In the wake of yet another school shooting last week, Alameda Unified School District Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi released a message to the AUSD community.
In it, he shared his own feelings of frustration in the wake of this most recent tragedy, acknowledged the fear that so many parents feel as they learn about these incidents and pledged to continue working to make our facilities and programs as safe as possible for students.
We’re sharing it in full here this week because it so aptly captures the deep impact such incidents can have on families, staff and students even when they live many hundreds — or even thousands — of miles away.
“Our hearts are heavy in solidarity with the students, families, educators and community members affected by yesterday’s (the Oct. 15) school shooting in (Bend,) Oregon. One adult and three children lost their lives violently; as of this writing, another child and another adult are still suffering from critical injuries.
“With the preliminary reports that the shooter was a 16-year-old person, coupled with the fact that this represents the 36th shooting on K-12 school grounds this year, a palpable sense of anger and frustration is hard to suppress. Will we as a country ever get serious about reducing the number of guns on our streets? That with alarming frequency make their way onto our school grounds?
“Will we ever find impactful ways of keeping them out of the hands of children and teenagers? These are not, in my view, political statements; they are parental and educational priorities from someone who worries deeply about your children and his own in a climate that by default seems to suggest we should accept premature gun violence deaths each year as, literally, the cost of doing business.
“As a superintendent, I continually ask myself: ‘What additional role can I play? What additional contribution can I make?’ And here is what I can pledge: Locally, and in the absence of meaningful change from seats of greater power, we will continue to prepare and protect our community in thoughtful and responsive ways.
“That includes investments in our facilities, emergency communications platforms and developmentally appropriate safety drills and emergency rehearsals in partnerships with local and regional emergency services. It also includes planning and investing in counseling and mental health supports so that we can hopefully identify and help a young person before their own suffering drives them to do something tragic to others.
“Please know that my team and I are very serious about all of these measures. And please take good care, tell those that you love that you love them as often as you can and keep good thoughts for our neighbors in Bend.”
Reach Susan Davis, the Alameda Unified School District’s senior manager for community affairs, at 510-337-7175 or SDavis@alamedaunified.org.