My name is Robert Arnold, and I’m an investigative reporter here in Houston. Throughout my career, I’ve reported on numerous issues: immigration, criminal justice system and school safety.
The massacre at Robb Elementary in Uvalde was the second school shooting I have reported on and it’s the fourth mass shooting I’ve covered.
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WATCH THE SOLUTIONARIES: SAFER SCHOOLS EPISODE HERE AT 1 P.M.
When I was asked to produce a story for this episode of Solutionaries, I admit my first thoughts went to the physical aspects of securing a campus.
Like bulletproof backpacks and active shooter drills.
But I hate that when I returned from covering the murders of children and teachers in Uvalde, my son said, “Don’t worry, dad. I know we’re supposed to lie still and be quiet.”
Why should my child, or any child, have to possess that knowledge? Why should a child, like in the case of a young Uvalde girl, have to know that if they cover themselves with their friend’s blood and keep quiet, they have a good chance of not being seen by a mass murderer?
That’s why I thought of Mike Matranga, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who now runs a private security company that focuses on schools. I had read about the changes he made with Texas City ISD’s security, and he was highly praised by Scot Rice, whose wife, Flo, was critically injured during the Santa Fe school shooting.
This month’s episode of Solutionaries: Safer Schools streams Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m.
Mike is going to sit down with me the next day on Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. CT to talk about school safety and security. I’ll also ask him your questions about how to make schools safer and better for children.
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He’ll be able to answer your questions on how districts can make physical changes to schools to make them more secure, like special door locks, bullet resistant technology, and other alert systems.
But he also said something during my research that forced me to broaden my approach to this subject. He said the physical aspects of securing a campus are only a part of solving this problem. He said we have to invest in programs that deal with the root of so many school disruptions and incidents of violence.
So I expanded my research and came across Communities in Schools, a program that started in New York and now operates in 26 states. This is the type of program Mike is talking about; a program that brings an entire community of support into a school and helps those students most at-risk.
When I spoke with the head CIS Houston, Donna Wotkyns, she summed it up perfectly. “If your family can’t pay rent, we can help; if you need food, we can help; if you don’t feel safe in your home, we can help.”
Tell us what questions you may have for Mike Matranga about school safety and security using the form below.
