I read an eye-opening letter-to-the-editor in the The Dallas Morning Snooze yesterday evening. It was from a woman writing about the lack of school crossing guards for White Rock Elementary (and other LH areas) over the past year. Apparently the City is having trouble recruiting enough applicants and they speculate it’s due to the rising cost of gas vs. a crossing guard’s low pay.
Two things jump out at me here:
1) We pay crossing guards? I thought it was a volunteer thing.
2) The City of Dallas pays for crossing guards? Why isn’t it RISD (or DISD) paying?
Where I grew up we had what were called school patrols. Many, many states still do this. It’s called kids helping kids and learning responsibility. The 6th graders with good conduct got to join — it was a status thing. We got a reflective orange vest and a stop sign. But, the best part was that we got out of school 15 minutes early! So we could assemble and be led by the adult-volunteer to our assigned street corner. Where we did for free, in conjunction with the adult there at the corner, what we apparently have to now pay for via City taxes.
Why not get this going at your school? Shouldn’t RISD and local PTAs be looking at time-proven ways to solve this issue? Ready, set, go!
