Wake County school leaders address safety, praise student demonstrations

North Carolina's largest school system entered into the conversation about school safety Tuesday, when parents with children in the Wake County Public School System received a text directing them to a message from the school board chair and interim superintendent.

Posted 10:14 p.m. Feb 27, 2018 — Updated 3:11 p.m. Jul 13, 2018

Adam Owens

, WRAL reporter

CARY, N.C. — North Carolina’s largest school system joined the conversation about school safety Tuesday, when parents with children in the Wake County Public School System received a text directing them to a message from the school board chair and interim superintendent.

Chairwoman Monika Johnson-Hostler said she wants to address the fears of parents after the shooting at a Florida high school, and remind them the district is working to keep their children safe.

"My goal of releasing the letter today is about addressing where parents are today and recognizing and honoring the fact that we all are sitting with these fears," she said.

WCPSS addresses school security as group marches in support of stricter gun policies

Threats against schools are tracked and most result in serious consequences for students who make those threats, the message said.

School officials said there have been dozens of rumors of threats at Wake County schools since the Valentine’s Day mass shooting in Florida that killed 17 people.

Full message from WCPSS leaders

In her message, Johnson-Hostler said there are cameras, door locks, buzzers and officers at schools and that school officials work with law enforcement.

She said relationships between parents, students and teachers are also important and that students could be the answer to increasing school safety.

“Security thrives in an open, trusting environment. We have encouraged our principals to have the kinds of conversations that foster this trust with you and with your children. We encourage you to continue those conversations at home,” the message said.

Johnson-Hostler said she has been heartened by students’ recent demonstrations and calls for change.

“We are at a space where our students are saying ‘No more. We want this to stop.’ We know, in every major movement, it has been the young people who have really enacted the change on our country and I don’t think this will be any different,” she said.

Last week, scores of students marched through downtown Raleigh, stopping at the Capitol Building to demand reform to gun laws. According to posts on social media, more protests are planned.

At Green Hope High School in Cary, students are organizing a Wednesday walkout to end gun violence.

District leaders said the walkout will be allowed, as long as students are peaceful and not disruptive. Teachers are not allowed to encourage a demonstration or take a side.

"In a way, we are giving people space to be heard," Johnson-Hostler said.

Several North Carolina colleges have recently said that students don’t need to worry about their chances of admission if they receive disciplinary action for participating in planned school walkouts in support of gun reform.

Johnston-Hostler said she questions the practicality of having armed teachers in classrooms. North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction mark Johnson said Monday that teachers should not be armed in the classroom, but instead more funding should be provided for school resource officers.

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