On a fateful day in October, blocks away from Detroit Henry Ford High School, at the intersection of Pembroke and Evergreen, the brutal reality of youth violence in schools was truly manifested. One student, 16-year-old Christopher Walker, was killed. Three innocent bystanders were shot: ages 15 and 16.

The demise of three more young Black men caught up in the perpetual pursuit of the street definition of masculinity hangs in the balance. They are charged with first degree murder and will possibly spend the rest of their days in state prison. It's not the first time. It will not be the last.

How does DPS respond to the violence? Add more security. A shallow response that lacks an understanding of cause-and-effect relationships in education. Violence in schools is a problem but simply adding more police is not the answer. That's like having a hole in a tire and rushing for the air pump, wasting quarters on something that you can get for free. As Fred Sanford might say, "Fix the hole, ya big dummy!"

Incompetent and stubborn school administrators closed and merged schools (which it should have done ten years ago), but did not listen when concerned parents and community leaders told them that there are certain school cultures that do not go together, like oil and water.

I grew up across the street from Henry Ford and it's well known that Detroit Redford and Henry Ford are arch enemies. We are not talking the "friendly" feud between Michigan and Ohio State that might result in a few pranks and bragging rights.  Both schools were littered with rival gangs, dealers competing for drug territory and, of course, what else boys fight for; girls, who will fight side by side with the boys, throwing up signs and claiming sets. How a decision could be made to merge these two schools is beyond my comprehension.

This is one of countless examples of how the pride and arrogance of DPS leadership gets in the way of common sense. School administrators cannot look past their PhDs to listen to a stuttering parent from Warren and Holcomb who chops up the verb "to be" like fire wood. There are so many parents do not participate in fostering their children's education one might think we would listen to those parents who do have something to say even if we have to decode it.

What happens when you add more police officers to a school? You get a prison! Yes, schools are facing violence which stems from student-student conflict. Nonetheless, adding security as opposed to exploring what is going on in our communities, families, and in the lives of our students is not the answer.

The challenges facing urban teachers and students are immense. Successful urban school leadership works to understand the lives of our children and the complexity of growing up Black in America. Successful schools engage in a constructive dialogue and recognition of our common humanity, which is critical to alleviating violence and evolving a place of learning.

Consider nutrition. There are children who go to school every day and do not eat breakfast. You say big deal, but the research shows that kids with proper nutrition perform better in class, have fewer disciplinary problems and perform better on standardized tests, according to State of Michigan Surgeon General Kimberly Dawn Wisdom. A lack of quality, daily physical activity also contributes to classroom challenges. Outlets for physical activity create healthy competition, help build self-esteem, and give students a forum to "let loose" bottled up energy.

Surely, giving students a Nutra-Grain bar each morning may not prevent them from clobbering another student in the head with an Algebra book. But what we should consider is a plan to enact holistic change in our schools as opposed to a fragmented reactionary approach that sends us all to face the corner and don a fitted dunce cap.