School Superintendent David Fleishman sent the following — with the quote at the bottom from Mayor Setti Warren — to the school community today:
September 3, 2015
Dear Newton School Community,As I mentioned in my letter yesterday, we are looking forward to a terrific opening of our schools on Tuesday. I am writing a second letter to inform you of some extra security measures we will be taking at the start of the school year in and around two of our school buildings. This represents a collaborative decision made by the City’s Police Department, the Mayor’s Office and the Newton Public Schools.
Over the summer, the Newton Police Department was notified of an Internet threat against two of our buildings, the Education Center and Newton North High School. While the investigation is still ongoing, we are not aware of any subsequent threats. Although the threat was not connected to any specific date, as a precautionary measure, we believe that the most prudent approach is to increase security for now at these two buildings.
While I recognize that an increased police presence can be disconcerting for students, staff and families, safety and security is of utmost importance. I am forwarding this communication to all staff and families in our system because many people visit both the Education Center and Newton North on a daily basis.
Please understand that we are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to work in partnership with the Newton Police Department to provide regular updates on this matter. Thank you for your understanding, and please see the statement below from the Mayor.
Sincerely,
David Fleishman Superintendent of Schools
“Public safety is our first priority and I have been working closely with the Superintendent’s Office, Police Chief Howard Mintz, and other law enforcement officers to ensure that the opening of school goes smoothly. Although the police learned of a threat over the summer after the school year ended, no recent threat has been made. In an abundance of caution, we are putting in place additional security measures for the start of school. We will notify you should there be any new developments with the active police investigation of this situation.”
– Mayor Setti Warren
What is an “internet threat”? Did someone get threatened via email or is someone trying to break through your McAfee security.
If it was a threat via email, I’d like to see it.
Here’s Ellen Ishkanian’s story in today’s Boston Globe.
Any threat to our students should be dealt with most harshly. We should start by locking up the School Committee. Their unwillingness and inability to change high school start times, poses a threat to the physical and emotional health of thousands of students every day. And the Mayor should be ashamed of himself too. He’s done nothing to help the situation. An ambiguous internet threat spurs him to action, but he’s oblivious to the harm being done to these kids every day.
I’m sure this will be unpopular but I don’t think spreading fear is a good thing.
I don’t think it’s spreading fear to take a threat seriously until they know it’s clear. And telling us all in advance there will be increased police presence, rather than discovering it on arrival at school Tuesday, is preferable for this NNHS parent.
I don’t see how equating following procedure with the larger-scope issue of school start times helos discussion of either issue.
Sorry, Doug. I’m just taking the opportunity to remind parents about a real threat to our students well being… sleep deprivation forced on them by the Newton School Committee. I respectfully suggest to you that sleep deprivation–which is already impacting the lives of thousands of our students daily, warrants the Mayor’s attention as much as these ambiguous “internet threats.”
Mike – You need to understand that there are many issues that the School Committee needs to deal with. You have one issue to think about and it’s all you think about. We can’t have a SC with such a mindset. You may want that kind of a Committee, but others don’t.
@Mike, the school committee working group on high school start time will begin work shortly and will provide regular updates at our meetings. It is also part of our system-wide goals which were approved at our meeting on Thursday morning.
@Jane– Stop being such a pathetic apologist for the School Committee. How many times are you going to make excuses for their failure?
@Margaret– Are you confident that your process will lead to a change of start times? What year would you anticipate that change happening?
Mike – I simply do not want the kind of school committee that you want. We can agree to disagree. Have a relaxing weekend.
They want to be transparent, but the Globe article said:
“No additional threats have been received since June…”
So from June thru September we hear nothing!!! Thats true transparency. If they took it seriously, we would have heard about it the day of the threat.
Why didn’t our police (whom I love) cyber catch the perpetrators?
Why doesn’t someone tell us what the “threats” actually were? Maybe I missed it.
It’s irresponsible to publicize the notion of threats and not give us an idea of what to be concerned about or even how serious a threat we are facing.