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Teachers ‘walk in’ to support students goals Photo by Caitlin Fowlkes On a day filled with national organized walkouts by students in protest of gun violence and in honor of the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, Ashland Middle School teachers and support staff stood in solidarity for safety in schools by þÄúwalking inþÄù for education early Friday. Friday Apr 20, 2018 at 7:12 PM Apr 20, 2018 at 7:12 PM By Caitlin FowlkesFor the Tidings Students from more than 2,500 schools across the nation walked out of their classes Friday in protest of gun violence, but teachers and support staff at Ashland Middle School “walked in.” Friday marked the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, fueling students across the nation to organize walkouts in solidarity with the victims and in protest of American gun violence, specifically in schools. Although Ashland schools are supportive of this movement and a large number of high schools walked out shortly before noon Friday, teachers at the middle school thought they would do better to remain inside the building during normal school hours. From 7:30 to 8 a.m. a group of AMS teachers stood in front of the school holding protest signs visible to passing cars on Walker Avenue to show their support for curbing gun violence in schools. That way, they could remain in the classroom where they are most needed during the walkout time, according to organizer and science teacher Jennifer Craugh. “We’re walking in to make a statement that our primary concern is educating students and keeping them safe in school,” Craugh said. “It’s our job to do our job, which is to educate our students; however, we do have a voice in this.” Craugh said it is important for teachers to stand by their students in this movement because all of their lives and safety at stake. “One of the main tenets of education is that students can’t learn when they don’t feel safe,” Craugh said. She suggested that there are many changes on the national and local levels that should take place to ensure safer teaching conditions such as reformed gun control, more funding for mental health facilities and support in schools, and smaller class sizes. “Our class sizes this year are larger than they have been,” Craugh said. “And when there’s so many of them, it’s nearly impossible to get to know them well enough.” She said AMS’ standpoint is that as a whole, the school supports students walking out if they choose, but staff are ultimately there to do their jobs. A group of school district employees met at Triangle Park that morning in solidarity as well, and later, during the “walk-out,” students from various Ashland high, middle and elementary schools walked in solidarity to the Plaza. AMS digital media teacher John Stroud said he personally finds the “March for our Lives” movement to be important and inspiring. “Professionally we’re bound to honor students’ First Amendment rights, regardless of what they believe,” Stroud said. “But many of us feel very strongly about the importance of this issue on the national stage.” Many teachers at the walk-in said they hoped assault weapons will eventually be banned in response to the recent national protests. “I want March for our Lives to have a win, I want to ban assault weapons, I want them to have that victory,” Stroud said. “But what that victory would tell kids across the nation is that they can make changes, that they do have a place in the process, that all is not lost, and that we do have a future.” — Contact freelance writer Caitlin Fowlkes at [email protected].