Moving forward: Addressing school safety in Wicomico Co.
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – Parents had the opportunity to voice their concerns at Superintendent Dr. Donna Hanlin’s open door session., on Wednesday. This comes after videos of students fighting, along with reports of teachers getting assaulted, have surfaced.
47 ABC spoke to some of those parents after the session to see how they feel moving forward.
Parents went into Wednesday night’s meeting with an agenda, a list of concerns they wanted the Wicomico County Superintendent to answer, regarding recent issues with student safety after videos of students fighting were shared on social media.
“What is going to be different tomorrow at Salisbury middle school, to show these kids that you guys are listening and you care about their safety,” asks Laura Brittingham, a concerned parent of a Salisbury Middle Schooler.
But parents tell 47 ABC they’re not satisfied with the answers they received, Wednesday. They describe them as a one size fits all. Blanket statements like, “we are concerned” and “we want all students to feel safe”.
“I don’t like the response I was given. I think the response was quite generic. I think I was told what they thought I wanted to hear and not what was going to be effective for immediate change,” says Dannelle Mann, also a concerned parent of a Salisbury Middle Schooler.
While these parents might not have gotten the answers they wanted tonight, they do think their voices are now being heard as a community, saying there is hope.
“The office at the Board of Education this evening was packed with concern parents of all races, that are showing up to say we’re gonna do some thing about this,” says Brittingham.
They also feel the Board of Education is on the same page with them, that communication is the only way these problems will be resolved.
“It’s the open line of communication that will ensure that we are aware of discipline issues, so that we can then address them directly. That’s how we all work together to make that happen,” says Wicomico County Superintendent Dr. Donna Hanlin.
“I think there is hope, if we have more parent participation. More parents not complaining to me in my messenger. But more parents going to the school saying I’ve had enough,” says Mann.
There are anonymous ways you can submit problems, such as through the board of ed website or through Maryland’s New Safe Schools Maryland tip line 1-833-MD-B-SAFE. You can also anonymously report bullying in Wicomico County schools: here.
On Wednesday, we also asked Dr. Hanlin specifically about allegations that pepper spray was used on students last week. She said she would not comment on specifics from last week but that trained deputies have, and will, use pepper spray when they feels it’s necessary.
