Miami-Dade And Broward Walkouts Won't Bring Disciplinary Action

MIAMI, FL — Students who leave their schools in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties to participate in Wednesday's national school walkout will not face disciplinary action, according to officials in both districts. The 10 a.m. event coincides with the first-month anniversary of the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida that resulted in the deaths of 17 students and faculty members. The marches are intended to honor the victims while calling for stricter gun laws.

"We're not going to discipline them. We're not going to discourage them from doing it," Daisy Gonzalez of Miami-Dade County Public Schools told Patch.

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But Gonzalez said that students will not be permitted to leave campus or engage in any unruly behavior.

"We respect the First Amendment," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said that she did not know which specific schools would be participating in Wednesday's walkout.

"It's individual," she explained. "Some schools' kids haven't even approached the principals."

In Broward County, which is where Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is located, Superintendent Robert W. Runcie posted a letter saying that his schools would also honor the protests.

"Across Broward County, our hearts remain with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community," Runcie said. "Over the past few weeks, as we have worked to begin the recovery and healing process, students have been expressing their hurt, anger, disbelief and a flood of other emotions. We are proud of our students’ focus and determination to turn their grief and outrage into action, as they dedicate themselves to effecting positive change in this country."

Runcie said that school leaders were recently given a set of guidelines on how to handle such demonstrations.

"Because we do not want continued disruption of our daily school routines, guidelines have been provided to our school leaders, should walkouts or protests continue this school year," he explained. The guidelines state that school staff will not interfere with "peaceful student-led protests or gatherings" at Broward schools.

Runcie called the protests "teachable moments," which is particularly the case in Broward since the Stoneman Douglas shooting occurred there.

"In the event students walk out or gather, school principals and assigned staff will remain with students in a designated walkout area, so that supervision is in place," Runcie added.

A letter was distributed to parents of secondary students in Miami-Dade on Monday from Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho.

The letter said that school officials expect similar demonstrations to also be held on March 24 and April 20.

"Many of our schools plan to provide structured activities and lessons to help students express their support for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and learn about the issues," Carvalho said. "Students are also being encouraged to honor the lives of those lost by walking up, not out. Students can express themselves by walking up to 14 students and three teachers and saying something kind."

Carvalho said that the district's top priority is to support the academic and emotional needs of students.

"We also respect those students who choose not to participate in these planned events," Carvalho added in the letter.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano