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This is not a 4/20 walkout. The one the students are requesting here is scheduled for 3/14.
The "national 4/20 walkout" would be a different discussion worth having on a separate Padlet to avoid confusion.

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I think we should allow them to do the walkout. At least they are trying to do it the right way, and ask for permission, instead of just walking out of class. I think this is a good way to show that we are listening, and we do hear what they are saying.

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On Friday we had a situation and kids were afraid.  They have real fears and many want to do something but don't know what.  I think this is a good opportunity for them to feel some control and to be part of a student body as a whole, making a difference. We should listen to their plan, guide them if needed, let them take some control, but mostly let them work together as a group of young adults making important decisions and supporting each other.

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If there is someone to supervise, then I completely support it. Part of the reasons for the violent acts that have been occurring around the nation are because these students do not feel that they are being listened to or taken seriously. We need to listen to our students and have respect for their beliefs. Without a willingness to listen and connect to our students, we should just let programs such as Edgeunity take our places.

17 minutes will not detract from the amount of learning that will come of this.

#teaching moment

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I support this student initiated action as long as there are guidelines or even pre and post walkout activity for the students. Additional security and manning from teachers should be in place. 

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I support this student initiated action as long as there are guidelines or even pre and post walkout activity for the students. Additional security and manning from teachers should be in place. 

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I really like that the students are considering the walk out. Schools have done it across the country and I think it sends a strong message to our leaders. I don’t think our police officers will have a problem with it as long as it is organized and doesn’t cause harm to anyone.  Local law enforcement may be willing to help as well as city officals if we reach out in advance and request their support.

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I really like that the students are considering the walk out. Schools have done it across the country and I think it sends a strong message to our leaders. I don’t think our police officers will have a problem with it as long as it is organized and doesn’t cause harm to anyone.  Local law enforcement may be willing to help as well as city officals if we reach out in advance and request their support.

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We have a great opportunity to set a "life lesson" in 17 minutes to our students.  Will they all get it...no.  But maybe just enough that prevents an incident from happening here, to get students who see or hear something to say something, to get responsible young people to grow just a little bit into responsible adults. Do it, but do it right with organization and purpose.

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We have a great opportunity to set a "life lesson" in 17 minutes to our students.  Will they all get it...no.  But maybe just enough that prevents an incident from happening here, to get students who see or hear something to say something, to get responsible young people to grow just a little bit into responsible adults. Do it, but do it right with organization and purpose.

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The date for the walkout that Tom is referring to is March 14.

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An unstructured 17 minute break in the school day is a recipe for disaster. Very few students will utilize the time for the purpose intended. I have concerns about discipline issues erupting. The majority of the students will be focusing the free time on their phones & friends. While the intentions are to be commended, walk outs rarely result in positive change.

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April 20th is also well known for come to school high day. I would not encourage a walk out on this day as we have many students who will use this as an excuse to find someplace to light up.

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Will the Presence of Additional Law Enforcement or Other Security Measures Be Considered?

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I think this is a great opportunity for our students to practice peaceful protest and engage in "democracy in action". The theme of the nationwide march is #neveragain which was started by the students in Parkland. Even if one doesn't agree with it, we should appreciate (celebrate!) that our millennials care enough about something to engage in an advocacy movement.

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I fully support this idea, as long as the students participating are doing so to make a change and to have a voice, not just to sit on phones or hang with friends. Perhaps students could leave their phones in backpacks? Or perhaps we could have the student council giving some speeches during the walkout about what students can do locally.
Also, as was mentioned in another post, I am not in favor of a walkout if the topic is gun control.

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Have them do it during their lunch when it is on their time. When they have to sacrifice something to make a statement, you will see who really cares about the cause and who just wanted to miss half of one of their classes.

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Known Planned Events

March 14, 2018 – #ENOUGH National School Walkout – At 10 a.m., teachers, students, administrators, parents, and allies have been encouraged to "walk out" for a period of 17 minutes in remembrance of every person killed in Parkland at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

March 24, 2018 – March For Our Lives – A march in Washington, D.C. to call for school safety and gun control; others across the country are encouraged to march in protest.

