Administration responds to student-led Walkout

For Principal Dr. Greg Mathison, the best part of the student led Walkout on Friday morning was the fact that it was led by students. He feels empowered by the presence of students on campus advocating and fighting for their beliefs and values.

“Our job as educators is to facilitate learning opportunities,” Dr. Mathison said. “I think that is not just in academics, that is in many different facets. It’s extracurriculars, community service, activism. Regardless of party of affiliation, I want to see that our students, when they leave our school, have learned how to clearly communicate their ideas, how to listen to other people’s thoughts, and how to find ways to bring a sense of unity and pride to or community.”

In the lead up to today’s Walkout on gun violence and throughout the protest, the MHS administration kept a consistent and neutral stance on the issues. Dr. Mathison said his main goal was to ensure the safety of all students, to make it seem as if it were any other school day.

“Our position as a school district and as a school is that we are looking forward to having a normal school day as planned,” Dr. Mathison said. “That’s our plan. I’m in communication with them to make sure that it is minimally disruptive to the school environment.”

This is the second time in Dr. Mathison’s tenure that students have organized a Walkout. The first, after the shooting of Michael Brown, occurred four years ago. Dr. Mathison said the school managed the protests the same way as they did prior.

“It’s not because of anybody’s political statement or what freedom of speech is, it’s just because you’re not in class when you’re supposed to be in class,” Dr. Mathison. “The way we worked through that was, ‘if you’re not in class, you’re truant, you’re unexcused.’ We are going to consider any students who’s not in class and is unexcused as an absence.”

Prior to the Walkout, Superintendent Dr. Eric Knost sent an email to staff throughout the district, detailing his goals of allowing the walkouts to proceed while doing his best to ensure the safety of the students.

“As we work with students who feel they need a voice, we also recognize and honor students who expect their normal daily routine,” Dr. Knost said in an email to staff and parents at RSD.

Today marks the 18th anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School, an occasion Dr. Knost says always warrants extra attention and surveillance by the district.

“My fear is anyone with ill-intentions regarding some of these highly charged topics would be informed of the exact date and time students would be gathered outside their schools. I know our Rockwood school principals share my concerns,” Dr. Knost said in the letter. “I encourage parents to engage in healthy conversations around school safety with their children. I know this important and complicated conversation about school safety is far from over. I assure you I will continue to collaborate with our students, staff, emergency management officials and school community on the issue of school safety, and I will always lead from the heart.”

For Claire Vilbig, sophomore, Dr. Knost’s letter missed the mark.

“When I asked my mom if I could do it, she was very against it because she got this email and was scared about the safety of it,” Vilbig said. “If he’s scared of our safety, that’s why we’re doing the walkouts. He should be encouraging it.”

But Vilbig said the administration did an admirable job of staying neutral during the protest, allowing students their own autonomy and throughout the process.

“They did not seem against us at all today, but that email upset me,” Vilbig said.

Dr. Michael Havener, principal at Kirkwood High School, said his students had their Walkout against gun violence on Wednesday, March 14.

It was KHS’ second Walkout of the year. They previously led a protest against racial violence in September. Dr. Havener said the two were handled identically.

“Students who would like to express themselves or their support for either of the issues at hand met in our senior hallway, walked out to our commons and down to our stadium field and assembled in our home bleachers on our stadium field,” Dr. Havener said. “It was all student organized. We were there for supervision and safety.”

But at KHS, an attendance policy introduced this year changed the scope and connotation of the protest. Students on their sixth unexcused absence of the semester are immediately removed from their class with a failing grade, and those with 11 excused absences face the same possibility. This is a stark difference from RSD, which recently ended its credit suspension policy.

Still, Dr. Havener and his administration ensured the Walkout went along safely and smoothly.

“We are a First Amendment school,” Dr. Havener said. “We believe in students rights. However, we also understand that between 7:50 and 2:40, it’s our responsibility to have them in class at that time. We remain neutral, and made sure students had that opportunity in a safe secure environment.”

Lee Mitchell, librarian and Rockwood National Education Association (RNEA)  representative, said RNEA’s view of the Walkout was also neutral.

“I think the NEA’s response is that students should be in their classes and that would be their expectations,” Mitchell said.

But Mitchell said she is happy to see students taking such an active interest in their own well being, provided they go about it in the right way.

“I think as long as they work with the administration and protest in a nonviolent way, I am glad to see students having a violence and exercising their rights,” Mitchell said.