OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
March 6, 2018 Dear ARPS Community: Since the recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida, we have received numerous emails, phone calls, and correspondence from families, students, and staff members concerned about two separate (but connected) items: school safety and political advocacy. We understand these concerns and want to address them for the ARPS community. Safety/Prevention There have been significant improvements to our school’s safety protocols and structures over the past five years thanks to the ongoing support of the Amherst and Pelham Police Departments. Specific processes and procedures have been put in place to provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students and staff, including the following:
We practice annual safety drills at all schools, both with and without students. All drills are conducted in a manner consistent with recommendations from the Amherst and Pelham Police Departments, and drills with students are performed in developmentally appropriate ways to support both safety/readiness as well as students’ social-emotional development. Our school leaders take regular, formal “safety walks” inside and outside of their buildings with our Facilities Director and members of the Police Department to identify areas that need to be addressed with regard to safety. We have integrated the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evaluate) response framework, considered the best practice in the field, to enhance our safety planning at the High School and Middle School level. Our elementary staff will be trained on an adjusted ALICE framework in the current calendar year. We have a dedicated and well-trained staff, which is essential to school safety. They observe and report anything they observe that concerns them; practice our protocols during safety drills; and provide essential supports for students, to ensure that every student has at least one adult they know, trust, and can talk with about any concerns about themselves or others. Our schools have teams of mental health professionals, including counselors and psychologists, to support all of our students. Many of these staff members have been trained in Dr. Dewey Cornell’s threat assessment protocols, which are nationally recognized as the best practices in the field.
Moving forward, we will continue to build on these efforts to improve our approaches to school safety through our partnership with local police departments and other first responders. Even with an understanding of the proactive steps taken by the schools, it is undoubtedly challenging to discuss school safety with your children at home. I am attaching a helpful document from the National Association of School Psychologists on this topic. If you have more specific concerns about your child’s response to school safety, please be in touch with your school’s counselor and/or principal.
Advocacy The tragedy in Florida, on top of other acts of violence on school campuses over the past several years, has driven increased interest in student-led civic engagement efforts and actions, including the idea of school walkouts. As a district, we support students’ Constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and free expression. Our goal in responding to walk-out plans and other forms of peaceful assembly is to try and keep focus on teaching and learning, while providing guidance and planning to support student and staff safety. At all levels, our primary interest is to ensure that all students are free to express their views and opinions in an environment free of coercion or pressure. Currently, at least three national, student-led efforts are planned: 1. Wednesday, March 14: Women’s March Youth EMPOWER--Call for school walkouts for 17 minutes from 10:00-10:17 a.m. The national organization spearheading this event calls for students to march in support of “pass[ing] legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets and in our homes and places of worship.” 2. Saturday, March 24: March for Our Lives 3. Friday, April 20: National School Walkout for students across nation through their in local districts Since March 14, which is an early release day, is the only date on which ARPS schools are in session, the general information below pertains to that specific date/event. You will also receive an email from your child’s principal with school-specific information. Amherst and Pelham Elementary Schools (Grades Preschool-6): We have heard from many families who do not want their children informed about either the tragedy or the national walkout, and we respect that parental decision. We have also heard from other families who feel differently about this matter. Having students ranging from three to twelve years old in the same school buildings poses a challenge in this regard. We fully understand that many of our younger students may not have exposure to the events in Parkland or to the current political debates. We also understand that our older students may be well aware of these events and may feel compelled to take action in response. In order to ameliorate these concerns, sixth grade students (who in many districts would be in a Middle School environment) will have recess at 10:00 a.m. on March 14. If students choose to express their views by walking to a designated area of the school grounds during this time, they will be free to do so. If they choose to participate in recess as planned, they will also be free to do so. If you feel your child (at any grade level) should participate in an action outside of the school that you support, parents/guardians may sign them out of school to do so. Amherst Regional Middle School (Grades 7-8) ARMS staff members, students and administrators are collaborating to make meaningful educational experiences that address this national dialogue for March 14th. The learning needs of middle school students in combination with safety concerns of this age group are central to our planning as we recognize the need to mark the gravity of this social moment in the form of a “teach-in/sing out/speak out/write-in.” Our enduring understanding for this work is that our ARMS community has a right to a
170 CHESTNUT STREET AMHERST, MA 01002
TEL. (413) 362-1810
FAX (413) 549-6108
safe educational environment, and that collectively, with inclusivity, we can make a difference. After a morning of curriculum activities, we will assemble together on school grounds in the format of an allschool sing-out/speak-out to pronounce our shared right to school safety, and to respectfully remember the loss of life from school gun violence. A representative from the Amherst Police Department will accompany our assembly to ensure our safety while we demonstrate our solidarity with all communities’ rights to school safety and expressing our empathy for the loss of life. Amherst Regional High School & Summit Academy (Grades 9-12) We have three primary interests for high school students who desire to become involved in the national event on March 14: 1) To allow them to fully participate in this national moment and gather educational return from it; 2) to maintain the balance between our required political neutrality as a public school and providing opportunities for political expression and advocacy; and 3) to ensure the safety of all students. High School students have been dutifully meeting with the building administration to develop clear protocols and plans for the event on March 14, and students who participate in a school-authorized walkout activity will not be subject to discipline. We are aware that this event is likely to draw media coverage and, perhaps, the attention of the larger community. We have been coordinating with the Amherst Police Department to ensure the safety of students who opt to participate in the national walk-out. A representative from the Amherst Police Department will accompany students to ensure their safety while they are expressing their viewpoints. Please let us know if you have any questions. Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Morris Superintendent of Schools
170 CHESTNUT STREET AMHERST, MA 01002
TEL. (413) 362-1810
FAX (413) 549-6108
