OTSEGO, MICH. — For a lot of parents, the events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School was the wake-up call they needed.
Twelve years later, there's been countless school shootings that continue to plague the country. Now, one mother has made it her goal to preach safety at schools across the states.
Carly Posey's life changed forever on Dec. 14, 2012, when her two youngest children were at Sandy Hook Elementary when the shooting broke out.
"So, the gunman entered our school, entered my son's first-grade classroom, killed his teacher,” said Posey. "Then my son saved his own life by running out of his classroom to safety. And my fourth-grade daughter, she was in her class across the hall from his classroom; she also survived."
The events of that day were any parent’s worst nightmare, but for Posey and many other parents that day, it became reality.
Unfortunately for Posey, school safety wasn't a huge topic of conversation nearly a decade ago.
“I don't think we like to think these things are going to happen to us, right?" said Posey. "I was a parent in the community. I don't remember, you know, any conversations around this whole thing called 'school safety.'"
But that's all changed now. Almost 12 years since the shooting, Posey uses the fear she felt that day to help parents prepare for these moments.
“I just tell parents to be involved," said Posey. "Have those conversations with your school, with your teachers, with your kids. Be on the same message as the community, as the whole of safety.”
Faculty at Otsego Public Schools understand the importance of safety for their students, which is why they have recognized School Safety Week the past five years, which includes carrying out required safety drills at each school, including an evacuation drill.
"We want to make sure this year and every year ... that we prepare and plan for these drills," said Jeff Haase, superintendent for Otsego Public Schools.
Hearing about those experiences is hitting home for parents in the community.
“For eight hours of every weekday, we take the most precious things in our lives and we put it in someone else's hands,” said Barry Lafler, a parent of three Otsego Public Schools students. "You want to make sure they're safe, and if there's someone coming here to lend different methods that may help keep them safe, we want to know everything we can know about it.”
Since 2018, Otsego Public Schools have marked School Safety Week by conducting interviews and bringing in guest speakers to highlight the importance of having a plan in place.
Posey will also speak to members of the school’s faculty Wednesday morning.
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