From Harford County Public Schools:
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students of Harford County Public Schools,
In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, we understand that there are many raw emotions among our students. We are aware that there are national organizations encouraging students to walk out of school on March 14, 2018. We cannot condone students leaving classes during the instructional day to participate in this activity. It presents, paradoxically, a threat to student safety, as word of the walkout has been widely disseminated and students who go outside could become more vulnerable. We do not have adequate staffing and resources to supervise students who leave the school building to participate in a walkout.
Providing students with a voice on March 14 is important to us as a school system. Keeping students safe while they discuss their feelings surrounding the recent tragedy is our priority. We have prepared a learning module that will provide students with an opportunity to share their feelings about recent events across the nation and will allow them to speak about solutions in a structured way. This activity will take place on March 14 in secondary schools across the county at 10:00 a.m. This activity will provide a means for students of varying perspectives to engage in a positive dialogue while remaining in a safe and secure environment.
We ask for the assistance of parents and guardians as well as the understanding of students in seeing that the proposed walkout cannot be sanctioned. Students who leave buildings may be subject to disciplinary action for disrupting school operations.
Sincerely,
Barbara P. Canavan
Superintendent, Harford County Public Schools
A learning module – really?
Do you not listen to the students and their
Families- my kids graduated from Bel Air almost 2 years ago/and I would be in support of what John Carroll is doing. Have your teams make it a positive experience , support their voice- I’m sure they will be happy with a learning module.
They get a voice when they graduate or turn 18. Until that time, their voices should be overshadowed by the voices of their parents. If you can’t understand this please go talk to your kids about the dangers of eating “Tide Pods”.
Last month they were trying to get teenagers from eating Tide Pods, this month all the kids are experts on the government.
Like the opinions of those who need to be told NOT to eat a “Tide Pod” really matter…..
It’s not really about being “heard” most of these kids just want an excuse to skip class.
I didn’t realize an excuse was needed to skip class, we just didn’t go because that was what we felt like doing. When Mom and Dad found out, they then did what they felt like doing. That’s why we didn’t skip class that much….
Trying to quash the student voice by threatening disciplinary action. Well, you are playing your role well, stent you?
Really! How dare they threaten to enforce the rules and discipline those who break them! Who do they think they are – the administration?
In my day, a suspension was a day home watching TV on your stomach because my butt hurt so bad from the belt lashing I received the night before. Guess what, we didn’t go get an AR-15 and shoot up the school either, we went back to the school and kept our mouth shut because that was what Mom and Dad told us to do…..
Sheesh, they get away with everything else, why not this? We cant beat the shit out of them at home anymore, becasue they will tell on me… I’m a single parent, maybe I should beat my kids ass and let him tell. Fine, put his ass in foster care (there are no other family members to take him), when he realizes most of the foster homes in Harford are full and goes to a group home – enjoy son Love Mom!
If they wanted a voice, they’d be in Annapolis testifying before the House and Senate, not standing outside the school posting selfies.
Barbara Canavan, All that safety comes at a price of giving up freedom for security. Your schools have already altered the current mindset of most young people in that they believe in ideas that are completely un-American. We have seen a shift in thinking that does not promote freedom and seems to condone the abrogation of the Constitution so that we can all be SAFE, as long as we do what we are told. That is NOT freedom and the very idea that remaining in a school that tells students to go lock yourself in a classroom and wait, when an active shooter is roaming the halls to kill them, is the perfect example of why I wouldn’t listen to a damn thing coming out of your mouth. The answers are not giving up guns or creating safe zones or even putting police in the schools. The answer is parents getting back their parental rights to bust that ass when a kid deserves it and stop turning todays youth into a bunch lilly lappers who are actually controlling the parents. The world seems to have turned into what the movie “Demolition Man” prophesized and it literally makes me sick to my stomach.
Aaah yes, the old “beat the p*ss out of them until they obey” trope.
Child abuse is the greatest!
Felonies are good parenting!
Assault is the preferred method of gaining compliance!
People who are weak deserve to be punished!
Children – who didn’t have any choice to be here in the first place – should be punched for having their own ideas!
