I was sitting at my kitchen table tonight working on lesson
plans for the week. I like to work with the television on because for SOME
crazy reason I am used to background noise. My attention turned to the show 60 Minutes, and I was captivated by the
story of Frank Hall.
You don’t know who Frank Hall is? That’s a shame, because frankly he’s the man we should all
be celebrating, applauding, honoring and emulating. He’s the man that saved many lives after the horrible
shooting at Shardon High School on February 27, 2012. He’s the man that chased a shooter down the hallways of his
school- HIS SCHOOL- and managed to get the shooter out of the building before
he caused any more horrific damage. Then, he returned to the cafeteria and held
the hands of three young men as they breathed their last and joined the
angels.
That’s who Frank Hall is.
But that’s not all that he is. I would tell you the rest of his story, but instead I will
tell you to head over to the 60 minute website and watch the video for
yourself. Trust me on this one.
As I wipe the tears from my face I feel an incredible need
to shout the words that he so eloquently said in this interview with Scott
Pelley. He said, in so many words, “We need to protect our schools.
Our SCHOOLS should be the most important thing in this country…not Wall
Street, not capital hill….but our schools.”
And what do I want to say to Frank Hall? Frank, your name is the name we should
all recognize. Not Donald Trump,
not Chris Christie, not George Clooney, Matt Damon or even Hilary Clinton. We should ALL be talking about Frank Hall.
He’s the one whose words and actions are making sense in
this crazy, painful world.
6 comments:
Yes, he IS a hero and he is leading by example. Too bad the people who need to emulate him aren't. Children and education SHOULD be the priority.
Thanks so much for this post. What will it take for lawmakers and interest groups to respond to these senseless situations? WHEN is something going to change? So many hearts are broken when these tragedies occur, both near and far.
Frank Hall is an amazing man in many ways. His love for his students and his family is obvious. What a spectacular role model he is!!
And I'm guessing that 99.9% of educators would respond as Frank did....loving, caring for, and protecting "their kids".
I was very moved when I saw Mr. Hall on 60 Minutes and was reminded by your blog post to share the interview on Facebook. As a retired teacher, I had often thought about what I would do in a similar situation and had determined I would do whatever I could to keep my students (my children!) safe. All the teachers at my school would do the same. It is astounding to me that we even have to think about these types of things as teachers. Schools should be the most important things in our society. As I move on as an occasional substitute teacher in a small town in California, I suppose that I will have to be aware of the possibilities once more. Thank you for writing about Mr. Hall. Debby
When the Vikings plundered and pillaged, they burned monasteries--centers of learning. You want to destroy a country? Destroy its centers of learning. I live in one of the several states where the governors seem to be doing just that. They are killing our schools by massive cuts in financing and constant attack of public servants. This is a powerful post!
That our children continue to be at risk inside the walls of their own schools, even after way too many lost lives, is a national disgrace. Thanks for shining a light on Frank's story. I missed the episode of 60 Minutes but will watch the video now.
Amen, VodkaMom. Amen.
Post a Comment