I was surprised to learn my first-grader would be participating in active shooter drills in his classroom in Freeport. This goes against everything I know as a longtime educator with a master’s degree in early childhood education and many years in child development; children must feel safe, secure and connected to learn. I was even more shocked when I reached out to Regional School Unit 5 administrators to have my son exempt from these drills and was told “no.”

Law enforcement and first responders from Cumberland and York counties participate in a regional active shooter training at Deering High School in Portland in 2019. A person pretending to be a victim is seen in a second-floor hallway during the drill. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer, File

Active shooter drills have become standard in our public schools. Like many districts in Maine, RSU 5 has introduced a program, ALICE protocols (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate), but unlike other districts, RSU 5 is refusing parents the right to opt their children out.

Let me be clear: I think there are many steps a school district can take to train for the unthinkable. I am in favor of teacher and administrator training. It is not unreasonable that intruder training focuses on adults. Research from Georgia Tech shows that these active shooter drills can have traumatizing effects on children from elementary school through high school, including increased stress, anxiety and depression.

Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Association of School Psychologists have recommended giving parents notice of drills, using age-appropriate language or discontinuing student participation in drills altogether.

RSU 5 has stripped us of our rights as parents to make decisions about our children’s emotional and mental health. And they must do better.

Morgan Hart Tolin
Freeport