Commentary: Formation of new School Safety Commission should raise concerns

Haven’t heard of the Utah School Safety Commission? You’re not alone.

We are community stakeholders who stay informed about what is happening in education, juvenile justice, youth mental health — and this commission was news to us.

Typically, a new legislative commission or task force comes to the public’s attention through actual legislation. A bill is proposed, debated, amended and voted on. This process is conducted on the public record, as are all subsequent meetings of a formal commission. Anyone can sign up to receive notice of upcoming meetings. Advocates and journalists can attend those meetings. Pertinent commission materials can be found on Utah’s excellent legislative and Public Notice websites.

The Utah School Safety Commission has, to date, adhered to none of these protocols, leaving us to wonder: Is it even a real commission?

Rushed to formation after the tragic Parkland, Fla., school shooting massacre, the Utah School Safety Commission’s inaugural meeting took place on March 1 at the state Capitol, as the 2018 Legislative Session sped into its final, chaotic days.

It apparently has met at least once behind closed doors since that first meeting. A list of “volunteer” committee members can be assembled (mostly) via online news sources. According to these sources, more information about the Utah School Safety Commission can be found on the Utah State Board of Education website, but to date, we have been able to discover no such information for public perusal at www.schools.utah.gov.

House Speaker Greg Hughes has expressed his desire for the commission to “develop real, actionable ideas.” These ideas, fed by input via public meetings and online comments, are to be developed into recommendations for Gov. Gary Herbert. The possibility of a special legislative session has been mentioned, at which such recommendations could be voted into law.

We are very concerned that an unofficial commission, composed entirely of self-selecting volunteers and slapped together at the end of the session, will be making recommendations that have actual legal and policy implications.

We are worried that this group inadvertently may recommend policy solutions that make schools less safe and welcoming, especially for students who are already marginalized and vulnerable.

Along with our ally organizations and community partners, we have been working for several years to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline in Utah schools. This is a phenomenon by which young people, especially students of color, are pushed out of school and into the criminal justice system. Often, policies meant to protect students unintentionally exacerbate this phenomenon.

The proliferation of tragic mass shootings in our public schools is a serious problem. Our children deserve serious solutions, pursued in a transparent manner, through an appropriate process. If this “commission” does not adopt a more accountable and inclusive approach, we urge the public — and policymakers — to take its recommendations with more than a grain of salt.

Anna Thomas is a senior policy analyst at Voices for Utah Children. Marina Pena is a juvenile justice fellow at Voices for Utah Children. Shannon Cox is executive director of Journey of Hope.