Sign here and share with as many people as possible.  You don’t have to agree with the exact suggestions, you just have to agree that serious and sustainable action must be taken to protect our kids NOW 

Dear Members of the Board:

We, concerned members of the greater Shaker Heights community, including the parents and guardians of Shaker Heights High School students and current and past educators who may not live in the district, are writing to express our outrage over the ongoing safety issues at the high school, and the lack of a commitment to addressing these issues with permanent and sustainable solutions. It is with increasing frequency that our children and their teachers are experiencing major disruptions that interfere with the learning process and cause tremendous distress for them and for us. We are demanding that immediate action take place to ensure that Shaker Heights High School is a safe, secure, and controlled environment. There must never again be a day at our school in which utter chaos, mayhem and fear is a part of the school day, as we witnessed on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. 

Some solutions that we see as viable for immediate change include: 

• Implement updated Badge swipe for access for all students/staff. 

• All doors must be secured during the school day, with designated doors that are monitored by security personnel.  All other doors must be set to alarm when opened. Security cameras must be in place at all entrances.

• Students should not be allowed to leave the campus without prior parental permission. Students must not be in hallways during class time without written permission

• Personal phones and all computerized devices must be disabled by either use of Yonder Pouches or a firewall that disables all social media apps in the school. The pouches may be the preferable method to contain all cell phone use during the school day.

• Disruptive behavior must have consequences. This includes poor behavior as well as tardiness that disrupts learning in the classroom. Detention with intervention must become part of corrective actions. Suspension and Expulsion must be used whenever necessary to ensure the safety of all students. 

• Shaker Heights Police in uniform should have presence at the school every day, not just following adverse events.

• Leadership at all levels of the district needs to be adjusted to ensure that those in charge command the respect of the students, teachers, staff, administration, and parents. Many of our current leaders have tremendous qualities and skills. We need to ensure that each is in the correct position where they can be most effective. We must guarantee that they are supported in their roles, allowing them to have the tools to effectively teach, lead, nurture, guide, and discipline our students. 
 
We look forward to these changes happening immediately and will work with the schools to ensure the ongoing safety of our kids, and to restore Shaker Heights High School to a place where once again, excellence is the predominant descriptive.

Citizens of Shaker Heights and the Greater Shaker Heights Community