Therapy Dogs in Every School

Boys Read opposes the NRA's proposal to put armed officers in every school.  We strongly support having therapy dogs in every school.  A School-Resource Officer (SRO) can be helpful for curbing violence in schools.  However, they are simply cost prohibitive and a reactive and defensive approach.  In 2007, the Department of Justice estimated the annual cost of employing a law-enforcement officer averaged $116,500.

Boys Read believes that schools need more counselors; especially male counselors that can identify boys that are at-risk of dropping out of school and of being incarcerated or violent to themselves or others.  Boys need men and women to connect with.  Every school needs at least one male and female counselor.  Every child must be accounted for.  Every child deserves our best effort to connect them to our society as a whole.  There is a place for each unique individual.

One best-practice that can be accomplished is to bring therapy dogs into schools.  A creative university in Canada recently had success with using therapy dogs as stress-relievers.  For the full best-practice story, click here.

Also, click here for a doggone good way to get reluctant readers to read.

In summary, as educators, we must stand up and fight for creative, proactive ways to help our kids.  If we don't speak up now, we will all be the victims of big business, political driven mandates.