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Kerrie Dallman, president of the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA), told the 4,000 members of JCEA, "As teachers, we all wonder what we would do if faced with an immediate threat at school. Yesterday, we saw the response of our teachers and staff colleagues - and it was just what we all hope would occur. What the teachers, bus drivers, and assistant principal did was nothing short of a miracle." Dallman praised Dr. David Benke, math teacher, for his quick reaction. "He is a hero and we are proud of him and all the other staff who protected their students." Attendance Secretary Mickie Kircher, a new CEA-NEA member of the Jefferson County Classified School Employee Association, stopped the stranger when he first arrived at the school. Choir teacher and JCEA member Carrie Fletcher heard the shots and ran toward them. Bus drivers Steve Potter and Jim O'Brien, also a new CEA-NEA member, got their students on the floor of the buses and ran to assist Benke and fellow math teacher Norm Hanne who were subduing the shooter. Assistant Principal Becky Brown moved the dropped gun away. Staff throughout the building immediately sheltered and calmed their students. Joe Selvidio, president of the Classified School Employees Association (CSEA), reacted to the news as an employee and a parent. "When I first heard about it, my mind flooded with emotions. My first reaction was to ask if the students were okay, my second to ask if the situation was under control. As a parent of two students who attend Jeffco schools, every fiber of my being hurt, thinking about how the parents must have felt when they received that most difficult phone call to let them know their children were enroute to a hospital. "I have heard many stories similar to mine. One commonality in every story is the focus on the students. It does not appear to matter if you are a new employee or a 30-year veteran. We all chose to work in a school district and, along with that decision, comes the responsibility of our students' well-being. Tuesday at Deer Creek not only proves that sense of responsibility, but also clearly states the staff took that responsibility to the next level: treating the students as their own children. There is no other reason I can think of why employees in this situation would choose to put their own lives on the line." Selvidio added, "I am proud as an employee and, with great gratitude and comfort as a parent, I am proud to know Jeffco has such loving, dedicated staff. Everyone involved did not only what he or she is trained to do, but went beyond the call of duty. We thank each of them for their professionalism, level-headedness, and selfless actions." CEA President Beverly Ingle, a middle school classroom teacher herself, said, "It was Omar Bradley who remarked that bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death. Dr. Benke and all the other Deer Creek Middle School staff showed great bravery when they stopped the gunman. They did what they do every day: put their students first, never stopping to think about their personal safety. We thank them for risking their own lives for their students." As teachers and education support professionals all across Colorado know very well, it is important to do what you have been trained to do because it is our job to keep our students safe. Fortunately, due to the quick work of staff, the incident ended swiftly though two students were wounded; one was treated and released, while the other remains hospitalized. The staff at Deer Creek did everything right, and we thank them.
NEA Crisis Guide After the Columbine High School tragedy in April 1999, JCEA staff and leaders, along with Colorado Education Association staff, helped develop the NEA Crisis Guide, available online at the NEA Health Information Network. The guide has essential advice for members, schools, and districts, as knowing what to do can be the difference between stability and upheaval in any emergency.
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