Elected officials, students discuss guns and school safety in Groton

Groton — Samantha Rebein spoke of the need for students to have more regular meetings with their school counselor, and of the importance of school advisory periods. Jazzlyn Henderson voiced a desire for school security to ask visitors if they're there to visit anyone. Dan Gaiewski said he felt teachers could've talked to students more about the Parkland shooting in its immediate aftermath.

Looking forward, Gaiewski requested of state lawmakers, “I would ask that you go in to every single school in your district and see what makes them feel safe, and I think that's what you need to build your law behind.”

The three Groton high schoolers were among a handful of students to attend a discussion on guns and school safety that the Southeastern Connecticut Federation of Democratic Women hosted at the City of Groton Municipal Building on Thursday evening. Gaiewski, a junior, was the moderator.

It was marketed as a youth-led discussion and a time for elected officials to listen, though due in part to its concurrent timing with the Fitch High School college fair, elected of-

ficials far outnumbered students.

Liz Duarte of the Federation of Democratic Women said she picked the night because it was the day after the nationwide school walkouts, but in the future, perhaps conversations could be held where the students are.

She stressed that although the event was organized by the Federation of Democratic Women, it was nonpolitical. About 35 elected officials, law enforcement officers, teachers, parents and students attended.

In response to a question about the concept of arming teachers, Groton City Police Chief Michael Spellman said he thinks a school is better served with a resource officer in the facility, rather than arming educators.

“Everybody thinks they can be a teacher, everybody thinks they can be a cop, and I think everybody thinks they can coach their favorite sport,” he said, “and I think those are three of the most difficult things you can do.”

Town of Groton Mayor Patrice Granatosky, a teacher at Grasso Tech, said none of her fellow teachers has any desire to carry weapons. Charles Barnum Elementary teacher Michelle Gaiewski, who is Dan Gaiewski’s mother, said she doesn’t want a gun.

State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, assured them that no bill asking teachers to be armed has come up in the legislature, and that arming teachers is “the last thing I would want to see.”

Portia Bordelon, a West Side Middle School parent and Representative Town Meeting member, questioned if one youth officer in the high school is enough and expressed her view that there should be a female officer at the high school, “dealing with female issues.”

The Fitch school resource officer, Scott Bousquet, attended the discussion and talked about lockdown procedures, though he noted that nothing goes exactly as planned.

Some attendees addressed the need for students to form bonds with teachers, and for students to form connections with one another at a young age.

Dan Gaiewski said one struggle is that “a lot of students see their teachers as teachers; they don’t see them as persons.” He suggested that teachers talk to students about their interests, whether it be football or fashion.

Also in attendance were state Reps. Christine Conley, Joe de la Cruz and Mike France; Groton Board of Education members Lee White, Katrina Fitzgerald, Rosemary Robertson and Jay Weitlauf; Groton Assistant Superintendent Susan Austin; City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick and New London Mayor Michael Passero.

Conley said of active shooter and lockdown drills, “We hope that someday this will be like when we talk to our elders and they talk about drills done in World War II, that we no longer hear.”

Next Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Fitch High School auditorium, Groton Public Schools, along with Children First Groton and the city and town, is hosting “Healthy Development Part III: A Community Conversation about School Climate and School Safety.”

“Everybody thinks they can be a teacher, everybody thinks they can be a cop, and I think everybody thinks they can coach their favorite sport, and I think those are three of the most difficult things you can do.” MICHAEL SPELLMAN, GROTON CITY POLICE CHIEF