Can you believe
this?
Connecticut was one
of the schools of a mass murder and these schools want to punish their children
for protesting 'Gun violence in school'!
An initial decision
by Norwich Technical High School administrators to suspend several students for
walking out Wednesday during the planned “walk-in” demonstration against school
violence sparked a barrage of criticism and protests of the school on social
media and a reversal of the disciplinary action Thursday.
Walkout by New
London kindergartners sparks debate
A17-minute
walk outside Harbor Elementary School has sparked a heated political debate on
social media, a call for a principal’s resignation, hints of censure for a
school board member and a passionate defense of the teachers involved.
New
London — It started with what people involved called an innocent attempt
to involve local 5-year-olds in a historic moment in the country.
But a
17-minute walk outside Harbor Elementary School has sparked a heated political
debate on social media, a call for a principal’s resignation, hints of censure
for a school board member and a passionate defense of the teachers involved.
Two dozen kindergartners accompanied by teachers and chaperones emerged from the school on Wednesday to wave to passing vehicles, chant “we love school” and honor what one parent called “the 17 angels in heaven.” The 10 a.m. “safety walk” for kindergartners coincided with walkouts held at schools nationwide one month after a shooting at a Parkland, Fla., school left 14 students and three staff members dead.
As
opposed to the rallies at high schools focused on topics like stricter gun
laws, Olga Vokolou emphasized that kids were told they were walking for school
safety. Vokolou is a parent of a kindergartner at Harbor and accompanied
the group as a chaperone. She praised the teachers for involving the students.
He
said his recommendation to the board is “they completely ignore this and ask
Mr. Catala to apologize.”
It is not the first time Catala has faced criticism from
the superintendent and fellow board members. In January, he drew the ire
of his colleagues over his social media posts and board members had
alleged he spread misinformation about a staff member.
Board
member Manny Rivera, at that time, had warned he would move to censure a board
member who was publicly criticizing a district employee.
Board
President Mirna Martinez on Thursday said “she wouldn’t be opposed” to such an
action in this case.
“It’s
not appropriate,” Martinez said of Catala’s comments. She said the board has
jurisdiction over one district employee, and that's the superintendent.
As to
the kindergartners walking on Wednesday, Martinez said children even at that
young age might have questions that should be addressed in some way.
“I’m
grateful for teachers that want to respond to them and have a dialogue with
them,” Martinez said. “I trust they had the best intentions.”
