"Are you safe?" The horrible reality we live in ....

It was at another private school, but two of my middle school students from last year attend there now. I only found out because of the first “Are you safe?” text from a friend. It was the first of many from teacher friends and family across the country.

While I sit here fielding those texts during my planning period, I am anxiously waiting for the response to the “Are they safe?” text my coworker sent to our alumni’s parents. To make sure they are not one of the 10 injured/dead.

And here’s the thing—it never changes. We keep going through this, and still, nothing has been done to stop it.

Being a teacher in America means carrying the constant weight of this fear. We’re supposed to be educators, mentors, and guides. But at the back of our minds, we know that part of our job is now wondering, What will I do if it happens here?

My wife has to remind me that if it ever comes to that, I’m not allowed to jump in front of the bullet. She tells me, “You have your own family to think about.” But what kind of world do we live in where we have to have conversations like that?

Almost no other profession deals with this. Almost no one else has to plan escape routes for children. Even when it’s not your school, not your kids, the pain still hits like a gut punch. It forces you to put yourself in their shoes. To imagine your kids laying facefirst and bleeding out on the ground.

We say, “This time it’ll be different.” We say, “Thoughts and prayers.” But nothing ever really changes. When will it change?