California Association of Independent Schools Statement on Gun

Home , Berkeley Hall School, De Toledo High School, Milken Community Schools, Santa Catalina School, Sequoyah School, Sierra Canyon School

XXXXX SFChronicle.com | Sunday, March 11, 2018 | A9

CaliforniaAssociation of IndependentSchools Statement on Gun Violence and School Safety

As the Board of Directors of the California Association of Independent Schools, we join our Executive Director and the undersigned colleagues from our member schools —aswell as other independent, religious, and proprietaryschools throughout California —inanguish over the February14school shooting in Parkland, Florida. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the victims of this and everyschool shooting, and we stand in unwavering support of the survivors.

We also stand in full solidarity with concerned educators nationwide. Today,school shootings are appallinglyroutine. Innocent lives of flourishingyoung people have been cut short, and students of everyage in countless communities are afraidtogotoschool. These students are our futureleaders. They and others, with amyriad of different perspectives, are also eager to change this paradigm by navigating our democratic processes, by engaging in respectful civic discourse, and by acting as catalysts for needed change, which we heartily applaud. We need to listen to their voices and respond to their pleas to make schools safe.

As educators and as citizens, we are proud Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who believethatour countryneed notchoose between the rightful protection of responsiblegun ownership and the necessaryprevention of gun violence. We believe thatthe epidemic of gun violence in schools is an issue of non-partisan urgency, one thatdemands ahigher duty of care.

We recall with admiration the ability to rise above partisanship on this issue displayed by two former Presidents, DemocratJimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan, both of whom owned guns. In 1994, they worked together to help reduce the number of dangerous weapons available to private citizens. Sadly,nearly 25 years after their efforts, the United States still leads the world in the number of guns per capita. In astudyofWorld Health Organization data from 23 high-income countries, an astonishing 91% of all children (aged 0-14years) killed by guns were from the United States. Today,assault weapons in particular are used in adisproportionate number of mass shootings, manyofwhich have targeted schools. As educators who work tirelessly to nurture and educate the next generation of Americans, we believe this is tragic.

We join as colleagues and implore our regional and national leaders to take the necessarysteps to protect our students, teachers, and staff and, with profound resolve, to address the many factors thatcontribute to safe and secure educational communities, including responsible safeguards related to guns.

Never before have so manyschool leaders from all corners of this greatnation, from everytype of school, spoken with one voice to address asingle issue. We are moved to do so on behalf of all of this nation’schildren, whose welfare and safety it is our common duty to ensure.

Respectfully,

Heads of Schools CAIS-Member Schools(Listed Alphabetically by School)

