Community Feedback: Student Walkout Against ICE
The Elmwood Park Advocate recently published an article as well as a post on our Facebook page that reported on Elmwood Park High School students, who organized a walkout against ICE.
Part of the newsletter’s coverage focused on the warning from Principal Amanda Brode-Rico, who notified parents and guardians in an email that participating students would be given unexcused absences. Students could potentially be called to the principal’s office and assigned detention for leaving school.
Nevertheless, around 40 or more students walked out of the high school at the beginning of school announcements. They joined thousands of other students from middle schools and high schools throughout the United States, who have protested in the past few weeks.
The response from readers was overwhelmingly supportive of the students’ right to protest. Several comments expressed disappointment that high school administrators did not find a way to accommodate students so that they could express themselves, return to class, and avoid the need for disciplinary action.
Staff refused to allow students to reenter the building after the walkout, even though it was early in the school day.
A number of comments recalled the 2023 student walkout, where students protested after a loaded gun was brought into the high school. They were appalled at school administrators’ response and demanded that more be done to protect their safety.
The repercussions for students who participated in that protest were minimal, though they were informed ahead of time that walking out of school would result in unexcused absences for the classes that they missed.
Let’s get to some of the community feedback that we received.
From a Student Who Participated In the February 6 Walkout:
From a Mom Of A Student Who Participated In The February 6 Walkout:
From Vee:
From Sarah:
From Clarisanna:
While praising the students for organizing a demonstration, Clarisanna put any potential punishment in perspective. It’s a “small price to pay” if administrators punish students this week.
From Teegan
This was one of the comments where the 2023 student walkout was referenced. The former student urged administrators to treat those protesting ICE the same that they treated students, who demanded better school safety measures.
From Don
There were only a few negative comments. Here, Don expressed his viewpoint that students should learn if they protest and walk out of school they will face disciplinary action since they are expected to attend school. He also took issue with the fact that the newsletter was covering the student walkout and offered a slippery slope argument.
“What’s next? Are you going to support kindergarteners if they protest?” We think children generally have rights to freedom of speech and assembly under the U.S. Constitution like adults.
Children could take crayons or markers and make a sign and go out with their parent, guardian, or teacher, and they could learn something about the history of people creating positive change in this country.
From Jack
Speaking of the history of people creating positive change, Jack shared how he had “skipped” college classes once to go to Selma, Alabama, and support the civil rights movement. As he said, it made him a better person to stand up for racial equality and justice.
From Max:
Finally, Max left this well-articulated comment that compared school administrators’ response to the February 6 walkout and to their response to the walkout in 2023.
It is hard to disagree with Max’s statement that “students have a right to express, fear, concern, and solidarity, especially when policies and enforcement practices directly affect how safe they feel in their own community. Selectively limiting speech or press access sends a chilling message and undermines trust.”
Thank you to those who left thoughtful comments. We were especially pleased to hear from current and former students.
We are open to sharing a range of perspectives through this newsletter. If you have a perspective on any issue or topic in Elmwood Park that you would like to share, we invite you to submit an op-ed or “Letter To The Editor” for consideration.
To submit writing for publication, email editor@elmwoodparkadvocate.org
It is a bit scary that you think it appropriate to drag a kid in kindergarten out to a protest as a good thing. Teaching them the importance of what your value system is important and vital as a parent. This allows them to when they have developed enough decide if that is for them or if they will go another direction.
putting them in physical danger is a pretty irresponsible thing as a parent to do.
There are no actual fully safe protest at this point there is always some nut job out there waiting in the dug out. It is not exclusive to a left or right group of people. It is one thing for you as a adult to put yourself in danger but a adult brings a kid I to a situation like that it really is just irresponsible.
A small child should not be put in harms way. Watching the videos in SF I was thankful that some nutter on the far right did not plow into those kids.
Maybe develop their mind a bit before indoctrinating them to a cult think of what ever flavor. Maybe limit their access to Social Media.
That is the same issue I have with kids starting church before they are mentally mature enough to really understand what it is they are being indoctrinated with. At this point TilTok is the new maga church.