Silver Spring Int. Middle School PTSA Presidents Put Out Call for Immediate Advocacy

From the PTSA Presidents to the community:

Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2023, 12:12:12 PM EST
Subject: [SSIMSptsa] IMMEDIATE ADVOCACY ACTION FOR SCHOOL SAFETY


Greetings SSIMS Community:

There is an immediate opportunity to advocate for the improved safety and security of our school with the upcoming Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, January 24 which addresses the MCPS Operating Budget for next year. Many of us in the SSIMS community have expressed concerns and our advocacy team has been working hard to capture those concerns to share with the Board of Education, MCPS Central Office administration, and our county councilmembers. Today, we ask that you take a moment to write a letter to the BOE and to Associate Superintendent Dr. Moran, sharing your concerns for the safety of our school and advocating for more resources. We are specifically asking for 1) additional security staff to monitor the field house and track; 2) additional staff to monitor hallways, particularly Stairwell 7; 3) security cameras to cover the 14-acre campus; and 4) shifting the Social Worker position from a part-time position to a full-time position at SSIMS so that the increased population of at-risk students needs can be addressed more effectively and restorative justice practices implemented to the fullest capacity.

The SSIMS building and campus present considerable security challenges that are making it far more difficult for teachers and administration to address the safety issues. Specifically:

Security cameras do not cover the whole building, nor do they provide sufficient coverage of the school’s 14-acre campus.


Doors are not sufficiently monitored with only two security guards to monitor three external doors, the field house and the track. This means that there are unmonitored locations where the public can enter the building and students can and do leave school grounds without permission while school is in session.


The field house does not have designated security and the track and field are open to the public during school hours. It falls to the teachers to maintain safety and security in the field house.


The track and field are adjacent to county parkland and remains open to the public during school hours.


Stairwell 7 is a serious daily safety concern - and outsized legal liability for the school – due to constricted and insufficient space relative to the volume of students. During a recent unplanned evacuation (due to a malfunctioning alarm), it took ten agonizing minutes to exit the building through stairwell 7 --- students and staff could have perished had there actually been a fire or other emergency.


ADA Non-compliance: SSIMS campus has hundreds of ADA violations, causing hardship for children with disabilities.


The current building layout with multiple crowded hallways presents challenges that will continue to exist with the current remodel plan. These challenges require additional staff to monitor hallways.


Documented incidents at the school include numerous fights and violent incidents have taken place this school year alone, plus repeated stink bombs and fires in the bathrooms. Additionally, this year, we had two separate BB gun incidents, as well as a knife brought to school. One could make a compelling case that the physical environment itself and its demoralizing condition contributes to discord and friction among students.


As a community, we have all expressed our concerns and growing awareness of the safety needs within the building. Our administration, teachers and students deserve to work in a space that has the staffing resources and the supportive technology to keep our grounds safe. SSIMS presents unique challenges due to the size of the campus, the multiple building layout, antiquated building facility, plus its proximity to public spaces and a major construction site. We have an opportunity to address these issues right now. Please take a moment to email the Board of Education with a request for more staff and funding for cameras.

Attached is a working list of advocacy concerns created by the Advocacy Team, which is being used to gather information not only for MCPS but also for our county executives. Also attached is a sample letter to the BOE that you may use to write your letter. Below is the list of email addressed for the Board Members. You may also use the BOE@mcpsmd.org which will send it to all members. If you wish to join the Advocacy Team, please email Vanessa Serrao Hiemenz at vanessa.hiemenz@gmail.com.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and your voice.

SSIMS Co-Presidents,