April 20, 2018 – #NationalSchoolWalkout – the 19th Anniversary of Columbine – There are mixed messages on social media – some asking for students to attend school and then promptly walk out and "sit outside and peacefully protest, make some noise, voice your thoughts," and then other sites recommend that students "don't attend school, wear orange and protest."

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The school shooting last week in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 students and staff dead, has rocked schools across the nation. As many school districts grapple with the aftermath, students, staff, and community members seek action. It has also spurned a number of local, state, and nationwide movements. Many of these movements are memorial in nature, remembering the lives lost to school violence; others are calls to action, protests, and marches.

Known Planned Events

March 14, 2018 - #ENOUGH National School Walkout - At 10 a.m., teachers, students, administrators, parents, and allies have been encouraged to "walk out" for a period of 17 minutes in remembrance of every person killed in Parkland at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

March 24, 2018 - March For Our Lives - A march in Washington, D.C. to call for school safety and gun control; others across the country are encouraged to march in protest.

April 20, 2018 - #NationalSchoolWalkout - the 19th Anniversary of Columbine - There are mixed messages on social media - some asking for students to attend school and then promptly walk out and "sit outside and peacefully protest, make some noise, voice your thoughts," and then other sites recommend that students "don't attend school, wear orange and protest."

Districts that are aware of these events must strike a balance between student and staff safety and security; constitutional rights of students and staff; compassion and remembrance of the lives lost to school violence; and the business of education of the school's students. We provide some general considerations as you navigate this increasingly more familiar territory of school safety and individual rights.

Legal and Practical Considerations

1. What Message Should a District Send? Consider whether it is prudent for administration and or the board of education to sanction an event, whether it be a walk out, assembly, or gathering in recognition of the lives lost in Parkland and other instances of school violence. It is important to remember that the District is responsible for providing an appropriate educational environment and, to the extent possible, should determine what activities will be considered as furthering the educational mission.

2. How Should a District Respond to Staff and Student Requests to Participate? In the absence of a school-sanctioned event, consider whether the most practical approach to participation requests is standard application of attendance policies.

3. How Should a District Respond to Student/Staff Absences? Again, in the absence of a school-sanctioned event, consider whether the most practical approach is application of a district's current policies and procedures for absences. Students and staff, alike, should be held to a district's standard policies, which should be consistently applied. Consider whether honoring parental permission to excuse their child to protest will create an additional area on district property to supervise since it is doubtful that such parents will be able to pick up their child or be present to supervise. Additional supervision may become necessary.

4. Are We Required to Allow Community Member Participation? School boards have broad authority to regulate the presence of community members in school buildings and many districts have policies in place regarding admission of third parties in and about school premises. A district should consider the appropriateness of community member involvement during the school day, while ensuring consistency with established policy.

5. Should the Presence of Additional Law Enforcement or Other Security Measures Be Considered? Of course, whether or not to engage additional law enforcement is a decision that should be made based on the facts of a particular situation. However, given that some of these events may draw large numbers of individuals, whether it be students and staff or requests by members of the community, additional safety precautions would be prudent.

As these and other grass roots movements take shape, districts must be mindful of the balance between school safety and security and legally-protected individual rights. If you have questions surrounding the particular circumstances facing your district, the application of existing policy or even the creation of new policy, you are encouraged to seek legal counsel to ensure that all rights are appropriately identified and preserved.

©2018 von Briesen & Roper, s.c

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The school shooting last week in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 students and staff dead, has rocked schools across the nation. As many school districts grapple with the aftermath, students, staff, and community members seek action. It has also spurned a number of local, state, and nationwide movements.

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I have had numerous students come to me in Student Council and ask for their voices to be heard. I think this is a good way to show them that activism can be powerful, and that that we are listening 

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I have had numerous students come to me in Student Council and ask for their voices to be heard. I think this is a good way to show them that activism can be powerful, and that that we are listening 

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I support a walkout; Student Lives Matter.

