In light of the recent gun control protests, MCPS is considering allowing excused absences for civic engagement. The School Board is postponing the decision until all eight members of the Policy Management Committee are available. These policy changes were suggested by former school board member, Jill Ortman-Fouse, in September of 2018.
After the 2018 Parkland school shooting, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) issued guidelines for schools to consider if their students plan on protesting or participating in walkouts. The NSBA informed schools across the country that they must make it clear what the consequences are if students miss school.
Some parents and teachers are concerned that students already have enough time outside of school, and can attend protests on their own time. The reason many student protests require students to leave school is that many of them are walkouts. Students demonstrate to their teachers, parents, and community the potential effects of gun violence: a world without them. However, some parents are still opposed to students protesting. They argue that schools should focus their attention on teaching students, and don’t appreciate the idea of students missing instruction time.
Walter Johnson parent Maureen Conley says she would be supportive if her children missed school to participate in protests. “I think it’s an important educational experience,” she said. “Students should be excused if their parents are aware. Parents should be able to write notes to the attendance office like they do if their child was sick to excuse the absence,” she added.
If MCPS allows excused absences for civic engagement, they would be one of a small number of counties nationwide that do this, and could thereby set an example for other school systems. Many MCPS principals support students’ right to protest, but when writing to the school board, they voiced their concerns about the consequences of missing valuable instruction time.
MCPS plans to resume discussions in late February, but Robert Bell, a commenter at the last debate on the county’s policy toward excused absences, suggested a case by case plan. Other commenters agreed with Maureen Conley, and stated that they believe protests are an important part of a student’s education which allows them to experience what it’s like to be an active citizen in the United States.
Walter Johnson students have their own opinions as well. “Part of protesting is sacrificing,” junior Tena Karpatkin said. “I can understand the argument that students shouldn’t be excused, but whatever we can do to get kids marching is good,” she added.
Tena has taken part in multiple protests, including a walkout against President Trump. However, she didn’t participate in the demonstration last spring where students from around the county made their way to D.C. to protest at the capitol building. She instead took part in school-approved events.
Several months ago, the county also sent videos to teachers to educate their students about what to do in the event of an active shooter. These plans are called “lockdowns with options,” and allow students to leave the building if they believe that’s the safest option.
Although school shootings may not be particularly common, guns still pose a danger to young people. An average of 47 teens and children are shot each day, 8 of whom do not survive. Many MCPS students believe that the only way to change this fact is to promote policy changes through protest. Students will likely participate in protests no matter what the county’s policy is, but they’ll have to wait and see wait the School Board decides later this month.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Shannon Engel of Walter Johnson High School