Schools

A Letter from SCSD Superintendent

Dr. Craig Baker explains some of the actions the district is taking to address school safety issues.

By Dr. Craig Baker

Dear San Carlos Schools Community:

The tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut is an unfortunate reminder to the San Carlos School District and districts across the country that we must protect our children and their caretakers.  In San Carlos, we have always taken pride in our warm, inviting, and nurturing learning environments.

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While we feel a need to respond to the events, we also believe it is important to keep things in perspective and not overreact or react from fear.  We must make sure that our schools (and the whole community) are safe, but we do not want to create closed-off, prison-like atmospheres in our schools.  

By way of example, we know we are best served by insuring that visitors to schools check in at the office and wear visitor badges so that they are easily identified.  And improvements in fencing and gates will provide additional safety assurances.  However, ultimately, it is our community looking out for one another that gives us the greatest assurance that our schools will be as safe as they can be.  

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Please know that the District is taking action to address safety issues, in light of the terrible events in Newtown, including:

  1. Site by site assessments to identify and correct all safety and security conditions
  2. Engaging our local law enforcement for feedback on our emergency preparedness for lockdown situations, and providing site access for their training and greater familiarity of our campus settings and facilities
  3. Continuing to train our staff and working with experts in the field to make sure all our procedures are up to standard
  4. Continuing to practice with our students to be ready in a variety of emergency situations

Even before this tragedy, our teachers and staff were trained on the steps to take during emergencies.  Each school performs regular drills for earthquakes, fires and "lockdowns.”  (Coincidentally, several of our schools had conducted lock-down drills in the days leading up to the incident at Newtown.)  After every drill, feedback is shared regarding processes that need to be improved, and repairs that need to be made to improve safety.

Our facilities staff is diligent about repairing and maintaining security related features in our schools.  This week, in our site-by-site security review, we have already determined necessary and relatively simple solutions to concerns that we will take remedy in the near future. Some of these include ensuring that classrooms can be locked from the inside, blinds are installed and close properly, and PA systems heard everywhere on campus, in case an emergency message must be sent. 

Moving forward, we will work with law enforcement on the design of our schools to maximize safety.  On Monday, Captain Greg Rothaus from the San Mateo Sheriff's Office, San Carlos Bureau visited each school in the District to speak with our principals.  He let them know that the Sheriff's Office is there to help schools in any way needed.  They are planning to provide additional vigilance in patrolling our schools, and district administrators will be working with the Sheriff's Office to prepare staff on how to best respond to threats in order to limit harm to our school community.   

Unfortunately, these kinds of random shootings are in the news far more often than anyone would like. Please understand that protecting the students of the San Carlos School District is of utmost importance to me and my staff, as I know it is to you.  All of us-- teachers, staff, law enforcement, parents, and the community at large-- are responsible for insuring student safety, and must work together to achieve it. By working together, we will keep our students safe.

Sincerely,

Craig Baker, Ed. D.

Superintendent


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