"Fear Has No Place In Our Schools" BCPS Parents Rally Outside Baltimore County Board Of Education

BALTIMORE COUNTY - On Tuesday evening, students and Parents rallied outside the Baltimore County Board of Education building to continue protesting bullying and violence in county schools.

The Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition organized the demonstration to call for more decisive action from the school system. According to BCPSC, The goal of the rally was to allow parents, students, and staff to speak out and be heard about the rising violence in our schools and how this impacts our children and staff inside the schoolhouse.

In their rally announcement, BCPSC cites safety as a significant barrier to improving academic performance at Baltimore County Public Schools.

“Violence impacts negatively on learners whether they have experienced violence as victims, perpetrators, or observers. This negative impact acts as a barrier to learning and prevents learners from developing their full potential to participate in society.”

This rally is not BCPSC’s first attempt to influence the Board of Education. On October 3, parents gathered at Perry Hall high school to bring attention to a violent fight involving a baseball bat.

Tuesday morning, Baltimore County Board of Education Director Daryl Williams responded to calls for a focus on school safety. In a letter to parents, Williams says that the county has made significant investments in proactive safety measures this year, including:

• Hiring more than 150 student safety assistants for secondary schools

• Increasing the number of counselors and assigning additional school resource officers to specific schools

• Developing new safety guidelines for athletic events.

• Updating transportation procedures and expectations, including the process for bus drivers to report disruptive and dangerous behaviors.

• Revising the student handbook and code of conduct.

BCPS appeared to have heard the complaints from parents at a Tuesday night Board of Education meeting. Julie Henn, Chairwoman of the Baltimore County Board of Education, said safety is their top priority.

“We know the connection between school climate, school safety, and the academic performance of our students,” she said. “When we set our priorities, school safety is at the top of that list.”