Masschusetts school: "Throw out the security guards and invest in arts teachers" (with a comment about Dennis Littky's The Big Picture)

This paragraph caught my eye:

In 2003, Orchard Gardens Pilot School in Massachusetts, nearly 100 percent black and Hispanic, opened its doors with a posse of security guards to ensure the campus was under tight controls. Backpacks were prohibited for fear of weapons and discipline issues were rampant, including violence. In 2010, the current principal, Andrew Bott, threw out the security guards and put the money into arts teachers. Student achievement grew faster than anywhere in the state and student expression blossomed.

Source

Look at this quote from p. 67 of The Big Picture:  Education is Everyone's Business.

Here is the full blog that appears in smartblog on Education