Baldwin Park Unified Offers Guidance for National School Walkout Day

March 9, 2018

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14 has sparked a national debate on school safety. I would like to update you about Baldwin Park Unified School District’s commitment to security and our action plan for issues emerging from this dialogue.

You may have seen information on social media and in the news encouraging students and teachers to organize a National School Walkout at 10 a.m. on March 14 for 17 minutes to urge Congressional action to keep schools safe. Two more dates for student civic engagement are proposed for March 24 and April 20.

To support student engagement, our schools are working with student leaders to create a plan for the 17-minute walkout. With that said, any participation in a student-led demonstration is always optional.

We are communicating with students about guidelines for non-disruptive activities (e.g., Once the 17-minute activity is complete, instruction must resume; students who choose to go outside those expectations will be considered in violation of our discipline code).

We support peaceful, organized protesting that is school sanctioned, not activities that disrupt school or obstruct the District’s mission, process or functions as outlined in Board Policy.

The Baldwin Park Unified School District is focused on graduating every student ready for college and career. This includes the ability to engage in the world around them. By creating opportunities for safe, structured, student-led civic engagement, we are helping them to develop social and emotional skills and to become informed participants in our democracy.

We encourage you to have an open dialogue with your student about this national issue. Below are online resources to facilitate such discussions.

Sincerely,

Froilan N. Mendoza

Froilan N. Mendoza, Ed.D.

Superintendent