Focusing on school safety and toppling ‘fake news’

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” These powerful words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ring especially true in my heart in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy.

Our community experienced the worst of humanity in this senseless act of violence on Feb. 14, 2018 — and has since become the recipient of incredible acts of kindness from around the world, as we work to recover and heal. Through it all — the heartbreak and tears — our students have united and sparked a wave of activism in this country. Their message is clear — all students deserve safe schools.

I want to assure our community that the safety and security of our students and employees remain our highest priorities.

Last week, I provided Marjory Stoneman Douglas families with information on the actions being taken to fortify and expand safety protocols at their school. In addition, information on safety protocols for all schools was shared with families districtwide. Here are highlights with full versions available at browardschools.com.

• Florida Gov. Rick Scott is providing law enforcement officers from the Florida Highway Patrol for Marjory Stoneman Douglas. The district is also providing additional school security personnel positions for the school.

• When Marjory Stoneman Douglas students return from spring break, clear backpacks (which will be provided at no cost) are the only backpacks that will be permitted on campus.

• For all district schools, safety protocols for routine school operations are being reinforced, including requiring students and staff to wear identification badges while on campus; locking classroom doors at all times; locking and securing exterior doors and gates throughout the day; and being vigilant in monitoring the campus throughout the day.

• The district conducts code red training, which is the foundation of activeshooter training, throughout the school year at all schools. We are working with law enforcement agencies to evaluate the protocols and frequency of code red trainings and drills for all schools next school year.

• With the approval of recent legislation, the state will provide the district with approximately $8.5 million to place a minimum of one School Resource Officer in each school beginning with the 2018/19 school year.

• The district will develop a districtwide Security Risk Assessment for all schools by August 2018 and compete for a share of a $98 million statewide allocation to fund, in whole or in part, the costs associated with improving the physical security of school buildings.

As we focus on these issues and meeting the needs of our students and families during this difficult time, the rise in “fake news” related to this tragedy is reprehensible. To be clear:

• Our students are not crisis actors. They are amazing young people turning their grief into action.

• Marjory Stoneman Douglas is not a selective, magnet school. It is a traditional public high school. The brilliance of our students is a testament to the quality of our public schools.

• Contrary to media reports, the district has no record of Nikolas Cruz committing a PROMISE eligible infraction or being assigned to PROMISE while in high school. Here are the facts: PROMISE is part of the district’s Code Book for Student Conduct & Discipline Policy. It is an intervention program for 13 specific non-violent, misdemeanor infractions, such as petty theft under $300, trespassing, vandalism, alcohol use and disruption of campus.

The district has always been explicitly clear that we have no policies that limit or tie the hands of law enforcement in doing its job in addressing school safety.

PROMISE was not at Columbine High School in Colorado. PROMISE was not at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. PROMISE was not at Virginia Tech in Virginia. PROMISE was not at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. PROMISE was not at the Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. And PROMISE was not involved in the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

What these mass tragedies have in common, are guns — easy access to guns, especially semi-automatic rifles. Our focus must be on addressing the root cause of this problem in America, rather than wasting time on false and irresponsible claims designed to distract us from the real issues.

While we cannot change the heartbreaking tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, by working together, we can change the future.

We are proud of our students’ determination to effect positive change in this country — and for the support from our entire Broward community and nation. Robert W. Runcie is superintendent of Broward County Public Schools.