(INTRO MUSIC)
WELCOME– HOST GILLIAN PARKER (00:05)
Hey there. Welcome to the All Teens Considered podcast. I'm your host, Gillian Parker.
Quick disclaimer. All Teens Considered is not a replacement for therapy or personalized advice. We just hope that what we do provides something relatable or insightful for whatever you and your friends might be dealing with.
The purpose of All Teens Considered is just to explore whatever teens are thinking and feeling right now. So, we actually talk to and survey young people because that's who this podcast is for. In addition to that, we also interview experts in their fields, especially mental health professionals so we can get their expert opinion on the biggest issues facing young people. Right now.
Basically, we just want to change the stigma around mental health and make mental health education more interesting. Come up with more clear-cut things to actually do about it and just make the whole thing a lot more normal.
So, if you're a teenager listening right now know that this podcast is for you. We would love to hear from you if there are any issues or topics that you want to hear about. Um, if there's anything we can do to make ATC better for you, please let us know. You can share your thoughts by texting us at 512-537-1778.
GUEST INTRODUCTION - DR. CISSY PEREZ, SUPT., KINGSVILLE ISD (01:27)
Our guest today is Dr. Cissy Reynolds Perez. Superintendent of Kingsville ISD in Kingsville, Texas. Dr. Perez earned her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Texas A and M Corpus Christi. She grew up in the South Texas town of Kingsville and describes herself as a proud Kingsville ISD graduate.
She's served as principal at all grade levels. And most recently was principal at Corpus Christi's W.B. Ray High School, a 2100-student campus in 2018. She was named Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and Human Resources at West Oso ISD, Corpus Christi, in 2020. The Kingsville ISD board selected Dr. Reynolds Perez as their lone finalist for superintendent because of her knowledge of current technological trends, accountability requirements, and their confidence that she would gain the trust of the community by meeting the academic athletic fine arts college readiness stem career, and technical and social-emotional needs of the Kingsville Brahmas.
Some of Dr. Reynolds-Perez's accomplishments include Texas High School Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, as well as HEB Excellence in Education Elementary Principal of the Year.
Dr. Reynolds Perez was also appointed by Governor Abbott to serve on the Governor's State Board for the Texas School Safety Center for 2018-19. And she currently serves as co-chair of State Representative Todd Hunter's Suicide Prevention Task Force.
We are honored to have the chance to talk with Dr. Perez today about her experiences during the recent Uvalde school shooting and what she has done before and after that tragic event to help make her students, teachers, and staff as safe as possible.
Melina Soroka, Co-host (03:20)
Following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead on May 24, 2022, All Teens Considered knew it was important to amplify the voices of people who are fighting for school safety.
As Superintendent of the Kingsville Independent School District in Kingsville, Texas, which is about 200 miles southeast of Uvalde and 40 miles southwest of Corpus Christi, Dr. Cissy Reynolds Perez, you are responsible for the success and safety of nearly 3,500 students. You served on the Board of Directors of the Texas School Safety Center, and you participated in the first roundtable discussion and follow-up committees to help create [Texas] Governor Abbott's School Safety Plan after the Parkland and Santa Fe school shootings.
After the Santa Fe school shooting in 2018, you also brought your district’s counselors to Santa Fe ISD to help the school's team with guiding and consoling students in the aftermath. It's clear to All Teens Considered that keeping students safe is a top priority for you.
So, Dr. Perez thank you so much for joining us.
Dr. Cissy Perez, Supt., Kingsville ISD (04:33)
Thank you.
Melina, Co-host (04:34)
I would like to start with what happened the day you learned about the Uvalde ISD school shooting. Where were you? Who were you with? What were you feeling?
Dr. Cissy Perez (04:43)
I was in a leadership meeting when we started getting some alerts on our phones. People were texting each other and saying, “Did you see this?” Did you see this?”
I pulled it up and read it. And I was, of course, heartbroken just like everybody. And so immediately, I sent it to all of my board members. I sent it to all of my leaders, my campus leaders, and building leaders and said, “This is what's happening.”
It's just another reminder to check all entrances, and exits, to be on alert, because usually what happens during these times is there are copycats that try to get some attention.
I wanted to make sure that our staff was alerted very quickly. I emailed the rest of the staff because I wanted my leaders to take charge of their areas. And then I sent an email to all of the district staff saying, “In light of what occurred in Uvalde, it's an unfortunate reminder of the fact that we must remain vigilant. We cannot become complacent.”
Our biggest fear is that something like this would happen in our district or any other district. So, it was immediate communication.
And then I had to start making sure that I was going to reassure our parents and students, that we were going to be under heightened security. So, I planned for a Robo Call for that next morning, really early in the morning to let our parents know, "Look, we're here. We're going to be on campuses. We're dividing up and all going to report to campuses. And, we're in close communication with our law enforcement here in our city and our county."
Melina, Co-host (06:42)
What stands out for you most about this moment? About this tragedy?
