Problem
SSARS is a cell phone application that allows anyone in the world to associate with our school district. It sends reports from anonymous users to a call center (not in BH) that then determines whether the report should be forwarded to the Police or School Administrators. Berkeley Heights already has a reporting system and anonymous reporting systems are notorious for false flags and present with great potential to disrupt the lives of families and children in our community unnecessarily. We feel this system will work to create the very problem it seeks to resolve.  

But there is time to stop this.  

Our Board of Education is currently reviewing SSARS as a possible program despite the lack of a needs assessment, an existing reporting system, lack of data on this tool and the poor outcomes we find in similar reporting systems.

Solution
We can improve our current reporting system or provide our children with resources that actually help in ways that will not blindside them. Minimally, we ask that:

(1) That the Board of Education wait until 2020 when studies about SSARS are complete and available before making any decision on SSARS.

(2) That only youth whose parents have signed a consent be allowed to use the report or be a subject of a report.

Personal story
We are Berkeley Heights parents, professionals and taxpayers from all sides of the political aisle who have serious concerns about implementing a new, untested cell phone application that allows anyone to anonymously report our children to a call center that is empowered to disrupt their lives in significant ways.