When I finished my term on the BOE last summer I hoped that the divisive rhetoric around school safety would abate.We are so fortunate that our kids can walk to and from school safely, there are rarely physical fights in schools, homicides in our community are exceedingly rare, and our kids, for the most part, have teachers and staff who care about them.But I still worry for our children’s safety. Not from an extremely rare mass school shooting but from things like student anxiety, depression, and substance abuse that can be exacerbated by bullying, nastiness, feelings of isolation, and/or intolerance.We need to do better as a community.We all want safe schools.But, how can we expect students to try to understand different perspectives, think critically, and agree to disagree with civility if adults in our community do not?Let’s focus on making sure all of our students feel connected to school, are not experiencing bullying, and have the support to succeed academically and socially.That means assessing the climate of the district and developing an action plan to address areas of concern.

(www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/ssae/schoolsafety/school-climate.html).  Let student voices, not a few adult voices, drive our safety related policies, procedures and programming. 

– Heather Reynolds, Saratoga Springs

On January 3rd, 18-year-old Michael Ross of Malta threatened to shoot students at Maple Avenue Middle School.  Thanks to the new bail reform law, Mr. Ross was released upon his own recognizance to be arraigned at a later date. The response of the Saratoga Springs School district was to increase the presence of armed Security on Monday January 6th.  Which naturally begs the question, what about every day after that? 

Despite the recent threat, the change to NYS law and the expert recommendations around the necessity of armed school guards, the Saratoga Springs Board of Education continues to sit idle. The debate about whether or not active and retired police officers are qualified to carry a firearm on campus is over.  That question was settled by Andrew Cuomo and the Democrat Party controlled majority of the legislature last year.

Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools continues to hear from outraged parents, students and educators throughout the district, concerned that the recommendations from law enforcement and experts continue to be ignored by the school board.  This spring we will again take on the task of electing new members to the SSCD board of education.  Leaders that put the safety of the students and staff ahead of their own political agenda.  Please join us in this fight.

– Kara Rosettie, Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools

My name is Jennifer Zhang and I am a college student and recent graduate of Potsdam High School, running to represent the 21st Congressional District at the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC) as a delegate pledged to Elizabeth Warren. 

Elizabeth Warren is running on a platform of policies that will revitalize our community. Medicare for All will lower net health care costs, while her plan to establish a $25 billion rural health care access fund will improve lives for North Country residents. She has committed $2 trillion to green energy research and manufacturing, focusing on creating jobs in rural areas while also fighting the climate crisis. She has pledged $100 billion over ten years to end the opioid crisis and $7 billion to a nationwide fund to support small businesses. She will review and reverse mergers between large agribusinesses that made food markets less competitive and include representatives from rural areas in all future trade negotiations.

I firmly believe that Elizabeth Warren is the best candidate running and would be a phenomenal president. Come April, I would be honored to have your support as a delegate in the New York State Democratic primary, and Elizabeth Warren would be proud to have your vote.

– Jennifer Zhang