Dr. Cissy Perez (06:47)
I think what stands out to me most is the fact that we are hearing what some of the children were experiencing while in that room. When I heard one of the little girls' testimony about her friend lying dying there next to her, she had to wipe some blood from her friend to pretend like she was dead.
Just those things, those survival skills that our students automatically resort to. It's just so incredible, but also so sad. Just the fact that you do end up having to go into some sort of survival skill and that it can happen in the blink of an eye. It can happen so quickly without warning that the communication among all the law enforcement is just so critical. To make sure that all hands are on deck, everybody's coming together to do what they need to do.
In my opinion, it's obvious that the two teachers who passed did everything they could to protect their students. And that's what educators do. We do everything we can to protect our students.
Unfortunately, our buildings sometimes are not equipped to provide us with the most safety or the safest environment because they're aging buildings. There can be malfunctions of the doors, things like that. All those things were just going through my mind.
But I couldn't stop watching the news channels, the news stations. I just had to hear everything that these families and these educators were going through because we can learn from them. At the same time, we sympathize with them, we feel for them, and are trying to figure out what can we do for them.
What can we do for our teachers and staff to help them feel better? I started looking up some resources that our teachers and staff could use when they talk to their students.
We have a Brahma Time. It's kind of like an advisory period, about 15 minutes a day, that our students have with their Brahma Time teacher. And that's just a time for them to just get to know each other and talk. I knew that sometimes our teachers, it's hard for us to know what to say during moments like this.
Our Education Service Center director had emailed superintendents a whole list of ways to talk to students. Things that you can do to approach your students about this subject. I forwarded that to all of our teachers as well. Just trying to give them as many resources as possible.
I also wrote a card to the superintendent and mailed it that day. I asked my secretary, please make sure this gets put in the mail because I just felt like I had to let him know that we were praying for him and his whole community. It's such a difficult moment.
Melina, Co-host (09:57)
It truly is.
Dr. Perez, you're well known from the time you've been a teacher, a principal, and now superintendent for listening to your students and for helping them share their voices.
What advice can you give to teens who might be listening to this podcast about the best way to share their voices about anything that concerns them, particularly school shootings?
Dr. Cissy Perez (10:22)
My advice is to reach out to the adult on your campus, that you can turn to, that you can email, that you can, message, that you can text. Most students have their email addresses, especially since COVID. Students were all issued, email addresses, laptops, and things. So there are some devices that they can use to communicate. And if there isn't an adult that they feel that they can reach out to confidentially or privately, reach out to their superintendent.
I've told my students if there's anything they need, reach out to your counselor, to your teacher, your Brahma Time teacher, your principal, or contact me. That's what we're here for. And if we don't communicate with the students, then things like this manifest.
There's no time to look back and say, “Oh gosh, somebody should have talked to this child.” Because the students are mostly in the top 10%, those students seem to have an adequate amount of communication skills where they know they can reach out, they know to talk to somebody. But sometimes either the middle-level student or the students who are failing multiple classes, may not have the self-confidence to speak up, to reach out to someone, to feel like somebody's actually going to listen to them.
We adults need to make sure that we are communicating to all of our students, whatever percentage at the top 10% or not. We need to reach out to all of them. And even those that are in the top 10%, I'm not saying they all have those skills where they can communicate with or they'll reach out, but for the most part, the patterns that we see are there's some middle-level kids or some lower-level kids that have struggled in their grades, attendance, and discipline. Those should be signs that we need to reach out to those students more. Help them feel comfortable about reaching out to us.
Melina, Co-host (12:24)
You were one of 1200 experts asked to speak at South by Southwest EDU in 2019. And you chose to speak about School Safety. And in that talk, you stressed that it's about "the root, not the guns". In your experience what is at the root of the school safety problem?
Dr. Cissy Perez (12:43)
What I mean by that is that as educators, we're not here to debate gun laws. We're here to find out what is the root, what is and the reason these school shootings are occurring? What is the reason that somebody resorts to shooting up innocent children? I've noticed it seems to be a pattern of school shootings are the younger students more recently. That the shooter is being reminded of something that happened when they were that age? I don't know exactly what it is, but we need to find out before it's too late.
And so, I really feel like we need to talk to our students, get to know our students, "Know Your Students, No Excuses." That’s what I say.
We've got to know our students because we could be the ones to say, “You know what? I have a feeling I know who might, who this, who may have caused this problem.” Because maybe from some signs that we saw or heard, but we need to get to them before it gets to that point.
Also, school safety. We've got to keep our schools safe. We need more eyes and ears walking around the campuses, checking doors continuously, somebody who's really watching the cameras continuously this way. Cameras are not a reactive thing, but it's a proactive device that we're using. We need to have people walking around campuses, checking for suspicious characters that are approaching our buildings or out there during recess or playground time. We need more security, but districts are struggling to pay for security. They're struggling for the funds to raise those salaries, to hire security because there's such a shortage of security. We need to be able to raise those salaries.
