ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
One week into her tenure as the principal at Thomasville Heights Elementary School in southeast Atlanta, Cynthia Jewell is trying to address a crime problem that has long-plagued the neighborhood around her campus.
With a small group of parents and school faculty, Jewell walked from door to door in the Thomasville Heights neighborhood, introducing herself and telling parents about upcoming school events. Most of her students live in the apartment complex right across the street from the campus.
"If we are going to change the culture that exists in this community, I cannot just be here in isolation, I have to be part of the solution," said Jewell.
State Representative Keisha Waites also came along to help with the outreach.
"An actual instructor was pistol whipped in front of the school in broad daylight," said Rep. Waites. "When you come back to a community that has this type of crime, learning cannot take place if you don't feel safe."
"(Parents) need to know the school is a safe haven," said Jewell. "We need to work together so that they understand the school is a part of the community. We don't want crime in the community, and we definitely don't want crime in the school."
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