Columbine high school principal frank deangelis talks columbine. I was the principal at colorados columbine high school on april 20, 1999. For columbine specifically, i would recommend this book as well as columbine by dave cullen. Frank deangelis, former columbine high school principal, addresses the crowd at the national summit on school safety in houston, tx on march 30, 2019. He was in his office when the shooting started, and he was there through. How principal frank deangelis is trying to rebuild.
Columbine is a nonfiction book written by dave cullen and published by twelve hachette book group on april 6, 2009. To mark the occasion, deangelis has written a book recounting the long road. Columbine high school principal frank deangelis talks. All characters dave cullen eric harris dylan klebold dwayne fuselier frank deangelis mr. How principal frank deangelis is trying to rebuild columbine high school students gather on april 21, 1999 in memory of those slain and injured in the attack at the school. Kristina anderson, founder, the koshka foundation for safe schools.
At some points, it did seem redundant and perhaps a bit boastful, though im sure it was well intentioned. Frank deangelis, former columbine principal, adjusts to. Columbine principal speaks to eastside students the. For columbine specifically, i would recommend this book as well as. Frank deangelis has worked at columbine high school for thirtyfive years, and hes been principal for the last seventeen. D dave sanders patrick ireland robyn anderson nate dykeman chris morris brooks brown cassie bernall craig scott wayne harris don marxhausen val schnurr. Columbine high school principal speaks in wake of 1999 shooting frank deangelis spoke to abc news days after the school shooting that claimed lives. Frank deangelis, the former principal of columbine high school was written a memoir about his time at the school and the lessons learned from the infamous school shooting. New book from former principal talks about tragedy.
Columbine heads advice sought after shooting littleton, co administrators reach out to former columbine high principal frank deangelis for advice since there is no book on shootings. After school shootings like the massacre at marjory stoneman douglas high, administrators reached out to former columbine high principal frank deangelis for advice, since there is no book to teach. Stoneman douglas high turns to columbines principal for. If you can put up with those flaws, it doesnt have to be a totally awful book it could be, at least, an interesting recounting of what led up to the shooting, and the history of the aftermath. I knew frank deangelis and worked with him on a parentteacher advisory board at columbine for several years. Frank deangelis was the principal of columbine high school at the time of the massacre. Frank deangelis, the retired principal of columbine high school in littleton, colorado came to georgian court and gave an emotional account of the longterm aftermath of the columbine tragedy and the rebuilding of the community. Columbine faq dylan klebold, eric harris school shooters. Professors book looks at legacy of columbine shooting, 20. D character timeline in columbine the timeline below shows where the character frank deangelis mr. He was only in his third year as principal when it happened. It was a peculiar sentiment for an administrator to express to an assembly of teenagers. Columbine principal reflects on worst nightmare 19 years. Its been 20 years since two students stormed the columbine high school campus in littleton, colorado, killing 12 students and one teacher.
Frank deangelis is a national treasure who has transformed the school safety conversation worldwide. Tenure of columbine principal frank deangelis reflected in. An incredible book written by an incredible human being. Frank deangelis, former columbine high school principal, addresses the crowd at the national summit on school safety in houston, tx on. The definitive account, of the tragedy will likely be dave cullens columbine, a nonfiction book that has the pacing of an action movie and the complexity of a shakespearean drama. Frank deangelis offers us a rare window into a personal journey few have. Columbine is drenched in irony from the opening pages, which start not with the shootings, but the weekend before, when principal frank deangelis is urging the students to come back safely after the prom the following weekend. That perspective set the stage for a new outlook, frank said. The story of columbines heart, resilience, and recovery 9781949595055. Columbine principals advice sought after florida shooting. Columbine high school principal frank deangelis talks columbine massacre, gun laws. Deangelis, an exceptional educator and leader, also offers many insightful and useful strategies for coping with group trauma as well as leading in an educational setting.
