Close to Home: Finding the best path forward for schools

As Santa Rosa and Sonoma County process Wednesday’s tragedy at Montgomery High, we all are wrestling with the same question: What can we do to try to prevent this from happening again?

For many, including Santa Rosa’s police, the answer is to bring school resource officers back to Santa Rosa’s campuses. Others have suggested measures including metal detectors, or leaning deeper into restorative practices.

When students return to Montgomery on Monday, and when our community comes together at a listening session on Tuesday or Santa Rosa City Schools’ board meeting on Wednesday, the debate will be vigorous and passionate.

The listening session is at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Friedman Events Center, 4676 Mayette Ave. in Santa Rosa. The school board meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Santa Rosa City Hall.

When we have those discussions, it’s important to remember that people on all sides of this issue are motivated by a common cause: wanting what’s best for our children. We all believe that everyone in our community deserves to feel safe and welcome, regardless of their background or beliefs. It is important to listen to each other's perspectives respectfully, and to work together to find solutions that benefit all our students.

As a former teacher, principal and district leader, I worked for years with school resource officers on my high school campuses. I’ve seen firsthand that a quality school resource officer can play an important role in ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff.

When implemented correctly, specially trained officers can work within schools to form student relationships, prevent violence, and respond to emergencies. Moreover, they can provide valuable educational programs and resources to students and staff alike, helping to promote awareness and understanding of important issues like drug abuse, bullying, gangs and other types of violence.

While these potential benefits may be true, it is also true that for some students, the presence of police in schools can create an overly policed, intimidating, racially profiled and triggering environment. When any member of law enforcement recklessly escalates interactions into degrading, dangerous or violent incidents, trust is broken within our community.

Given the current situation, actions need to be taken immediately to increase the safety of all our campuses. We need to implement solutions based on the voices and needs of our students. We must do this anchored to a belief that we can be better than we have been. Law enforcement and schools must confront any shortcomings and bridge any philosophical gaps, with humility and hope. We should seek out ways to work hand in hand to restore schools as places of peace and safety.

There are no easy or simple answers, and officers in schools should not be considered the only solution. Students need safe facilities, engaging curriculum, caring adults, mental health resources and trusting relationships, accompanied by conflict resolution and restorative justice tools.

These are all our students, and we need to come together as a county to equip our schools with the resources and practices that they need to create safe and inclusive campuses. Together, we can find new and better solutions.

Amie Carter is Sonoma County superintendent of schools.

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.