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I support a walkout; Student Lives Matter.

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Parents need to know that when we go into lock-down with classroom doors locked, their children are in a very safe place.  No locked classroom has been breached in a school shooting in US history.     

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Parents need to know that when we go into lock-down with classroom doors locked, their children are in a very safe place.  No locked classroom has been breached in a school shooting in US history.     

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There is a LARGE event planned nation-wide on APRIL 20TH.  I would like to see us do something important that day.  A day of AWARENESS AND REMEMBRANCE.   The March 14th event for 17 minutes will be over before it begins and there's a chance nothing of any consequence will come of it.  If we tell the kids to hold out until the 20th of April and turn THAT day into something substantial....now there's a guaranteed impact.   Booths and food and drink and a microphone for speakers.  Voter registration booth.   Non-partisan, all.  MUSIC.    

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There is a LARGE event planned nation-wide on APRIL 20TH.  I would like to see us do something important that day.  A day of AWARENESS AND REMEMBRANCE.   The March 14th event for 17 minutes will be over before it begins and there's a chance nothing of any consequence will come of it.  If we tell the kids to hold out until the 20th of April and turn THAT day into something substantial....now there's a guaranteed impact.   Booths and food and drink and a microphone for speakers.  Voter registration booth.   Non-partisan, all.  MUSIC.    

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I like whoever wrote "I believe that we are on the pinnacle of change..."

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I like whoever wrote "I believe that we are on the pinnacle of change..."

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I believe that we are on the pinnacle of change - and, amazingly, it is not being brought by the adults!  It is happening because students - the very ones being mowed down over and over again in this country- are leading the charge!  I am thrilled that their passions about this issue have awakened the sleeping giants within.

Not only do I believe they should be allowed to walk out, but I think that WE should join them. In almost every case, teachers and other school employees are laying down their lives to protect kids as well. We need to send a huge message that rumbles and then roars across this entire country - that school children's lives matter!

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Could we get a mediator in or a counselor from the Hispanic Council, and have an Assembly. Could students write and make speeches about the impact? Could they ask the Newspaper to be here? (Rambling brain dump)

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There are several well intentioned students who want to make a statement in support of those who have been hit with tragedy in Florida. This hit home for us on Friday. Is there some way to get this message across campus well before March 14th so that ALL students would know WHY we were walking out and not use this as an excuse to just be out of class to be with their friends. Of course there will always be some that will choose to do the wrong thing no matter what, but the climate right now is ripe for this kind of thing. If not now, when?

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My only worry is safety of the students.
1.  Where are they walking to?
2. What are they trying to gain, attention from media, attention from lawmakers?
3. Do they have a united message? Who will deliver it? How?
Walkouts in the valley:

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Gilbert High School students on Wednesday were the first in the Valley to take part in a wave of classroom walkouts following the shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 dead last week.

Thousands of students across the U.S. walked out of class Wednesday, whether in protest of gun violence or solidarity with the victims of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

About 200 Gilbert High students left their classrooms to gather at the school stadium at 9:10 a.m. for 17 minutes of silence - one to honor each victim of the Feb. 14 school shooting.

Snapchat videos that were publicly posted to Gilbert High School's story show 17-year-old Brooklyne Moore leading the vigil by the school's outdoor bleachers.

"We're standing in support for Florida the 17 lives that were taken so abruptly," Moore said.

She went on to urge students to "think about what we ... can do to prevent this from happening again" because "we will not stand by until the next school shooting happens."

"I challenge you to sit with a completely new group of friends at lunch, or to invite somebody new to hang out, sit with that one kid by himself, console the kid crying in the hallway," Moore said.

MORE: 'Shame on you!' Florida shooting survivors confront lawmakers in Tallahassee

MORE: Florida school shooting: Giffords slams politicians, says 'we chose this fate'

Co-organizer Rebecca Rosenblum, an 18-year-old senior, said she had the idea for the walkout and asked people in a group chat on Friday to participate. Moore provided the when and where, she said.