I had proposed – I messaged a couple of our legislators and I said, perhaps the NRA or the dealers would support an initiative where they can adopt a school. Different dealers adopt a different school and help fund security on their campuses. Because we need protection now.
Definitely, we need to address the mental health problems, the mental health crisis. That's going to take time, but in the meantime, while that needs to be addressed, definitely. We also need to be protecting our students right now.
Melina, Co-host (15:15)
We've seen suggestions and tactics implemented like more officers on campus, limited visitors to campus, wand detection, metal detector scans, updated camera surveillance systems, and locking doors at all times. In terms of improving school safety, what really has worked? You mentioned that you need to hire more security, you need to have more eyes and ears on the ground, and on-campus checking doors. What really has worked in your experience?
Dr. Cissy Perez (15:46)
Well, let me take our middle school this year. Coming back from COVID, students were lacking coping skills. They had been in their homes for a year and a half from COVID. So, they were lacking those social skills. When they came back to school, especially in the middle school age, because when I met with several superintendents, a lot of our discussions had centered around middle school for some reason, the middle school age.
When you think about it, the last time a sixth-grader was in a traditional setting full year, they were a fourth-grader. And all of a sudden, boom, they're in middle school. We need those people who know our kids, but also who are monitoring. What I did at my middle school, where we were having an escalated number of fights, and arguments, they were just turning into fights.
I increased the security personnel there. This person does not have a gun, but their job is to walk around continuously checking restrooms in case somebody's in there, ready to use a science experiment tool as a weapon, checking for fights, and getting to know the kids. They would know why, or if there was a possibility of a fight that was going to occur, or if a kid was super angry, was going to dart out of the building and go get a weapon or something. And that has really helped.
Once I moved one of our security over there, like in three weeks, there were no fights. I'm just telling you one example, that was huge because there had been fights and among girls mostly, almost daily.
Those extra set of eyes and ears, who did not have to worry about teaching students, who weren't having to be their coach. They were the set of eyes that their sole focus was security, and prevention, being that live surveillance. That has helped us.
That doesn't mean it's going to prevent everything a hundred percent, but this person was checking doors continuously, always looking for suspicious characters. During lunch duty, they were continually walking around the cafeteria, getting to know the students very well. Things like that have really helped in that school. So that's one example of why I truly believe we need more eyes and ears, but we just don't have the funds to be able to hire enough to be doing that for us.
Melina, Co-host (18:28)
How has this event impacted students' mental health?
Dr. Cissy Perez (18:32)
I think it's just added to the trauma, the uncertainty. They've lost that innocent feeling of being safe, of feeling that their teachers and police officers can save 'em from anything. The reality that I'm sure they're hearing is that we all need to protect each other. There is no surefire way to make sure that something like this doesn't happen at your school. You have to try your very, very best and work together.
But I think they're scared. They're fearful. Our poor children in this generation, they can't even go to the movies or go to school without feeling like there might be an active shooter. And that is such a heartbreaking thing to think of.
Melina, Co-host (19:24)
Yeah, absolutely is heartbreaking. What can listeners do to prevent another school shooting?
Dr. Cissy Perez (19:32)
Parents need to make sure that they're talking to their children continuously. Many of us work and it is hard for us to talk to our children continuously, but we've got to make a better effort. Put the phones down, and make sure that you're talking to your children. Find out what they're watching, and what they're looking at on social media, but also check their rooms, check under their beds, check their backpacks, and see what they're carrying.
They may tell you, “Oh, you know, you don't trust me? Say "No. You know, somebody could have easily put something in your bag. It is my job as a parent." You know, you're not there to be their buddy. You're there to be their parent. The one that loves them the very most, the one that wants to protect them the very most.
And, talking to the teachers, if there's a question about their grades, talk to the teachers, reach out to them. If they don't hear back from them, then contact their principal and say, “I'm waiting on a response.” It could be a technology problem. Maybe the email didn't go through. Don't stop.
If communication's not occurring enough, don't stop trying. Reach out to the counselor. Reach out to anybody on the campus. Come visit. Ask to speak to someone, just to get some sort of advice.
Ask them for parental involvement topics. Maybe to have a parent coffee. Things like that to talk about school safety and what everybody can do to make sure they're helping to keep the children safe. Because it does not rely on just one person. It's gonna take everybody in their school community to do their part.
Melina, Co-host (21:08)
Dr. Cissy Reynolds-Perez. Thank you so much for joining us on All Teens Considered. We hope to have you on again about a much happier subject, but until then, please stay safe, keep your kids safe, and thank you again.
Dr. Cissy Perez (21:23)
Thank you.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 7 CLOSING (21:28)
Thank you, Dr. Perez, for your commitment to teaching our children and keeping them safe. You've given our listeners several action items that can help them keep their school campuses as safe as possible.
That's the end of our interview with Superintendent Perez. Next week, we'll hear from two of Dr. Perez's high school students and learn how they're feeling about school safety after the recent Uvalde, Texas school shooting.
Thanks for listening to All Teens Considered.