'No One Cares Until Someone's Child Dies'

Patch received this letter on Tuesday from Lithonia parent Nika Shields about what her son and other children are going through at school.

It appears that no one cares until someone’s child dies. Columbia Middle School is by far one of the worst schools we have ever encountered. As parents we are very involved in our child's education, and frequently communicate with the teachers and administrators, but this school has too few resources and very low expectations of its students and staff.

The attitude of the top administrators is one of complacency which has obviously trickled down to the staff. There are some teachers and administrators that care, but the complacency outweighs the good. Our children deserve better. The leadership needs to change.

I would expect that for the high taxes that we pay, we would have better resources in our schools; especially a Magnet Program. You would think the Magnet program would offer more to the students. However, you would never know that by the lack of resources the school offers. It is not a safe and caring learning environment. Bullying, disrespect, and anarchy are the culture of this school.

Our son was assaulted on Monday, May 6  in the parent pick-up section by three boys in an attempt to rob him of his shoes. I reported this incident to Principal Daniel and my son’s counselor, Mrs. Disroe, the day it happened. After asking my son what type of shoes he had and if the students actually took them, Mr. Daniel took my son’s statement. He assured us that he would look into the attack. He told me there was nothing he could do at this time, because it was 5 p.m. and most of the children were gone.

I asked Mr. Daniel if we could see surveillance tape of the day to look for my son’s attackers. Mr. Daniel told me the cameras were not on, and even if they were on there are different angles and the picture would be obscured making recognition impossible. Mr. Daniel then instructed my son to meet him the following morning in order to begin looking for the boys who attacked him. He told us that bullying and crimes were not tolerated in their school.

However, the following morning, Mr. Daniel wasn’t at the school to meet my son and his father. The SRO (student resource officer) wasn’t aware of the attack and was not given the statement until the following afternoon when I approached her. My son didn’t begin looking for his attackers until Wednesday, when he was expected to go from classroom to classroom to point them out - as if retaliation for telling is unheard of.

After further investigation, we were told five teachers were supposed to staff the area where my son was attacked, but only two were there that day. Neither one said they saw the attack. I guess they were too distracted. Also, my son was attacked directly in front of the surveillance camera that wasn’t on. 

Do you have a child who has had a similar experience? Do you agree that administrators and educators don't care? Tell us in the comments below-

Principal Daniel and his staff have shown no regard for my son’s safety or those of the children at the school. It took a week to get a meeting with them (after repeated requests) to speak about my son’s attack and the investigation. Mr. Daniel said he thought the incident was resolved because my son couldn’t pick out the kids who attacked him. Mr. Daniel and his administrators put the responsibility of finding my son’s attackers on him.

No one cares that my son was attacked and although he was able to fight off his attackers and keep his shoes, the administrators have not attempted to look into the attack further. I believe that because my son wasn’t beaten beyond recognition, the robbery was disrupted, and my son isn’t dead, no one cares about the attack. Nor do they care about the ongoing daily effects of the fighting and bullying in their school.

What about the psychological scars? My son attends school under duress each day, in fear. He constantly asks “what can I eat to make me grow faster?” He now wants to take karate in order to protect himself, because he now knows the administrators don’t care enough about him to protect him. He says he feels like he is in a "war zone every day.” He has also asked that he not be a part of the Magnet Program because he doesn’t feel he is learning anything and he doesn’t want to return to Columbia Middle School.

There are numerous fights and altercations daily. During the CRCT testing week the entire school was on a lockdown for several days with “minimal transitions.” You would think that in an environment like this ALL cameras would work and ALL administrators would be at their posts. You would expect the administrators to alert parents of imminent danger.

However, since no one has been killed yet, the Principal and administrators continue their complacent behavior and allow disruptive violence to exist in their school. After our meeting with Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Disroe, I realize why the school and so many others are in utter chaos. No one cares! The children know that the administrators, community, and county don’t care about their education or their well-being.

It isn’t always the gang bangers or “ghetto” children who bring weapons to school. Sometimes it’s the Magnet School transient “geek” who’s afraid for his/ her life who brings a weapon for protection - only because they know the adults who are supposed to look after them don’t care. They realize that it’s them against their attackers. They watch every day as the bullies and those with disruptive behavior are pacified and their deeds go unpunished. I guess someone’s child has to die before anyone will care.

By then it will be too late.

Nika N. Shields & Michael Barnard