Colleagues,
As crime and gun violence continues to plague the city, our schools and school parking lots are also becoming less safe. That is why, the week before the February break, we polled RTA Faculty Representatives to ascertain exactly how we’re affected.
The results of our survey are indeed troubling. Based on responses of RTA Faculty Representatives from 37 of our schools, 74% reported 52 incidents at school parking lots since the beginning of this school year. Nearly 70% were of car thefts, carjackings or car break-ins. More than 80% were reported to the police. And despite the fact that 97% were also reported to the District and administration, security was subsequently increased by the District in only half of the instances. When asked whether they think that teachers feel safe at school and at the school parking lot, only 7% of RTA Faculty Representatives said that teachers feel very safe and only another 12% that teachers feel somewhat safe.
The above data is just from teacher representatives. Understandably, other District staff are similarly affected. That is why we’ve reached out to the other unions within the District so that we could put up a united front on the issue of safety. And it also stands to reason that, if teachers and other staff are not safe, then neither are the students.
During the February recess, we have brought our concerns to the attention of Superintendent Peluso who agreed that we need to work together to increase safety and security at schools and school premises. And since schools cannot be fully safe until the streets are, we have jointly reached out to Mayor Evans. The Mayor, too, was receptive and agreed to meet and work collaboratively with us all to address the challenges. At our meetings this week and next, we will continue to advocate for increased patrol and presence of security personnel, improved fencing and security cameras, logical consequences for criminal behavior, more social and emotional support for our students, and other needed measures.
We need real and concrete action now and cannot afford to wait until a tragedy occurs. Unless our schools and school premises are safe, nothing will matter much. That is why safety and security must remain our top priority. We will continue to keep you informed about the progress of our efforts on your behalf and on behalf of our students.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President