After all, its their fault that you are a miserable person!
Yeah, but your ideas have led us to psychotic children in schools killing their classmates in any random fashion they please. I’m 45 and the fact is we didn’t go to school and commit mass murder like the children are today. Obviously our parents at least got that correct. What’s your excuse?
Of course they committed mass murder, you just didn’t hear about it within 90 seconds of it happening. And since I’m older than you I know your parents, and if they were beating the hell out of you regularly they were definitely in the minority. Its a cave man mentality which has been repeatedly proven only to be most effective at creating another generation of abusers. Are you here, willing and ready to confess that you beat the h*ll out of your children to ensure compliance? And want them to do the same to your grandchildren?
Well at least the children won’t be committing mass murder amongst themselves. If it takes bringing back parental authority to discipline their kids, I’m all for it. But what do I know? You have all done a great job convincing your little boys that they really are little girls and vice versa. Wonderful job indeed…..
Typical Liberal,,, a beating means just that , bludgeoned to death, as the same with “Whooping” Take everything word for word,When you know, that’s not what was meant,, By the way,,You have any kids??? Lets pray not,,,,
YOUR the reason for these problems,,,Oh I get it ,,just give them what they want, My sister is going thru HELL because of her liberal ideals of raising children,,,NOT working out too well for her,,,Maybe she should listen to you….LOL
Wait, so I can’t have my coloring book? Which bathroom do I use now? Where are my tide pods!!!
Eliminate the may be and institute a will be, if you leave class without permission, you will be suspended for 3 days. Have some balls and stand up for the rules. This kind of stuff is why the parkland shooter was never arrested, therefore never taking his gun rights away. HCC is having a community forum on this topic at Darlington Hall on Thursday, March 15th at 6:30. The idea of not enforcing rules is what gets kids in more trouble, not letting them slide.
How about the students that would choose to opt out of your program? Will they be allowed to stay in class? They would have before. Some just want to do their work and now they get to spend the day hearing the class narcissist disrupt the school on a stage that Canavan & Co. built for them. The students that would rather not be pulled into a politically driven stunt seem to have no voice. Where are the materials that you plan to show? Are you sending an exact copy of the program home or do parents get blindsided at dinner with details? Paradoxically, this half-assed solution will cause many students more stress than comfort. We need look no further than next door to see how the arrogance of those like like Dallas Dance is thick in self righteousness. If a student chooses to walk out, it’s an unexcussed absence. Nothing more, nothing less. Threatening suspension is an abuse of authority. If you walk out of class, you should do so at your own risk. End of story.
I agree with “Forest for the trees” in that no abuse of authority should be taken against those that want to walk out and take part in this, this, whatever it is. The standard penalty for ditching class or school should apply and nothing more……
Was with you until you stated “If you walk out of class, you should do so at your own risk.” The School is responsible for the safety of their students. That’s why we have adults in charge , not children. Not sure how you determined its an ABUSE of authority. Geeez
This is our next generation to vote people out of Congress. This is a protest that they are tired of going to school being scared the are not coming back home. Are we in Harford county are equipped with security to stop this situation from Happening. I say not. What are we as parents and the administration’s going to do? Have an answer to the situation first before trying to enforce the rules and regulation on the students.
Yeah, your post taken from the “How to politicize a tragedy” handbook huh?
It’s nice to focus on one thing at one spot but what about kids safety everywhere else? School busses? Bus stops? Going to the mall?
The only way to stop these bad things from happening in school is to not have school’s.
As mentioned above, watch the Hollywood film “Demolition man”
Have a joy joy day.
Worst syfy film ever:
Seriously? “This is a protest that they are tired of going to school being scared the are not coming back home.”??? Please move back to wherever you came from.
Let’s be real here. That is a bit hyperbolic…okay very hyperbolic. If your poor children are seriously that terrified they are not coming back home every single day of their life, then I must think you have failed dearly as a parent. School shootings are extremely rare events. Period. Should they happen? Absolutely not. But the fact is, the incidence is exceedingly low. I assume your kids don’t play outside due to fear of being hit by a car? Don’t swim in the ocean due to sharks? Walk around wearing bubble wrap and helmet?
