Credit: Fabrice Florin/Creative Commons
High school students from around Levittown area are expected to take part in a nationwide event to pay tribute to the 17 students and staff members killed last month in a mass shooting.
The nationwide walkout is set to take place at Bristol Borough Senior High School and Pennsbury High School. Neshaminy High School students said one option will be for high schoolers to stage a sit-in at the locker banks. It it expected students at Harry S. Truman High School are expected to also take part, but no listing was posted on the national site organizing the demonstration.
Advertisements
The walkout will take place at 10 a.m. and last 17 minutes to remember those killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The organizers of the nationwide student walkout are Women’s March Youth EMPOWER. On their website, organizers noted the walkout is to honor of the victims of the Parkland shooting, anyone who has experienced gun violence, and also a call to action for students. The Women’s March Youth EMPOWER website noted they support a ban of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, expanding background checks and related legislation.
“We are not safe at school. We are not safe in our cities and towns. Congress must take meaningful action to keep us safe and pass federal gun reform legislation that address the public health crisis of gun violence,” the website for the walkout states.
Advertisements
Pennsbury senior Reed Markowitz, who just turned 18 over the weekend, said he’s followed so many mass shootings over the past few years that the Parkland massacre spurred him to get involved.
“I’ve witnessed so many mass shootings, too many,” said Markowitz. “We really need to talk about solutions so no one else has to die.”
“We are the generation to change how things are going,” he said.
Advertisements
Bristol Township and Pennsbury have sent out letters to the community in advance of the walkout. Both districts said they respect the student’s rights to make their voices heard.
Unlike some schools across the country, no Levittown-area public high schools have threatened students with disciplinary measures for taking part in the walkout. The National School Boards Association recently sent out guidance on the law regarding demonstrations and constructive ways the schools could handle students voicing their opinions.
“Educators work with students to help them make meaning of the world in which they live. I am sure that many of our classes have engaged in general discussions around the recent tragedy, and I have full confidence that our faculty has handled these conversations with tact and empathy,” Bristol Township School District Superintendent Dr. Melanie Gehrens wrote in her letter to parents.
Advertisements
“The Board of School Directors and administration have long held the position that student voices matter and are important in leading to substantive changes that benefit the greater good,” Pennsbury Superintendent William Gretzula wrote in a letter.
The walkout has caused a debate on social media among local parents and left some asking school districts questions about the planned walkout.
Markowitz said he has heard a mainly positive response from students and school administrators have worked with him. He added he did receive a few threats relayed through friends and his brother.
Advertisements
“Mainly a supportive response,” he said.
“Please be mindful that this is a student-led activity and not a community event,” Gretzula reminded parents.
Falls Township police plan to be on hand at the high school, he added.
Advertisements
