School Safety

By Mark Weinberger

Every school must be safe and secure for students, teachers and all other personnel. Violent behavior of any kind is unacceptable.

I believe it is the school board's responsibility to be pro-active and address this issue so everyone in the schools feels safe. To that end, I want to forge bonds with parents, teachers and community to accomplish this. We need to strengthen the ties that already exist with local law enforcement so that students and faculty feel secure to learn and teach. There are many programs already established to help troubled youth. The Daly City, Colma and Broadmoor police departments participate in the AWARENESS PROGRAM, to learn which students are potentially at risk. There is SAY NO TO GANGS which helps youth and KARES (Kids At Risk Esteem Services), dealing with absenteeism. The district is also involved with ADOPT A SCHOOL, where local officers visit different schools, eat lunch and play basketball with at risk students. These are some of the answers; there is much more to be done.

Such unity will do well to ensure that students are given the optimum environment in which to learn and that faculty can teach in classrooms free of violence.