the public feels about legal responsibility of administration after a shooting. The Newport News DA at least did ( shooting by a six year old). The judge in my opinion was interferring with justice. ( See other posts)
Civil lawsuits are often settled with confidentiality agreements so the public does not learn the outcome.
Since the afternoon on April 20, 1999, a high school ushered in the term, The Columbine Effect. If you do not know of Columbine High School and are a teacher, than whatever program you enrolled in at college was worthless. If you have been teaching actively, substitute or not, and your annual training does not mention it, then your trainers need to be replaced. If D.D, of Columbine infamy, has ever been a keynote speaker, shame on your district. Did you ask him questions? ASKing saves kids. Under his watch, kids died. Did you ask him why he lied on national tv that evening?
Fast forward several years, a group of administrators, who failed to protect their campuses, formed a network. Much like the mothers' clubs, no one really wants to be in it. The actions of another individual got the ball rolling. These administrators are in the network for what they have failed to do. The attackers took advantage of weaknesses that the school districts and parents ignored.
Love can be blind. Ask the parents of the attackers. One mother wrote a book and had a public forum. She was from the same high school as D.D. She is one of the early members of the mothers' club of killers. There are currently three parents serving serious jail time for actions related to their kids' killing in schools. Others have served less jail time for providing access to guns. No one in jail for easy access to knives?
The network of administrstors failed. What can you learn from them? A previous post lists examples of thwarted events. You should really ask those administrators and staff about safety, not the ones who failed.
I believe in listening to many resources. Maybe you can learn something new from these links. I do not doubt that the administrators need a support network. But earning money or recognition on the backs of dead students in their schools is against my idea of justice.
Maybe this network is free and no one charges?
Do they just lobby for new gun laws? They do lobby.
Interview from four years ago: This man is in Baltimore County Schools. How are those schools faring?
January 2026, a parent speaks.
https://youtu.be/opIY5of5ivc?is=ED80qfJ_1LduQil0
2012? He did not know? The Guide to Safe Schools was published in 1998, almost one year before Columbine. The shooting in his school was 14 years later.
https://youtu.be/0eLdgVCXYKk?is=y8TG5D9JyCUHct46
Perry Hall High School shooting 2012. Had any new knowledge been learned since 1998 that the principal should have known (if awake)?
https://youtu.be/6p7Ady9KAXU?is=2kXjKXfoNjiQCGr7
https://youtu.be/g9j40KxdRW4?is=1r6E7LWEa7I3QIfm
https://youtu.be/WnYXNUHjiWQ?is=UmtYzFlV1aU6LonU
Jury found the shooter guilty.
https://youtu.be/Yw94U7zlYlY?is=rR-ZomQ1Ce8I21_1
Perry Hall High School March 2026:
https://youtu.be/MzjTJeLz4o4?is=pcoaiwm-o72fdNuO
Another Baltimore County School: Woodlawn High School February 2025
https://youtu.be/YVrST4bGMMw?is=1R6sKvhMoWFQphqn
Is a principal really effective, after a school shooting or knife attack, in leading the recovery? What if someone had spoken up before the attack and the principal shut the communication down? Trials usually bring that information out.
The network of failed protection became official in 2018/2019
Appalachee High School joined the network after the 2024 shooting. See previous posts on the parents of that shooter. Trials were held in 2026. Copy and paste link:
Principal Recovery Network - NPA | NPA https://share.google/dpYCpwcuLgVRCexfS
Who has the ears of our legislators? Do you believe the voices of failed prevention have merit?
Their guide:
PRN-Guide-to-Recovery-Second-Edition.pdf https://share.google/JHjN4oWOYeBscCHXn
How are our schools doing?
This tracks shootings.
School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where https://share.google/3iWb7UCbpmNYPxoai
I started this particular journey in 1997. The teacher who inspired me to take direct action did not fail to protect a student in 1998. I write because of Shannon Wright and all my children of the 1997-1998 school year. I will never forget that what we fail to do can get children hurt or killed.
ASKing..What can you do?
Marian R. Carlino
October 4, 2026