Logo

No Guns in Schools

April 29, 2015

It seemed crazy to me when I first learned that “gun-free zones” really were not free of guns.

Apparently, while many school sports administrators and officials hustled to replace blank-shooting starter pistols with different kinds of devices for signaling the start of races at cross country, swimming and track events, state laws were carving out exceptions to allow other people to carry guns into those very same events.

Now there’s an effort by some to trade a ban on “open carry” in exchange for permission to carry concealed weapons onto school grounds.

We’re proud to know our colleagues at the Michigan Association of School Boards and the Michigan Association of School Administrators and the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals are all saying “No” to any such deal.

I suspect that many of those very same school board members, superintendents and principals are gun owners. But they also seem to appreciate that “gun-free” should mean what it says; that except for law enforcement personnel in the exercise of their official duties, guns have no place in our schools or at school events.

A Triple Play for Coaches

May 28, 2013

The following resolution was adopted by the Delegate Assembly of the Michigan Association of School Boards last November:

“The Michigan Association of School Boards urges all local school boards to:

“(a) Employ qualified persons as coaches of interscholastic teams.

“(b) Provide in-service training for all coaches, including training in first aid, current CPR certification, proper athletic conditioning, recognition of athletic injuries, recognition of the use of performance enhancing drugs, and the proper way to deal with hazing within the athletic programs of a school.  Much of this training is available through MHSAA’s Coaches Advancement Program (CAP).

“(c) Require supervision and evaluation of coaches.

“(d) Make coaches aware of pertinent school policies, rules and regulations and require compliance.

“(e) Encourage coaches to follow the athletic code for coaches in the MHSAA Handbook and include information regarding NCAA eligibility guidelines and requirements.”

During the 2013-14 school year, the MHSAA Representative Council will vote on two proposals that are consistent with this resolution:

  • In December, the Council will consider this enhancement to coaches preparation:

By 2015-16, MHSAA member high schools will be required to certify by the designated deadlines that all of their varsity head coaches of high school have a valid (current) CPR certification.  Inclusion of AED training is a recommended part of the CPR certification process.

  • In March, the Council will consider this enhancement to coaches preparation:

By 2016-17, all individuals hired for the first time as a varsity head coach of a high school team, to begin those coaching duties on or after July 1, 2016, must have completed Level 1 or Level 2 of CAP.

These two measures join the following that the Council approved on May 5:

By 2014-15, high schools must attest prior to established deadlines that all assistant and subvarsity coaches at the high school level have completed annually the same MHSAA rules meeting required of all varsity head coaches or, in the alternative, one of the free online sports safety courses posted on or linked from MHSAA.com and designated to fulfill this requirement.