Eighteen Months after the MSD Tragedy: Why the Survivors, Teachers and Staff Haven’t Received the Help They Need...and How They Can Get it for FREE!

Eighteen Months after the MSD Tragedy: Why the Survivors, Teachers and Staff Haven’t Received the Help They Need...and How They Can Get it for FREE!

A bit earlier this month, it was announced that public schools in Florida recorded grade improvements this past year, with no Broward County Public Schools receiving a failing grade. At first glance, this news made me extremely happy for, and proud of, my many teacher friends and their students, approximately 3,000 of whom they were kind enough to share with me during the past eight years of conducting my ‘Top of the Middle’ Program in Broward County Schools.

However, another set of statistics within these grade improvements tells a vastly different (and troubling) story, especially for the MSD students still struggling under the weight of the PTSD with which they were afflicted in the aftermath of the MSD tragedy on 2/14/18. In the year following the tragedy, History, Biology, Geometry and Algebra scores all dropped, with the sole exception being in English, in which a slight improvement in scores was recorded.

I don’t know of anyone who would dispute the fact that, as one school board member was quoted in a July 1st Sun-Sentinel article, “much of the decreases in test scores were attributed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) suffered by teachers and students after the tragedy.” She added she was “optimistic that will change in the coming school year, as many students have been receiving help to cope with their grief and the school has a new principal, Michelle Kefford, who was recognized as the state’s ‘Principal of the Year’ for her work in raising student achievement at Charles Flanagan High in Pembroke Pines.”

While I have no doubt that Principal Kefford will be a welcome addition to MSD and provide much better leadership than that of Principal Thompson (who was dismissed and subsequent reassigned at the end of the last school year), I do question exactly what ‘many students have been receiving help to cope with their grief’ really means, how it is measured and how many students actually were helped. Following the suicides of two MSD surviving students in March, an article in the March 27, 2019 issues of ‘The Parklander’ (written by an MSD teacher, no less) describes a disorganized effort with little oversight in which students suffering from PTSD WERE NOT receiving adequate care! The teacher went on to describe, in detail, that the mental health assistance provided to MSD students, however well-intended, largely missed its mark and was unable to connect with many of these students dealing with PTSD in a meaningful way.

How this all transcends, a mere 3.5 months after ‘The Parklander’ article, to ‘many students have been receiving help to cope with their grief’ is, frankly, really difficult for me to comprehend, and quantify. Here’s why:

On the evening of February 14th, 2018, I posted an offer to extend my unconditional support, 'Top of the Middle' Program, and immediate, in-school assistance to MSD and/or ANY school with students struggling to cope with the aftermath of the MSD disaster...at no cost and for as long as it took! I tagged Superintendent Runcie and school board members, yet didn't receive a single response from anyone. Soon thereafter, I received an unsolicited e-mail from BCPS regarding the need to reach out and help the school and students. I filled out the form provided, explained my program and noted again that I would work with any and all students, for as long as it took and at no charge. I didn't hear anything back from them, either.

In April of 2018, I asked a BCPS principal why my offers of assistance went unaddressed, especially the one stemming from the BCPS' e-mailed request for assistance. The principal assured me they had more than enough mental health professionals to help everyone, and they were “getting the help they needed.” I walked away from that exchange feeling happy that the MDS students were receiving the help they needed. However, as it turned out, such was obviously not the case, and, in fact, quite the opposite was true, as per the two suicides by MSD survivors in March, and the aforementioned article in ‘The Parklander.’

As a survivor of over five years of extensive bullying and nearly taking my own life at the age of 12, I can tell you firsthand how important it is for a child, teen or adult, for that matter, to receive the mental health assistance best-suited for them IMMEDIATELY following a life-altering tragedy. When they don’t receive the right assistance specific to their situation, every subsequent day in which they don’t receive assistance sets them back many days, even weeks, at a time. I know this to be a fact, because I spent 28 years in that black hole!

In my case, I did not have teams of psychologists, mental health specialists, etc. descend upon my school to help me when my childhood was ruined, my innocence was snatched from me, I hit rock bottom and lost my will to live; rather, I had my silence coerced and couldn’t even tell my own parents! 

Thankfully, I’ve been blessed with very loving, kind and caring parents, both of whom lived for their four children. Although I couldn’t talk about it with them, my parents knew something was terribly wrong with me, and brought me to a very prominent child psychologist on Long Island, NY, where I was raised. He was a very gentle and decent man, with a wall filled with diplomas, awards, etc. Unfortunately, in spite of his good intentions, degrees, etc., I couldn’t connect with him enough to bare my soul, and really unload my burden so he could, in fact, help me. Moreover, I didn’t think he could relate to my situation at all, because he didn’t experience it himself. Rather, he gave me a lot of clinical assistance, which, unsurprisingly, went in one ear, and out the other. I went to two sessions with him, mostly to please my parents, then told them I didn’t want to go anymore.

I believe this to be largely the reason why so many MSD survivors did not, in fact, receive the help they desperately needed…and still do! How in the world were they expected to reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings to someone they didn’t, and couldn’t, connect with, relate to and/or trust because those counselors either weren’t experienced in dealing with PTSD, children/teens with PTSD, and/or hadn’t ever personally had, or worked through, an experience like that in their own lives! The short answer is, the MSD survivors shut down…and who could blame them!

I’ve always believed, and even more so, now, that the best person to help someone work through a tragedy of this magnitude is someone who successfully worked through a life-altering tragedy of their own. I also believe this is why my program has been so successful in Title 1 schools since its inception in 2011. I explain to my students what I’ve been through, how I worked through it, how much I love them, and how dedicated I am to helping them work through their issues and getting their lives back on track. I also let them know that I was one of them at their age, and, in some respects, always will be! The emotional connection I establish with students goes a long way towards breaking down the barriers necessary to really dig deep into their problems, which include the deleterious effects of various forms of abuse, neglect, bullying, divorce, death, poor parenting, isolation, poverty, etc.