"Surprisingly, the school was on board and even told teachers to help guide students the right way to the bleachers," Rosenblum said.

In a later Snapchat video, a woman's voice made an announcement on Gilbert High School's intercom, praising the vigil.

"We are very proud of the class and respect you demonstrated for your learning and for our campus by coming together in tiger stadium," the woman says. "It never ceases to amaze us of the compassion and the love that we have here at Gilbert High School. Always continue to be kind and to value each other."

Noon walkouts at other Valley schools

Around noon, students also walked out of Combs High School in San Tan Valley and Highland High School in Gilbert, according to a Snapchat video.

Video from Highland High shows students chanting "end the violence, no more silence" and holding hands in an oval around the school's running track.

Floods of students also walked out at Mesa High School in Mesa.

A few hundred students walked a mile at noon from Mesa High School near Gilbert Road and Southern Avenue to a nearby park and then back to campus.

Their message was clear: Political leaders need to enforce gun control.

"We want to be heard," said Mayra Castellanos, a 17-year-old Mesa High junior. "What happened in Florida means a lot to us because we're high schoolers and we want to be able to feel safe at our school."

She said President Donald Trump should be focusing on implementing gun control to dictate who can buy and own firearms in order to prevent another tragedy.

Fatima Alvarado, an 18-year-old senior, echoed Castellanos' sentiment.

"Gun violence is a big problem all of us are scared that it may happen at our school," she said.

Alfredo Cruz, 18, said there should be a balance in respecting gun owners' 2nd Amendment rights and gun-control restrictions in order to keep schools safe.

"We shouldn't have to feel threatened at school," he said.

Students at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale have planned a walkout and peaceful demonstration for noon on Thursday.

Why students are walking out

Student survivors of the Parkland, Florida, shooting have called for a march on the nation's Capitol and other cities March 24 to press their demands for safer schools and legislation "to effectively address the gun violence and issues that are rampant" across the U.S.

Organizers of the Women's March held across the nation last month called for a 17-minute walkout by teachers nationwide on March 14, the one-month anniversary of the attack at that left 17 people dead.

The Network for Public Education set April 20 as a Day of Action, calling for protests at schools on the day marking the 19th anniversary of the deadly shootings at Colorado's Columbine High School. One such protest will be held at Gilbert High, students said.
Republic reporters Kaila White and Uriel J. Garcia contributed to this article.
Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/2GycPv5

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Gilbert, San Tan Valley, Mesa students walk out for 17 killed at Florida high school

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Gilbert High School students on Wednesday were the first in the Valley to take part in a wave of classroom walkouts following the shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 dead last week. Thousands of students across the U.S.

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Walkout off campus:

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MESA - The captain of the Mesa High School basketball team started the protest on Snapchat. A 15-year-old sophomore merged the social media brainstorming into a solid plan.

At noon Wednesday, 300 students streamed out of their classes, met at a flagpole and walked half a mile to a nearby park to rally in support of stricter gun control in the wake of last week's Parkland, Florida, high school shooting.

The protesters talked about how school conversations changed from date nights and sporting events to gun laws and funeral plans for teenagers. About how their lives had been changed by fear and activism.

"Every generation before us has tried to do something like this," hoops captain Tyler Jackson said cheers. "This is our mark in history."

In the seven days since a former student shot down 14 students and three faculty members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, teenagers have taken center stage in the national debate on gun control.

Survivors of the Parkland shooting have appeared in the national news media, urging politicians to support gun control. Students in Arizona and elsewhere have staged walkouts and protests, some impromptu, some planned for the coming weeks.

Gilbert High School students also walked out Wednesday, and students at schools in Chandler, Tempe and Phoenix plan similar protests and declarations of solidarity.

Jackson organized Wednesday's walkout with sophomore Lea Stough.

Jackson, 18, said he was inspired by a tweet by the account @studentswalkout, which instructed high schoolers across the country to stage their own walkouts at noon on Feb. 21.

