TY FOR TCAPS

Kathryn wrote today’s Traverse City Record-Eagle story, “TCAPS to join lawsuit against state.”

At the heart of this issue, and not mentioned in the article, is the Oxford tragedy (read the final report) — and the larger epidemic of school shootings and gun violence that continue to affect communities across the country.

I’m hopeful this lawsuit will bring clarity before our school board votes – at a special meeting being scheduled before December 1st – on whether to accept or decline this critical school safety funding — funding (about $2 million this year) that supports essential positions like our school counselors, school success liaisons, and security staff.

As we learned from Traverse City’s Safer Kids, Safer Schools Task Force (read their final report), following the Uvalde tragedy, relationship and connection-based supports like these are essential to preventing school violence. We can’t simply “fortify” our way to safety — we build it through trust, care, and connection.

Our focus will always be on keeping students safe — every single day.

UPDATE (Friday, Nov 14th):

“Roughly 30 local and regional school districts across Michigan filed state and federal lawsuits Thursday.

Plaintiffs in the complaints include officials from the Bay Arenac, Eastern Upper Peninsula, Huron, Ingham, Macomb and Monroe County intermediate school districts; Kalamazoo, Marquette-Alger, St. Clair County and Wayne regional educational services agencies; Oakland Schools, the Northwest Education Services in Traverse City, the Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District and Midland County Educational Service Agency.

Local school districts also included are Algonac, Birch Run, Flat Rock, Garden City, Huron Valley in Highland, Lakeview in St. Clair Shores, Lincoln Park, Livonia, Marquette, Romeo, Romulus, Roseville, Traverse City, Trenton, Utica, Van Buren in Belleville and Woodhaven-Brownstown.

The Michigan Department of Education and the state superintendent for public instruction are named as defendants.”

Read more in this MLive story.