Daily English 1273 Improving School Security

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:20
Explanation begins at: 3:25
Normal Speed begins at: 16:34

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,273 – Improving School Security.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,273. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This episode is a dialogue between Roberto and Ginny about making sure our schools are safe. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Roberto: All right, let’s get started. I organized this faculty and staff meeting to talk about ideas to improve school security.

Ginny: But we already have controlled access to school buildings, and all of the staff and faculty wear ID badges.

Roberto: Those measures help to keep people out of our school who don’t belong here. But in light of what’s happened at other schools, we need to do more to keep students safe.

Ginny: You mean in the event of bomb threats and mass shootings?

Roberto: Those are some of the threats we have to prepare for.

Ginny: I don’t know how we can prepare for those things.

Roberto: Well, we might consider security cameras and armed guards to patrol the school.

Ginny: Really?

Roberto: Really. We need to develop evacuation plans or procedures for lockdown in the event of an imminent threat.

Ginny: This is scary stuff.

Roberto: We live in scary times.

Ginny: It’s starting to feel like we work in a prison, not a school!

[end of dialogue]

Roberto begins by saying, “All right, let’s get started.” Roberto is talking to a group of people and he wants to start the meeting that they are having. He explains, “I organized” – or “I planned” – “this faculty and staff meeting to talk about ideas to improve school security.” The word “faculty” (faculty) refers to the teachers at a school. It could be a high school. It could be a college. I think of the word usually being associated with colleges, but high schools and other schools for children also sometimes use this word to describe the entire group of teachers at that school.

“Staff” (staff) can refer to anyone who works at a company or in an organization. In the case of schools, “staff” could refer to the teachers, but here it refers to everyone who works at the school who is not a teacher. That would include the janitors, the people in the kitchen, the administrators – that is, the principal and other leaders of the school –and so forth.

The meeting Roberto organized is all about “school security” (security). The word “security” can refer to a couple of different things. Here it refers to keeping people at the school safe. “School security” would be keeping the faculty, staff, and students safe so that there are no injuries, and more importantly that no one gets killed. Sadly, in the past several decades, there have been several cases where people have died at schools, usually because people outside of the school have brought guns and killed them, though sometimes it can be students in the school itself.

One of the people at the meeting, Ginny, says, “But we already have controlled access to school buildings, and all of the staff and faculty wear ID badges.” The term “controlled access” (access) refers to a system in a building where only the people who are supposed to be in certain parts of the building are allowed to go into those parts. It’s another way of saying a system of locks that prevent people who are not supposed to be in certain rooms or certain parts of the building from getting into those places.

Nowadays, many of these locks are electronic, so that you put a number into the lock in order to open it, or you use a special magnetic card that you either put through something called a “card reader” that allows you to open a door or you bring near a card reader pad (pad) that allows you to get into a certain part of a building. “Controlled access” might also involve guards – people who stand next to doors, allowing people in and preventing people from going in who are not supposed to be there.

Ginny says that they already have this kind of controlled access to the school buildings and “all of staff and faculty wear ID badges” (badges). “ID” stands for “identification.” A “badge” is usually a small card or piece of plastic that has your picture and name on it. So, an “ID badge” is something that you wear that tells everyone in the building who you are and that you belong there.

Roberto says, however, “Those measures,” meaning the things that we do already, “help to keep people out of our building who don’t belong here,” who aren’t supposed to be there. “But in light of what’s happened at other schools,” he says, “we need to do more to keep students safe.” The expression “in light (light) of” means considering, or thinking about, or because of. Roberto is saying that because of what has happened at other schools, their school needs to do more to keep students safe.

Ginny then asks, “You mean in the event of bomb threats and mass shootings?” The expression “in the event (event) of” means if or when something happens. “In the event of rain, we will not be playing the baseball game today.” That means if it rains, we won’t be playing baseball. Ginny says, “In the event of bomb (bomb) threats (threats) and mass (mass) shootings (shootings).”

A “bomb threat” is when someone says that there is a bomb in a certain place, and you better leave there or you might be killed. A “bomb” is a device, a thing that blows up and can kill you or hurt you. A “bomb threat,” then, is sometimes used to scare people to get people out of a certain place. A “mass shooting” is when many different people are killed, several people are killed in a short period of time.