Monday night, Jackson posted the tweet to his Snapchat story and sent it to anyone he thought would be interested. As word spread, the students wondered what they would do once they walked out of school.

Stough suggested they head to Emerald Park, about a half-mile from Mesa High.

Snapchat vibrated with conversations. Some feared teachers would discipline them. Or their parents would be angry. Some were scared for their safety - what if someone brought a gun to the march?

Soon, both Jackson's original message and Stough's direction spread across the student body. Administrators caught wind of the plan and sent an email to parents, saying the school would "discourage" students from the action but could not "physically stop" them.

At noon, as directed, students met by the flagpole on campus. Then they walked.

They crammed onto the sidewalk as Mesa police officers urged them to stay off the street. They held hands, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. They wore shirts bearing the logo of their high school or the colleges they hope to attend. They talked about the classes they had just left.

Once they got to the park, Stough stood on a picnic table to begin her remarks, but students were still milling around, talking to each other. Her words were swallowed in the noise.

Then Jackson climbed up next to her and the crowd fell silent. They looked up at him. He talked about the protests making history: "We can leave a mark."

The crowd cheered.

Stough and another student spoke before the rally concluded with the singing of the Mesa High School fight song.

They wrapped their arms around each other and swayed. They squinted into the sun, watching Jackson and Slough standing above them. They sang.

"We'll fight forever for the right, carry on with hearts aflame. Tradition great and mighty deeds and honor to thy name. Carry on, carry on."

After the song, some students headed back toward school. They wondered aloud what their teachers would say when they returned during the middle of class. They called their parents, telling them about the walkout. Some parents were worried, they said, after seeing the news.

Jackson hung back, surrounded by classmates. It was his first move toward political action. He knows there are people who think he's just a kid and that he should stay out of the gun control debate. He had an answer.

"Kids grow up," he said. "Pretty soon, we're going to be in the voting booth."

Stough said the protest made her feel powerful. Still, she said, her life - and the lives of friends and students across the country - has shifted.

She's scared of fire alarms, she said, because she's worried a shooter will try to lure students from their classrooms, as occurred at Douglas High last week.

Her friends nodded. They all agreed they would stay in their classrooms if a fire alarm sounded. The risk was too high.

Annastaysha Lowe, 17, a sophomore, said she's constantly planning for the worst.

"I do have places around school that I would hide to protect myself," Lowe said. "Places nobody would dare check because they wouldn't think of it."

Stough said even the familiarity of a classmate reaching into a backpack scares her.

"Every little thing - someone reaching into their backpack - I was like, 'What're they doing, what're they doing?' "

She even has planned her funeral and given her mother the password to her social media accounts. Just in case her mom has to delete them.

And, every morning when Stough leaves for school, she makes sure to tell her mom she loves her.

Just in case.

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phoenix and arizona breaking news and news headlines - home

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300 Mesa High students walk out in support of stricter gun control

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MESA - The captain of the Mesa High School basketball team started the protest on Snapchat. A 15-year-old sophomore merged the social media brainstorming into a solid plan. At noon Wednesday, 300 students streamed out of their classes, met at a flagpole and walked half a mile to a nearby park to rally in support of stricter gun control in the wake of last week's Parkland, Florida, high school shooting.

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I am not sure as to the overall effectiveness of such an action. Yes, it shows solidarity with the students in Florida, but if it turns into a political statement on the 2nd amendment, I for one would be against it.

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If they are doing it genuinely and from the heart.  Let's help them to organize it and not let agitators take advantage of the situation.

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If, however, we let them do it and supervise it it will be easier than trying to discipline all of them.

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We have a tremendous teaching opportunity to help our students learn to follow guidelines and laws. We have the opportunity to build a bridge to show our students that we support them. Perhaps we could all walkout and have 17 minutes of silence in the commons area.

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If it is not harming our students or staff in any way, I think it

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I think this would be a great way for students to show their growing frustrations. It could turn into a reflective piece about Civil Disobedience.