I hope no one reading this post has any illusions as to how bad this problem really is in Title 1 schools, and most other schools…including MSD! Frankly, after eight years and working with approximately 3,000 district students, I’ve never seen it worse! Depending upon the Title 1 school, I believe most of the students suffer from PTSD, or some form of it, because they were born into a life of abuse, neglect, poverty, bullying, etc., have few, if any, positive role models, and/or are largely devoid of love, kindness, affection, attention, encouragement, etc. The vast number of them is heartbreaking…and extremely alarming.

Recently, a teacher asked me how I differentiate between the PTSD suffered by a Title 1 student vs. the PTSD suffered by an MSD survivor. The short answer is, there is no difference…except one; unlike the MSD survivors, there are thousands, likely tens of thousands, of Title 1 students attending BCPS who are suffering in silence. These students did not receive the vast media coverage or teams of psychologists the MSD tragedy garnered; rather, their own PTSD just worsens by the day…with relatively little-or-no help to deal with it all!

Regrettably, I’ve come to the conclusion that within this broken school system, certain people who knew absolutely nothing about mental health, working with students with PTSD, etc. took it upon themselves to determine which individuals, groups and organizations would be selected to help the students with PTSD. In turn, many students, and their parents, were lulled into a false sense of security; they actually believed they would receive the best, highest quality mental health assistance. As we all know, ‘reality’ turned out to be exactly opposite of that! At the end of the day, the ‘reality’ was that it really didn’t matter how many degrees the ‘mental health specialists’ hired to help the MSD students, teachers and staff had after their last names. What really mattered is that most of them were clearly unable to offer meaningful assistance, even though I’ve been told that some were paid upwards of $300/hr. for their time! What a waste!

At a community meeting a few nights ago, a member of the School Board of Broward County confirmed what I suspected all along; It wouldn’t matter if I’ve already helped a million students raise their grades and effectively deal with their PTSD, or spent a thousand years as an extremely active BCPS volunteer. I, and people just like me (there are many), will NEVER be included in the district’s group of people tasked with helping the students, teachers and staff of MSD best-manage their PTSD! My personal experience of overcoming PTSD, working with approximately 3,000 Title I students, and having my program endorsed by numerous principals, teachers, teaching assistants, guidance counselors, and over 1,000 students means absolutely nothing to those in charge…in spite of the fact that they’ve already told me how much they appreciate the work I do! Words cannot express how convoluted that is, and how deeply disappointed I am, that the district would allow me to work with countless Title 1 students, as many I could handle, but God forbid I help just one MSD student, even when I know I can…and have helped so many other students with PTSD who came before them.

I was asked by the parent of two MSD students to contact an organization called Eagles’ Haven, which, the parent told me, was actually providing some meaningful assistance for MSD students; thank God someone is! I will contact them today, and offer them my services as described above. Regardless of the outcome of that, I’ll extend the following offer to work with the MSD survivors, their parents, teachers and staff:

Parents of MSD Survivors: I realize that you and your children have already been through hell and back, and, in many cases, your children didn’t receive enough of the mental health assistance they really needed…if at all. Eighteen months later, the situation is likely just as bad, or worse, for many of your children. However, it doesn’t have to be that way! Like I’ve already offered several times, I'll work, at no charge, with your child between here and when they graduate out of MSD. This includes summers, too, so if you and your child need help right now, I’ll help you, right now! I believe many MSD survivors will require counseling for years to come, and strongly recommend they seek it, but at least I can do my part now to help them drop the guilt, find some inner-peace and joy in each day, teach them effective coping skills, and learn to forgive and love again...starting with themselves. Once again, you'll never see a bill for any of it, and your child can opt out at any time, if so desired. If I can’t help your child, I would never hurt them, as I treat all of God’s children as my own and my mission is to help as many of them as I possibly can; I hope yours will be next!

Teachers and Staff: Where would we be without you? You are on the front lines every day, and I really love and appreciate you! I count many teachers among my dearest friends…and my best friend is a teacher, too! As a very loving educator and parent, I know your job’s not an easy one, even if there never was an MSD tragedy. You’re underpaid, unfairly evaluated, and often bullied and under-appreciated; I feel for you. Why you would be so put upon while you’re trying to educate other people’s children is beyond me. You should be honored for your efforts, and I honor you. My capabilities in this area don’t just extend to students; I can help you in the same way I help PTSD students, and provide you with the advice, guidance and experience necessary to best-manage the effects of the MSD tragedy. As stated in my offer to MSD parents, you’ll never see a bill from me. If you need help right now, I’ll help you right now; in fact, your summer break may very well be the optimum time in which to receive this type of assistance, as I know how busy you get once the school year begins.

Well, my friends, thanks for taking the time to read this. I know it ran a bit long, but I needed to provide you with all of the info. above for context, and so that you know my heart’s in the right place should you enlist my services to help you, and/or your children and students, best-manage issues that are anything but easy-to-manage! In the interim, I will continue working with my Title 1 and mainstreamed ESE students during the upcoming school year, but this will be my final offer to work with surviving MSD students, teachers and staff.

Once again, I’m so sorry for everything you, your children and families have endured during, and after, the MSD tragedy, and would do ANYTHING to ease your burden! My cell is 954-675-3967, so don’t hesitate to call me anytime. I’m here for you!

Warmest regards,

Gregg Havass

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