LETTER: The Superintendent Letter That Should Have Been Written

The letter below was written by Wissahickon School District parent Steven Saffier. Letters to the editor are written by readers, never by editors, and do not reflect the opinions of Patch. This letter is in response to comments made by Wissahickon School District Superintendent James Crisfield.

Dear Editor,

Not long after Dr. Crisfield sent his letter regarding the Florida massacre, I emailed him in hopes of beginning a dialogue about issues that might impacting children, disturbing them to the point of wanting to kill their peers. While Dr. Crisfield wasted no time in stating his position (less than 24 hours - in fact, bodies of these poor souls were still in the school when he felt compelled to pen his piece) - he has yet to respond to my reasonable questions about Wissahickon school policy. I'm a Wissahickon parent and it's been three days with no (direct) response. So I pose the discussion items in a letter that Dr. Crisfield should have written below:

Dear Wissahickon Community,

Let me first apologize for the delay in sending this letter. The reason for the delay is simple; I wanted to wait at least 72 hours after the Florida massacre to create some distance and let our minds process the event, and most of all spend some time solely dedicated to grieving these lost souls as an American family.

Now that some time has passed, I want to take this opportunity to share a few thoughts about safety in our schools.

From a security standpoint, we follow the best, expert recommended safety protocols. Staff and students all know what to do in the case of an active shooter and we regularly drill for that and other emergencies. We have other security measures in place that are best not shared publicly, but they have shown to be highly-effective when used in other places.

Even so, Parkwood has made it clear that this might not be enough. Next week, I am convening our security council (made up of law enforcement, security, and active shooter experts) to consider new and aggressive measures that can be implemented almost immediately. We will consider:

1. Hiring armed security for every entry point. In effect, they become check points. Evidence has proven that armed security has done more to thwart crimes than ineffective rules and regulations. Frankly put, killers are cowards and will not come to a place that is heavily guarded. They also ignore regulations. We aim to make Wissahickon schools hard targets, not soft targets. Some school districts (East Brunswick, for example) have already implemented this.

2. Allowing some staff to conceal carry at school. These staff members will not be identified and will need to enroll in ongoing training to remain proficient. This model resembles the air marshal formula and airport protocol that has been successful. This has also been implemented in schools around the country.

Another important piece of our safety approach is the identification, intervention and support mechanisms that are part of our mental health program. We have caring and dedicated staff in each school trained in best practices.

Even so, these professionals can’t be everywhere. Students have their thumb on the pulse of behavior and threats via social media. Therefore, we will implement a stringent “see something, say something, do something” policy and offer training to kids so that they may recognize and report abnormal behavior indicative of red flags. Their reports will be anonymous and every report will be taken seriously and investigated quickly. Authorities will be brought in as needed and as soon as possible.
We want kids to use their compassion to recognize addiction, depression, suicidal thoughts, and desperation. There are many amazing mental health resources around the country that can help in this endeavor with training and workshops.

Finally, I know many of your children will be marching for changes in gun regulations. While I think their intent is noble, I recognize that the weapon is secondary to the root cause; even people most restricted from guns use them when they are bent on murdering. And evidence shows that they use a variety of weapons so a ban on a single source will not solve this problem.

Instead, I suggest the kids make different statements during the march:

1. First, demand congressional hearing on the topic (guns, mental health, addiction, etc.). This will be ultimately more effective than a “sit-in” or march. They will be talking directly to representatives. This is already happening around the country.

2. Demand a national “see something, say something, do something” campaign where people are no longer afraid of reporting something unusual in the name of tolerance.

3. Demand that schools and parents do MORE to address addiction to the internet and to video games which has proven to desensitize teenagers, reduce empathy, and destroy the ability to relate to other people in normal, healthy ways.

4. Demand that Hollywood movies, TV, and music stop glorifying guns, casual sex, crime, drugs, and killing. Our society has degraded and the entertainment industry is partly culpable. Demand an end to the exploitation of impressionable minds with trash.

5. Ask the media to stop glorifying the murderer. Do not show his face or say his name more than once. It has been proven that mass murderers often idolize past mass murderers and seek the same level of fame.

In order to facilitate this messaging, I would like to convene a committee of passionate students, mental health professionals, teachers, clergy, parents, and law enforcement experts. I will also hold regular townhalls so that the Wiss Community can come together and discuss these issues.

I want the Wissahickon community to know that we are taking action immediately to make our safe schools even safer and looking at the root causes of mental incapacity that may cause psychotic breaks and dangerous actions.

Patch file photo