Violence Involving Weapons

The Board of breeding has removed the principal of the troubled Martin Luther King junior High School by and by a spate of violence involving weapons at the school. Most recently, on Friday, a learner sneaked a knife into the bustling five-story building and threatened a nonher student. The removal of the principal, Ronald Williams rise, came almost terce weeks after a crush of students, teachers and administrators dashed from the building and for cover in classrooms when a man cam stroke two students in what appeared to be a dispute over a girl.The school is at western United States 66th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, a block from Lincoln Center. On Friday, two students were arrested after one student displayed a folding knife during an argument. He passed it to a second student after security officers arrived to offend up the fight. The first student sneaked the knife into the building by passing it inside a mass bag through the schools weapons scanner. Martin Luther King s chool officials did not call th e Board of Education until hours later, said Catie Marshall.The Board of Education requires school administrators to call the boards emergency information center immediately after such incidents. During an investigation into the timing of the report, Tony Sawyer, the Manhattan high school superintendent, removed Mr. Wells Ms. Marshall said. The New York come in first reported the dismissal yesterday. Mr. Wells has been replaced by Steve Gutman, a 36-year veteran of the system who retired in kinsfolk but came back to the board at Mr. Sawyers request. Mr. Wellss new assignment has not been announced. After the Jan. 5 shootings, Mr. Wells came under criticism for not being at work.He was on duty with the National champion that day. Schools Chancellor Harold O. Levy, who toured the building after the shooting, found that some people who were not enrolled in courses were carrying photo recognition cards. The school has had its share of trouble in the n early three decades since it opened. Efforts to improve the curriculum puzzle faltered, and principals have quit. Next year, the school which is large, with about 3,000 students will be divided into two smaller academies.The removal of a principal cannot be seen as having fixed the problem, said C. Virginia Fields, the Manhattan borough president, who is a member of the task force working(a) to phase out the old school. There is much work to be done. We need to address guard duty and security, as well as other concerns that have been raised, including academics and student selection. My opinion on the whole involvement is that the school made the right decision to remove the princible from the school. For one reason what if something happened again like Columbine. That would not be good.