School Protests Discussion
The speech expression speech/expression scenario explains a student’s protest against gun violence. The students were missing school to participate in a 17-minute’ walkout that students from various schools had organized to raise concerns over the killing of 17 students in a gun violence incident, leading to concerns on whether students should be allowed to miss school to participate in protests. Escalante (2018) argues that although students have a right to free speech, various limits should be considered to ensure that students do not waste time and resources meant for their academic progress. The speech/expression scenario could have been handled by considering various actions before, during, and after the protest. Asking the students for information about the scheduled events is one of the things I would think about doing before the protest. Piontek (2018) argues that it is important to determine what the students are planning to do during the protests to avoid surprises that could limit the school officials’ ability to control the situation. Piontek (2018) adds that it is also important to review the district and school’s code of conduct when talking to the students about the planned activities and inform the students about the relevant rules that should be followed during protests and the consequences for breaking the rules. I would also ensure that I clarify to the students that the school acknowledges their freedom of speech.
During the protest, I would ensure that student safety is maintained without compromising their freedom to engage in speech on public concern. Rogers et al. (2023) argue that principals can use the Tinker decision during protests to balance their interests and maintain safety. The decision emphasizes balancing the school’s interest in guaranteeing safety and order by establishing reasonable terms for student protests, including the appropriate manner in which the protests should be carried out, time, and place. According to Kwako et al. (2023), principals may also embrace democratic leadership during a protest by embracing different opinions and acknowledging that there are various competing and legitimate views on argumentative issues in a democracy. Therefore, I would give the students a chance to express their ideas and respect their right to protest. Warner (2022) argues that students are allowed to protest off-campus freely without the fear of being disciplined. Therefore, I would clarify that students will not be punished for missing school to participate in off-campus protests as long as they cover what they should have learned during the time of the protest. I would also focus on maintaining a good relationship with the student after the protest by offering any trauma or mental support that may be needed and seeking their feedback on whether they feel that the goal of the protest was met.
References
Escalante, E. (2018). 3 Supreme Court cases on student speech rights | abc10.com. abc10. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/3-supreme-court-cases-on-student-speech-rights/103-588508913
Kwako, A., Rogers, J., Earl, J., & Kahne, J. (2023). Principals’ responses to student gun violence protests: Deter, manage, or educate for democracy? Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 125(2), 131–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681231163629
Piontek, M. (2018). Update article: Student walk outs and protests: Tips for principals. Association of Wisconsin School Administrators. https://awsa.memberclicks.net/update-article–student-walk-outs-and-protests–tips-for-principals
Rogers, J., Kahne, J., & Kwako, A. (2023, June 20). The Leadership Challenge of Student Protests. NASSP. https://www.nassp.org/news-releases/
Warner, J. (2022, September 30). What to do when students protest. Educational Endeavors. https://educationalendeavors.org/what-to-do-when-students-protest/
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Question 
Background
View the news video which explains an incident that affects students’ free speech. The video link is also available under Course Resources as well.
School Protests Discussion
Instructions
Explain how you would respond to the following speech/expression news release as the principal of the school where students protested based on your analysis of policies, cases, and regulations regarding student speech cases. Write a 1 -page reaction paper responding to the speech/expression scenario (video) considering implications on contemporary components of this area, including technology and social media. Respond to what you would do before the protest, during the protest, and after the protest. Be sure to provide evidence for each of your choices. You should have a minimum of 5 references for your paper.
Resources
Escalante, E. (2018, August 28). 3 supreme court cases on student speech rights. [Video]. ABC News. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/3-supreme-court-cases-on-student-speech-rights/103-588508913.
Supreme Court Cases > “school board” > Narrow to Practice Area: “Education Law” – 185 case
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