Local News

Brockton School Committee wants mentors to go into schools to ease violence, support students

“What is it going to take for someone to make a decision about keeping our staff and our students safe?" an advocate asked school committee members.

Nathan Klima for The Boston Globe

March 5, 2024

2 minutes to read

The Brockton School Committee voted during their Tuesday night meeting for the acting superintendent to work with vetted volunteers to support Brockton teachers and students.

Brockton Public Schools is facing a myriad of challenges, including a deficit of potentially millions of dollars and safety concerns at Brockton High School. Earlier this month, some school committee members called for Gov. Maura Healey to dispatch the National Guard after injured teachers called for action.

Healey denied the request, and another teacher was reportedly injured during a fight at the high school Monday.

Towards the end of the two-hour meeting, School Committee Member Joyce Asack prompted the discussion about security personnel at Brockton High, which is the largest high school in the state.

“I’ve gotten a ton of emails from people offering their services but it’s a business and they want to get paid, and we don’t have the money,” Asack told her colleagues.

School Committee Member Tony Rodrigues then moved to allow for Acting Superintendent James Cobbs to “to get into an agreement in talks with community engagement groups and volunteers to come into our schools and help volunteer to support our teachers and our students.”

Rodrigues went on to say the volunteers could be in mentorship roles.

“That was one of the biggest things that I advocated for,” Rodrigues said. “We need those in our schools.”

Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan mentioned Jamal Gooding, executive director and founder of People Affecting Community Change, as a resource for mentorship.

Gooding spoke during the public comment period and said PACC offered the district 100 volunteers to “restore public safety” to the mayor and the superintendent last week.

“What is it going to take for someone to make a decision about keeping our staff and our students safe? If money is an issue, we’ll work for free. If you say going in tomorrow morning we’ll be in there tomorrow morning,” Gooding said, while acknowledging that there is a vetting process.

School committee members also approved a new cell phone policy for the high school on Tuesday. And, after months of turmoil and a multiple stalemate votes, members also elected Tony Rodrigues as Vice Chair.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Rodrigues said. “We’re going to work together, and we’re going make sure that we get this black cloud out over our heads.”