It’s September, and that means one thing in millions of households throughout the country: Back to School. When I was a kid that entailed shopping for supplies and new clothes and saying goodbye to summer, but not much else. Today’s parents, educators and administrators have a bit more to think and worry about these days.

In our house we are getting ready this week to take our middle son back to campus where he is studying electrical engineering at the University of Maryland. He will be a sophomore and a resident advisor this year. He has to go back to campus early to complete training that will no doubt cover everything from safety and security procedures to mental health issues he might encounter in his new RA role. Our youngest son will be a junior in high school and is angry about a proposed change to the schedule that will cut down on their “free period” hour they use for academic help, clubs, lunch and social time. The reason the county is giving for this change is too much fighting/leaving campus and not using it as intended — in other words, it has become a security and safety problem.