LarryKligman, Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School Y. Boruch Sufrin, Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy Joel Pelcyger, PS1 Pluralistic School Sarah Shulkind,Alice and Nahum Lainer School Richard B. Commons, Harvard-Westlake School John Loeser, Redwood Day School Hugh Jebson,All Saints’ Day School Crystal M. Land, Head-Royce School Peter McCormack, Rolling Hills PreparatorySchool Olaf Jorgenson, Almaden CountryDay School GaryStern, High Point Academy Barbara Gereboff, Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School Julia V. Fanara, Alverno Heights Academy Mark Silver, Hillbrook School Lee Thomsen, Sacramento CountryDay School *Elizabeth English, The Archer School for Girls Ilise Faye, Hollywood Schoolhouse Richard A. Dioli, Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton Eric F. Niles, The Athenian School Yuri Hronsky, Ilan Ramon Day School Dave Davies, Saint Andrew’sEpiscopal School TonyaA.Beilstein, Barnhart School Philippe Dietz, International School of the Peninsula Deborah David, St. James’ Episcopal School Luke W. Felker, The Bay School of San Francisco Michael D. Pratt, St. John’sEpiscopal School Arlene F. Hogan, Bentley School *Howard J. Ruben, Jewish Community High School of the Bay William N. Moseley, St. Margaret’sEpiscopal School Lisle Staley, Berkeley Hall School Sandra Luna, Julia Morgan School for Girls Jennifer Foley Tolbert, Saint Mark’sSchool Randy R. Bertin, Besant Hill School Greg Kovacs,Kadima Day School Sharon Taylor, St. Mary’sSchool Mitch Bostian, The Berkeley School Michele G. Williams, Katherine Delmar Burke School Julie Galles, St. Matthew’sEpiscopal Day School *Aimeclaire Roche, The Bishop’sSchool Darren Kleinberg, Kehillah Jewish High School John Carlstroem, Black Pine Circle School Alona Scott, Keys School Stuart Work, St. Matthew’sParish School MaryD.Heise, St. Michael’sEpiscopal Day School PegSandel, Brandeis Marin Christine Hutton, Kirby School NancyWhitson, St. Patrick’sEpiscopal Day School Dan Glass, The Brandeis School of San Francisco Rob Hereford, Laguna Blanca School Josh Stern, St. Paul’sEpiscopal School Christina Mazzola, The Branson School GaryW.Krahn, La Jolla CountryDay School Mark E. Rosenblum, San Diego French-American School Michael Riera, Brentwood School Valentina Imbeni, La Scuola International School Carl Sabatino, Bridges Academy Chaim Heller, San Diego Jewish Academy Laurie Wolke, Laurence School James Busby, The Buckley School Cecily Stock, San Domenico School Eric Temple, Lick-Wilmerding High School Julian Bull, Campbell Hall Patricia A. Merz, Sage Hill School Duncan Lyon, The Carey School *Virginia Paik, Live Oak School Michael Walker, San Francisco Day School TimKusserow, Carlthorp School Ilene Reinfeld, Los Encinos School Mike Hanas, San Francisco Friends School Vincent E. Downey,CalvaryChristian School Emmanuel Texier, Lycée Français de San Francisco Steve Morris, The San Francisco School Benjamin D. Williams IV, Cate School *Travis Brownley, Marin Academy Julia Russell Eells, San Francisco University High School Nanci Z. Kauffman, Castilleja School Lucinda Lee Katz, Marin CountryDay School Brian McWilliams, Santa Barbara Middle School *Mark A. Brooks, The Center for Early Education Catherine Hunter, Marin Horizon School Meg Bradley, Santa Catalina School Jack Creeden, Chadwick School Sam Shapiro, Marin Montessori School Ann Marie Krejcarek, Schools of the Sacred Heart, San John Finch, Chandler School Andrew Slater, Marin Primary&Middle School Francisco Jessica Miller, Charles Armstrong School Priscilla Sands, Marlborough School Tekakwitha Pernambuco-Wise, Sea Crest School Neal Wrightson, Children’sCommunity School *Joe Harvey, Mark Day School Josh Brody, SequoyahSchool Molly Huffman, Children’sDay School Jacqueline L. Landry, Marymount High School Margarita Pagliai, Seven Arrows ElementarySchool John Fowler, The Children’sSchool *Andrew Wooden, Marymount of Santa Barbara James P. Skrumbis, Sierra Canyon School Jeffrey Bissell, Chinese American International School Joseph J. Gill, Mayfield Junior School Janet Durgin, Sonoma Academy Robert W. Nafie, Clairbourn School Monique DeVane, The College PreparatorySchool Kate Morin, Mayfield Senior School Brad Weaver, Sonoma CountryDay School Dean Goldfein, Contra Costa Jewish Day School Than Healy, Menlo School Julie Smith, Stanbridge Academy Holly Novick, The CountrySchool Christopher Barnes, Midland School Kevin M. Hicks, Stevenson School Joel J. Weiss, Crane CountryDay School Phil Gutierrez, Mid-Peninsula High School Jeffrey Davis, Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School Baudelia Chavez Taylor, Crestview PreparatorySchool GaryWeisserman, Milken Community Schools Linda Riff, Tehiyah Day School Bob Riddle, Crossroads School for Arts &Sciences Dan Vorenberg, Mirman School Michael Mulligan, The Thacher School Amy C. Richards, Crystal Springs Uplands School MaryMcDonald, Mount Madonna School Lorri Hamilton Durbin, Town School for Boys Meera Ratnesar, Curtis School Andrew Davis, Mount Tamalpais School MaryMenacho, Trinity School Bruce Powell, de Toledo High School Kara Riordan, MulberrySchool Laura Konigsberg, Turning Point School David Frankenberg, Drew School Dina Eletreby, New Horizon School, Irvine Mark Salkind, Urban School of San Francisco Michael C. Beck, Dunn School Amira Al-Sarraf, New Horizon School, Pasadena ShevaLocke, Valley Beth Shalom Day School Jason Baeten, East Bay School for Boys Ann Clark, Valley Montessori School Dalal Hassouna-Antabli, New Horizon School, Westside PeggyProcter,Echo Horizon School John Black, Valley PreparatorySchool Diane Rosenberg, The Nueva School Mehdi Lazar, Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley Mark McKee, Viewpoint School Jodi Grass, Oak Grove School Jon Fulk, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional Nora Malone, Village School TedHamory, The Oaks School Julianne Tullis-Thompson, The Family School *Karen Eshoo, Vistamar School James Astman, Oakwood School Peter Bachmann, Flintridge PreparatorySchool Terra Toscano, Walden School Carolyn McCormack, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy Stephen P. Lane, Odyssey School Heidi Johnson, The Waverly School Michael Silva, Foothill CountryDay School Michael J. Hall-Mounsey, Ojai Valley School *Taylor B. Stockdale, The Webb Schools Kevin Yaley, Francis Parker School Bob Ogle, Pacific Ridge School HJohn Walter III, The Wesley School *Melinda Bihn, French American International School Susan S. Rice, Palm Valley School Patrick Brown, Westerly School Pierre-Ludovic Perrot, French American School of Silicon Valley Judith Fuller, Park CenturySchool Melinda Tsapatsaris, Westland School Dean Conklin, The Frostig Center *Jason Lopez, The Pegasus School ZacharyRoberts, Gateway School Claudia Koochek, Westmark School Patricia Cailler, Peninsula Heritage School David Zimand, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School *Elizabeth McGregor, Westridge School Scott Erickson, Phillips Brooks School *Alison Fleming, Gillispie School Bradley Zacuto, Westside Neighborhood School Jennifer Ayer, The Girls’ Middle School Paul I. Barsky, Pilgrim School *Landis Green, Wildwood School Armaghan Mirhaj, Golden Hills School John W. Bracker, Polytechnic School Lisa Rosenstein, The Willows Community School Carl Parke, The Gooden School Kevin Jacobson, Presidio Hill School TomGilder, Windward School Wanda M. Holland Greene, The Hamlin School Judith R. Fox, Presidio Knolls School Marja Brandon, Woodland School Angi Evans, Harbor Day School Katherine Dinh, Prospect Sierra School Zvi Weiss, Yavneh Day School Brian Yager, The Harker School Joe Sciuto, Providence High School Chuck Harmon, York School

*Member of the CAIS Board of Directors Jim McManus Executive Director,CAIS Schools Not Formally Affiliated with CAIS

Marci McCord, Del Mar Pines School Gabriel Ferrer, St. Martin’sEpiscopal School Janet Cole, Diegueño CountrySchool Aimee Giles, San Francisco Schoolhouse Stuart Grauer, The Grauer School Raymond J. Volker, Warren-Walker School Regina McDuffie, The Rhoades School Dena Harris, The Winston School