Posted on

Some middle school sixth-grades stage walkout to protest gun violence

Press Staff Report

A couple dozen Charles City sixth-grade students walked out of class for a short period of time Tuesday morning to raise awareness about national gun violence.

Dan Cox, Charles City school district superintendent, said about 20 to 30 students participated in the walkout that lasted 17 minutes.

He said students informed the school of their intentions Tuesday morning before the event started.

Students who participated were told they must write an essay on why they participated and what they learned, Cox said.

A number of parents and grandparents posted complaints about the event on social media, mostly concerned that parents were not notified the event was taking place, or that teachers might have been imposing their own political views on students.

A school district staff member posted on social media that middle school administrators were notified of the event by a sixth-grade student who was helping coordinate the walkout.

“Administration worked with the student and notified sixth-grade teachers to allow the protest and set parameters, expectations and consequences for the students who chose to participate, while preserving the educational atmosphere,” the staff member wrote.

“This was a student-led event and students were not required to participate. The 17-minute demonstration walk around the Charles City Middle School occurred during a time when it would be least disruptive to the student learning environment,” he wrote.

“Middle School administrators supervised the walk around the school to preserve student safety and made calls to parents of the students who participated.”

School staff said the administration was first informed about the event Tuesday morning.

A couple of social media posters said they were proud of their children for participating.

 

Social Share

LATEST NEWS