Da Nile is Not Just a River

One of the topics that came up in the recent Candidates Debate was the issue of school safety. Mr. Grekoski spoke convincingly of his experience as a police officer who was personally involved with school administration, students and the community through the DARE program and enforcement activities. Mrs. Becker, on the other hand, seemed to rely on the fact that the state-mandated School Violence, Vandalism and Drug Report showed East Brunswick had one of the lowest levels reported. Unfortunately the VVD Report has been criticized for years as being an unreliable and unrealistic measure of what is actually happening in the schools. This is true for a number of reasons including the great flexibility that is given to school districts in deciding what they actually have to report. The general consensus is that the VVD Report significantly underestimates what is actually happening in our schools. Today’s newspaper reports of yet another teacher being charged with the sexual assault of a student (right here in East Brunswick), only underscores the seriousness with which we need to address the reality that our students are facing every day. (See the link under East Brunswick in the news.) This sobering reality is clear in the reporting by the National Center for Education Statistics for 2007. There is no reason to believe that East Brunswick is immune from these problems. Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007 (Full Report available under Documents) Indicator 13: Physical Fights on School Property and Anywhere The percentage of 9th- to 12th-grade students who reported being in a physical fight anywhere increased from 33 to 36 percent between 2003 and 2005. Indicator 14: Students Carrying Weapons on School Property and Anywhere There was no measurable change in the percentage of students who reported carrying a weapon at school between 1999 and 2005: about 6 percent did so in both years. Indicator 15: Students' Use of Alcohol on School Property and Anywhere In 2005, some 43 percent of students in grades 9–12 reported having at least one drink of alcohol anywhere, and 4 percent had at least one drink on school property in the 30 days before being surveyed. Indicator 16: Students' Use of Marijuana on School Property and Anywhere In 2005, some 20 percent of students in grades 9–12 reported using marijuana anywhere during the past 30 days, and 5 percent reported using marijuana on school property. GET THE FACTS. Denying that a problem exists or pretending that East Brunswick is immune is not only ineffective but dangerous!