Roberto says, “Those are some of the threats we have to prepare for.” Ginny says, “I don’t know how we can prepare for those things.” “I don’t know how we can get ready for a bomb threat or mass shootings,” she’s saying. Roberto says, “Well, we might consider,” meaning we should think about, “security cameras and armed guards to patrol the school.”

“Security cameras” are cameras, video cameras, that are usually put in the corner of a room or outside of a building to film or make a video of everything happening in that area. These are more common in other countries, I think, than in the U.S., especially in Great Britain. You hear a lot about something called “CCTV,” which stands for “closed-circuit television.” These are basically security cameras that film or take videos of everything that is happening in a room or in a certain area.

“Armed” (armed) means with a gun. A “guard” (guard) is a person whose job it is to protect a certain group of people or an area. So, “armed guards” are guards that have guns. Armed guards typically “patrol” (patrol). “To patrol” means to walk around a certain area or drive around a certain area in order to protect it and keep it safe. Roberto is suggesting that perhaps the school have guards with guns that would walk around the school in order to keep the students safe.

Ginny doesn’t think this is a good idea. She says, “Really?” She’s indicating her doubt by saying that. Roberto replies, “Really,” meaning yes. “We need to develop evacuation plans or procedures for lockdown in the event of an imminent threat.” An “evacuation” (evacuation) is when everyone has to leave a certain place because it’s dangerous there. An “evacuation plan” would be a plan or a list of steps that would be taken if, in this case, the school had to be evacuated. Notice there is a verb “to evacuate” from which we get the word “evacuation.”

A “lockdown” (lockdown) is when the doors of a building are locked to stop anyone from going out or coming in. This might be necessary if, for example, you want to prevent any of the children from leaving the school if there is someone dangerous near the school. An “imminent (imminent) threat” is something that is about to happen very soon. Anything that is “imminent” will be happening in the very near future, maybe in a few minutes or in a few hours or perhaps a few days.

Ginny says, “This is scary stuff.” Something that is “scary” (scary) is something that makes you afraid, something that gives you fear. Roberto says, “We live in scary times,” meaning we live in a dangerous period of history. Ginny says, “It’s starting to feel like we work in a prison, not a school.” A “prison” (prison) is a building where we keep criminals – people who have broken the law. Another word for “prison” is a “jail” (jail).

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Roberto: All right, let’s get started. I organized this faculty and staff meeting to talk about ideas to improve school security.

Ginny: But we already have controlled access to school buildings, and all of the staff and faculty wear ID badges.

Roberto: Those measures help to keep people out of our school who don’t belong here. But in light of what’s happened at other schools, we need to do more to keep students safe.

Ginny: You mean in the event of bomb threats and mass shootings?

Roberto: Those are some of the threats we have to prepare for.

Ginny: I don’t know how we can prepare for those things.

Roberto: Well, we might consider security cameras and armed guards to patrol the school.

Ginny: Really?

Roberto: Really. We need to develop evacuation plans or procedures for lockdown in the event of an imminent threat.

Ginny: This is scary stuff.

Roberto: We live in scary times.

Ginny: It’s starting to feel like we work in a prison, not a school!

[end of dialogue]

Our scriptwriter was once on a university faculty. Now she’s here writing wonderful scripts, and we thank her, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

faculty – teachers; educators and instructors; the people who teach at a particular school or institution

* The faculty in the chemistry department are asking for more lab space.

staff – administrators; the people who operate, manage, and provide support services at a particular school or institution, but do not teach classes

* We have full-time staff to help MBA students find summer internships and jobs.

school security – efforts to keep a school and all the people in it safe and free from danger

* Smoke alarms are an important part of school security.

controlled access – systems that limit who can enter a room or building, usually requiring special identification in order to pass through doors

* This laboratory has controlled access, because the biologists are working with dangerous bacteria.