Your comment is seriously insane.
Let’s be real, present day, when a student gets suspended, it’s really a penalty for the parent(s)/guardian(s).
Penalty, as they are now inconvenienced in their daily schedule for their child’s bad behavior.
Agreed
You guys will not be satisfied until every child has his own personal police officer walking them to class and wiping their a$$. Life is a risk. You could die at any moment for any reason. All you can do is make the schools as safe as reasonably possible and hope for the best. This country can’t even afford to fix the damn roads anymore so what makes you think we are going to be able to afford all this security? When you sacrifice freedom for safety and security you have become free no more. Welcome to the United States of Hysteria, where we are afraid to do anything and everything, please sign up for your free tracking and monitoring device so we can monitor you every move. We are only doing this to keep you safe. What a bunch of BS…..
This young generation is our best hope for getting meaningful reform–older generations have FAILED. These students want to do something.
Meaningful reform huh… most of these kids are only looking for an excuse to defy authority with the expectation of getting away with it. The rest are only still at it because liberal teachers are stroking them on – otherwise they’d be right back to selfies, tide pods and playing grab a$$ since their attention span is about 3 minutes. The FBI failed, the Sheriff’s office failed, the parents failed and the school system failed – no one who was familiar with him was the least bit surprised at the identity of the shooter. That’s sad. Short of a mass murder, what on Earth did this miscreant have to do to get someone to do their job? No amount of soul searching or gun banning is going to fix the basic flaws in the very governmental systems most of these people expect to protect them. The people who were at fault need to pay a very real penalty for their incompetence. Instead, we see no punishment – and worse, at least one retirement with full benefits. Sadly this lack of accountability is typical for government and only breeds more incompetence by protecting those who exhibit it. What’s the point in “see something, say something” when they did NOTHING? How many people need to be murdered at one time to justify firing stupid, lazy people? Apparently this body count didn’t reach that threshold.
SoulCrusher, you owe every young person in Harford County an apology for your statement. It is beyond mere prattle. It is offensive and undignified.
I agree. I was horrified to read those posts. Disgusting.
I apologize for telling you the truth.
Well since I agree with SoulCrusher on this one, I must insist that YOU apologize… It’s going to be difficult to have a debate if we’re all going to insist on apologies from whoever disagrees with us.
Parents need to start beating their kids’ asses more! Schools need to suspend students that walk out.
STOP BEING SOFT! one of these crybabies is going to run our country one day!!!
Please do not use profanity.
Piss off.
Kids are being murdered wholesale inside schools. School super says keeping kids in the school is only way to make them safe.
sounds legit.
Kids are being murdered wholesale in schools? You have got to be kidding. When you have this insane distortion of facts, how is it possible to hold any sort of debate? How many murders have EVER occurred in Harford County Schools? I don’t know, but I would feel confident in saying 0. How many have EVER occurred at schools in the state of Maryland? I would venture to guess any that have are few and far between, and certainly related to gang violence.
So don’t sit there and act like walking down the hall at a public school in Maryland is like walking around San Pedro Sula.
Well the kiddies may not have first amendment rights but their second is intact.
Thank an NRA member
At a public school in Des Moines, Iowa, students organized a silent protest against the Vietnam War. Students planned to wear black armbands to school to protest the fighting but the principal found out and told the students they would be suspended if they wore the armbands. Despite the warning, students wore the armbands and were suspended. During their suspension the students’ parents sued the school for violating their children’s right to free speech. A U.S. district court sided with the school, ruling that wearing armbands could disrupt learning. The students appealed the ruling to a U.S. Court of Appeals but lost and took their case to the United States Supreme Court.
Decision:
In 1969 the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision in favor of the students. The high court agreed that students’ free rights should be protected and said, “Students don’t shed their constitutional rights at the school house gates.”
The bad example is still there. Imagine some kids and their future employer getting fired after an act of insubordination.
Maryland is “at will” with very few jobs offering any type of actual “legal protection.”
Doing a great job setting a good example of not following authority.