Instead of a Walkout, Some Students Had a ‘Walk In’

On a day when thousands of students nationwide were walking out of their schools in response to gun violence and the shootings in Parkland, Fla., high school students in Yonkers, N.Y., assembled in their gymnasium to participate in an assembly organized by the administration. For 11th grade student Britney Cruz and others, a walk-in was not what they had in mind. They wanted to lead their classmates out of the building. But for Yonkers Superintendent of Schools Edwin M.Guezada and many other school leaders across the country, allowing students to leave the safety of their school buildings posed risks. Guezada argued that bringing students, administrators, and elected officials together on the day of protests could be more powerful.