ID badge – a piece of identification, usually worn around one’s neck, with one’s photograph, name, title, and/or level of access, sometimes with an electronic chip that can open doors

* Employees must wear their ID badge at all times within the building.

in light of – considering; reflecting on; drawing conclusions from available information

* In light of the heavy snowstorm, we have decided to close the schools early today.

in the event of – if or when something happens

* In the event of a tsunami, everyone should go to higher ground as quickly as possible.

bomb threat – a statement warning someone that a dangerous explosive device has been placed inside a building

* One of the students called the university and made a bomb threat to try to get his exam delayed for a few days.

mass shooting – an event where many people are injured or killed with a gun, usually by a single shooter

* It’s so sad and scary to see elementary schools teaching children to hide in classrooms if there’s ever a mass shooting.

security camera – a video camera, usually hidden or placed in the corner of a ceiling, that records what happens in a room so that the video can be watched after an emergency or crime to determine what happened

* Do security cameras help to reduce theft in stores?

armed guard – a person who carries one or more guns, and whose job is to protect property and/or other people

* The wealthiest and most powerful business executives are always surrounded by armed guards.

to patrol – to walk or drive repeatedly through a particular are in order to make sure it stays safe, especially when talking about a police officer

* How many officers patrol this part of the city on a typical weeknight?

evacuation plan – a plan, often a map, for how people will exit a building or leave an area very quickly in an emergency

* Every hotel room has a copy of the evacuation plan showing how guests should leave the building as quickly as possible if there is a fire.

lockdown – procedures and behaviors intended to save lives in an emergency, preventing people from entering or leaving certain parts of the building

* During a lockdown, all the classroom doors are locked, windows are covered with paper, and students are told to sit quietly under their desks.

imminent – about to happen; happening very soon

* As the tornado came toward us, we knew we were in imminent danger.

times – a period in history

* These are exciting times for our company, with rapid growth and international expansion.

prison – jail; a building where criminals are held as punishment for breaking the law

* Nick spent three years in prison for breaking the law.

Comprehension Questions

1. For which of these things would a lockdown be appropriate?
a) Controlled access
b) Bomb threats
c) Mass shootings
2. Why does Ginny say, “It’s starting to feel like we work in a prison, not a school”?
a) Because the students are becoming increasingly violent.
b) Because there are too many locks on the doors and windows.
c) Because the armed guards make the school seem like a jail.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

in light of

The phrase “in light of,” in this podcast, means considering or reflecting on information: “In light of their financial problems, they decided not to go on vacation this year.” The phrase “to come to light” means to become known by others: “If these actions ever come to light, we’ll all be arrested.” The phrase “to see the light” means to understand something suddenly: “Your explanation has helped me see the light.” The phrase “to have (one’s) name in lights” means to be famous: “She dreams of being a movie star and having her name in lights.” Finally, the phrase “the light of (someone’s) life” means to be the person whom one loves more than anyone else: “She was the light of his life, and he was devastated when she moved away.”

time

In this podcast, the word “times” means a period in history: “There were times in history when people thought the earth was flat, not round.” The phrase “for the time being” means temporarily, or for only a short period of time: “This job is okay for the time being, but eventually I want to be a decision-maker within the organization.” The phrase “with time to spare” means earlier or sooner than expected: “We ran all the way and arrived at the theater with time to spare.” The phrase “it’s about time” emphasizes that someone thought something should have happened earlier than it did: “Did you finally finish that report? It’s about time!” Finally, the phrase “in no time at all” means very quickly: “Gerald made a delicious three-course meal in no time at all.”

Culture Note

Types of School Drills and Safety Procedures

Most schools have “drills” (actions that are practiced and repeated many times) and safety procedures “designed” (created) to protect students, faculty, and staff in emergency situations.

In many schools, fire drills “are held” (happen) every month or two. As soon as the fire “alarms” (loud lights and noises to warn of a danger) “go off” (turn on and make a loud noise), students “line up “(stand in a long line, with each person behind another person) and “file out” (walk out of the room in a line) while the teacher counts them. They walk to a “designated” (identified ahead of time) place, usually in a large field or parking lot next to the school. Teachers and staff try to “account for all the students” (make sure they know where all the students are) and wait for the “all-clear signal” (a noise or message that lets people know the danger has passed) before re-entering the building.

In areas that “are prone to” (have a lot of; are vulnerable to) “tornados” (large, dangerous storms with wind that moves quickly in circles), schools have “severe weather drills.” In these drills, students are taken to “interior” (in the inside of a building) rooms or a “basement” (a room below the surface of the earth). They are told to “crouch down” (bend their knees and fold their body down, with hands over one’s head and neck).

Finally, in a “lockdown drill,” teachers and students practice what they would do if a “shooter” (someone who is firing guns) came onto “campus” (all the buildings and surrounding area where a school is located). Usually, the students hide in a closet or under their desks while the teacher locks the doors and covers the windows.

Comprehension Answers

1 - c

2 - c