This book gave me a better idea of the tragedy of the columbine murders. I start with general columbine questions, then questions about the columbine book, and finally detailed columbine questions for those of you who like to dig into the nitty gritty. For 20 years, former principal frank deangelis has been sharing his story of the tragedy at columbine an event that was the turning point in this ongoing saga of school massacres. Deangelis, who was 43 at the time, lovingly refers to those who died that day as the beloved. I may read deangelis book just to compare it to the other books out there. His honesty and unwavering commitment that those lost in our columbine tragedy will never be forgotten is reflected in a willingness to share the difficult lessons learned and. How many books of kids that died at columbine were written by there families. His honesty and unwavering commitment that those lost in our columbine tragedy will never be forgotten is reflected in a willingness to share the difficult lessons learned and his own very moving and personal journey. Frank deangelis was the principal of columbine high school on april. Deangelis started his teaching career in 1979 at columbine high school. Lessons learned from columbine high massacre youtube. I graduated from a nearby school that was mentioned in cullens book a few years before dylan and eric.
President bill clinton frank deangelis offers us a rare window into a personal journey few have traveled and fewer have paved. Dave cullen takes on columbine center for health journalism. The shootings occurred on april 20, 1999, when senior students eric harris and dylan klebold killed twelve students and a teacher, and wounded 24 others, before they both committed suicide. Columbine high school principal frank deangelis, who is retiring at the end of this school year, acknowledges a standing ovation from students packed into the gymnasium on april 25. Retiring columbine principal turned guilt into action frank deangelis, principal of columbine high school, is retiring. Frank deangelis, retired principal of columbine high school, served as an educator for the jeffco school district in littleton colorado, since 1979, starting as a social studies teacher and filling the roles of head baseball coach, assistant football coach, dean of students, and assistant principal, before becoming the principal in 1996. But frank deangelis had been a coach longer than a principal, and he earnestly believed in motivation by candor. Retiring columbine principal turned guilt into action. Frank deangelis was principal during one of the worst school. Columbine survivor writes book us news life nbc news. After school shootings such as the massacre at marjory stoneman douglas high, administrators reach out to former columbine high principal frank deangelis as there is no book. Former columbine principal remembers and reflects on. Columbine principal frank deangelis went through a divorce after throwing himself into his work, but is now engaged to his high school sweetheart. But frank deangelis had been a coach longer than a principal, and he earnestly believed in.
Colorado native frank deangelis retired from his position as principal of columbine high school after thirtyfive years of service. The massacre made headlines both nationally and internationally, making columbine a household name. Frank deangelis made it his personal cause to rebuild the columbine community after the tragic shootings in 1999 left 12 students and one teacher dead. Principal of columbine, loved by all his students, said the day before prom at the assembly that he wanted to see them all alive on monday, one day before the massacre. The frank deangelis baseball field at columbine high in littleton, colorado. Cullen swings the storytelling pendulum back and forth throughout the work, which has two major narrative strands. Published by praeger and available via their website, the book includes a foreword by frank deangelis, who was the principal of columbine at the time and now is a national consultant and inspirational speaker, including an appearance at suny oswego in 2017. This book is a testament to the power of compassion in the face of crisis and the ageold belief that leaders are not born but made.
It is an examination of the columbine high school massacre, on april 20, 1999, and the perpetrators eric harris and dylan klebold. Columbine high school was the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern united states history. The story of columbines heart, resilience, and recovery 9781949595062. I think theres definitely some confirmation bias going on, which may be interpreted as denial, but i think the truth about how bad things were at columbine lies somewhere in the middle between what frank d describes and what brooks describes. He began his career there as social studies teacher and filled the roles of head baseball coach, assistant football coach, dean of students, and assistant principal before becoming the principal in 1996. If you want to understand the columbine tragedy and gain insight to the many mass shootings since then this book will help you. May 11, 2011 columbine dedicates field to longtime principal frank deangelis he said he didnt think of requesting tickets to the event and, in the meantime, made other commitments.
Frank deangelis, who was the principal of columbine high school from 19962014, talks about the steps he took to heal students and staff in the wake of the school shooting. Then, he visited another expert who pinpointed the problem. I knew frank deangelis and worked with him on a parentteacher advisory board at. The principal of columbine, frank deangelis, is retiring. Bullying was an issue there, but nothing as bad as columbine. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Columbine principal marks tragic 20th anniversary with new. Lessons from tragedy schildkraut, jaclyn, muschert, glenn w. You have been a part of columbine for 35 years, frank s therapist told him, he recalled. Frank deangelis offers us a rare window into a personal journey few have traveled and fewer have paved. This faq answers most of the questions i get asked. Frank deangelis recounts the struggles he and the community faced after the 1999 columbine high school massacre in his new book, they call me mr.