Harford Superintendent Says 'No' To Student Walkout

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — While students across the country have signed up to walk out of class a month after the shooting that killed 17 people at a high school in Florida, Harford County high school students will not be among them. At least, the superintendent hopes not. She has banned secondary school students from participating in the March 14 walkout and says those who do so may be subject to disciplinary action.

"We cannot condone students leaving classes during the instructional day to participate in this activity," Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Canavan said in a statement this week. See the full letter below.

Harford Community College in Bel Air as well as Fallston and Aberdeen High schools had signed up to participate in the national movement. The national walkout on March 14 encourages students to leave their classrooms for 17 minutes – one minute for each life taken at the school on Feb. 14, according to organizers.

RELATED: Harford Students Plan Walkouts Calling For Stricter Gun Laws

Prohibiting the walkout is in the interest of the well-being of the students, according to Canavan, whose jurisdiction does not cover the community college but does include 54 public schools that enroll more than 37,000 students.

"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," Canavan said. "We do not have adequate staffing and resources to supervise students who leave the school building to participate in a walkout."

Officials at Harford County Public Schools say they are offering another option. At 10 a.m. on March 14, schools will offer an activity for those who want to have their voices heard.

"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," Canavan said. "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."

Students who leave buildings for the March 14 walkout may be subject to disciplinary action for disrupting school operations, Canavan said, stating: "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."

Schools across the nation have been on high alert since the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resulted in 17 killed and more than a dozen others injured in Parkland, Florida.

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Here is the full letter from the superintendent:

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

Image via Shutterstock.