Dec. 13, 2021 12:50p
(WGTD)---A former Kenosha Unified guidance counselor says it’s frustrating to see school shootings continue to happen.
Jill Boyd specialized in bullying prevention efforts in her 25 year-long career in the district which ended about five years ago.
Boyd spoke to WGTD after a shooting in Michigan last week that left four dead and seven injured.
Just before the gunfire, the 15-year-old shooter was extensively questioned by school staff. A teacher had noticed troubling drawings and writings. They were discounted as precursors of serious problems after the boy innocently claimed they were part of a video game design. He was sent back to class after his parents, who’d been called in, refused to take him home.
Bullying, Boyd says, is the common denominator in the troubling string of school shootings.
Communities where shootings happen always want to point fingers in hindsight instead of focusing beforehand on working hard to create positive school climates and address issues. "It's not just one factor," Boyd said. "If it was then we could fix it. But it isn't that."
Although Boyd isn’t convinced, spokespersons for both the Racine and Kenosha public schools say they’re doing all they can to stem bullying and create school climates that are positive.
In Racine Unified, a mental health collaborative between the district and Children’s Hospital is cited as one example.
In Kenosha Unified, principals, deans and counselors have undergone threat assessment training. An app is available to students to anonymously report bullying, and beginning next year, free counseling will be available from Advocate Aurora Health for parents and students.
Boyd says more counselors need to be hired to facilitate a greater degree of interaction with students, and administrators need to do a better job of backing staff on matters related to student discipline. She said creating positive school climates is a time-consuming process that involves everyone working together.
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