An email I just sent with the subject heading: “A discussion of suicide”

NOTE that I have corrected this post here.

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I keep thinking about a truncated discussion we had on suicide after one of our Board meetings last spring. You joined it and dogmatically insisted that schools don’t cause it.

Frankly I neither agree or disagree with you. Like Alanna you had a personal family experience that has made you think long and hard about the subject.

Below is a link to a thoughtful NPR story about suicide myths that is instructive.

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/09/02/478835539/6-myths-about-suicide-that-every-educator-and-parent-should-know

About 20 years ago 709 experienced 5 suicides in a period of a couple of months that was described as a spate of copycatting. Today one family is preparing a lawsuit against us for their child’s suicide. I am not a fan of certitude and dogma. The world is a complicated place and I recommend this NPR story as a good place for us to begin a discussion about this sensitive subject.

All the best.

Harry

PS. This is not a new issue

PPS The five student suicides represented several area schools not just ISD 709. Our current Education Reporter Jana Hollingsworth wrote the story.

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