Runcie Recommends Comprehensive Review Of Nikolas Cruz's Education
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie wants to know what went wrong so he is recommending a comprehensive, independent review of Nikolas Cruz's education record to see what could have been done differently.
Runcie wants to know Cruz's entire educational record and the academic, social and emotional services Cruz received.
Runcie announced his recommendation during Tuesday's Broward School Board meeting.
"I mean we are a learning organization. We must take the opportunity to see what services were delivered," said Runcie.
The Collaborative Education Network out of Tallahassee will figure that out. They work largely with charter schools according to their web page, but also provide technical assistance and support in areas as diverse as curriculum and instruction, special programs and school Operations.
"While we can't undo what happened, we must understand what led to the violence and avoid it in the future," said Runcie.
The review will look at four things:
- A thorough review of Nikolas Cruz's academic records.
- Identification and review of the academic, social and emotional services provided to Nikolas Cruz during the time he was enrolled in Broward County Public Schools.
- On-site interviews with BPCS staff and agency partners, who provided academic and support services to the student.
- A review of policies and procedures in place during the student's academic journey.
Runcie wants the review to start immediately and conclude by June 2018.
The proposed cost of the review, estimated to take between six to eight weeks to complete, is $60,000.
Cruz attended Stoneman Douglas in 2016 and at the end of the school year his mother refused any more special services according to the Superintendent. Cruz returned in January 2017 and was expelled by February for assault It was a year later police say he returned to the campus and unleashed his rage and killed 17 people.
"While we cannot undo this heartbreaking attack on our school community on February 14, we can and must do what we can to understand the conditions that lead to such acts, in hopes of avoiding them here and elsewhere," stated Runcie.
