Protect Your Neck at Miami-Dade Public Schools

It still amazes me how parents lull themselves into thinking that their children will be okay inside the Miami-Dade public school system, even at supposedly "safe havens" like Coral Gables Senior High, where one student stabbed a classmate to death earlier this morning.We live in a nihilistic age, and Miami-Dade...

By Francisco Alvarado

September 15, 2009

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It still amazes me how parents lull themselves into thinking that their children will be okay inside the Miami-Dade public school system, even at supposedly "safe havens" like Coral Gables Senior High, where one student stabbed a classmate to death earlier this morning.

We live in a nihilistic age, and Miami-Dade County is definitely not a safe place for kids, even children growing up in affluent neighborhoods. Miami New Times has done a pretty good job of documenting the perils public school children face on a daily basis.

One article that really put the danger in perspective was this illustrated piece by former staffer Calvin Godfrey, who discovered schools police had confiscated 300 weapons from children in 2007. So parents quit your whining and do something about it. Fight to have metal detectors placed in schools and more police officers roaming the halls. And, if you have to, frisk your kid before he or she catches the bus.

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Francisco Alvarado was born in Nicaragua and grew up in Miami, giving him unique insight into the Magic City and all its dark corners. An investigative reporter with a knack for uncovering corruption, Alvarado made his bones as a staff writer at Miami New Times and remains in dogged pursuit of the next juicy story.

Contact: Francisco Alvarado

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Twitter: @thefrankness