SUPERINTENDENT’S CHAT

Richard J. McClements, Shonto Preparatory School

“That can’t be my Johnny!” Some parents refuse to believe that their children can do and say some of the things they do and say at school. The parents whom we need the most support from are often those who typically give the least. They come to the meetings, if they come at all, to defend their child at all costs. A parent once called me to complain that her child had been suspended for one day for deliberately “breaking wind” after calling an employee over. The parent thought this was excessive punishment. I tried to explain that, if the incident had been unintentional, then of course the child would not have been suspended. But when the child deliberately does this, then from my perspective, it is gross insubordination, and the student ought to pay the consequences for that action. The parent then asked if that meant that kids at this school will be suspended for “breaking wind” every time it happens. I responded, “Of course not, as long as it’s clearly unintentional.” If fair and reasonable people can’t understand what is or is not appropriate in a school setting, then how can we expect the child to know the difference? That act is inappropriate under any circumstance.

Some school districts have resorted to videotaping students in classrooms and aboard the bus in order to convince parents that Johnny indeed does say and do some of those things that parents refuse to believe. Parents have left those tapings red-faced or weeping as they witnessed the stark reality of visual evidence.

The horrific incident at Littleton, CO, shocks us to the very core. Teachers and administrators have been saying for years that conditions in their schools have dramatically changed. Schools always have been, and always will be, a product of their environment. The propensity for violence, breakdown of the family structure, lack of respect for authority in general, lack of responsibility for one’s actions, increase in children of poverty, etc., have all increased at alarming rates. What was unheard of 30 years ago is fairly common today. Yesterday’s Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, Jeffery Dahmer, David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy, Ted Kaczinski, etc., are here today in schools across America. Unfortunately, we’ll hear their new names shortly.

Most districts will probably agree that it is the 1- 2% who spoil the education for the 98-99% who are basically good kids. While I would maintain a short leash and expel the incorrigible, I would also suggest that we must never give up on any student and would welcome him/her back the following year and give that youngster every chance to succeed – although that youngster would again be on a short leash. The annals of history are filled with students who had difficulties in school but ended up later realizing greatness. My mother would be the first tell you that I was anything but the model student.

A recent television special addressed the complete lack of responsibility that seems to be sweeping America. According to that program, most blame others for their misdeeds in order to rationalize what they do. High school students are old enough to be responsible for their actions. If they choose to violate school rules, they should bear the consequences. A couple of years ago, I asked secondary principal candidates the following question: “What should be a just punishment for the student who deliberately uses obscene language in front of the class, and should the teacher have to accept that student back into the class?” The majority felt the punishment should be one day of suspension, and the student should be readmitted back into that class after an apology. Perhaps I’m overly tough and out of touch with reality, but I feel that the classroom teachers, if asked, would feel differently about the punishment and conditions for return. I think it ought to be a minimum of five days of suspension, and the teacher should have the choice of having the student return or be transferred to another class. Far too many disciplinary policies fail to involve staff. Just as I find it difficult to embrace the thinking contained in policies of a superintendent or school committee who served the district decades ago, I believe that we should reexamine disciplinary policies and work with all to develop one that is practical for 2003.

The U.S. Department of Education has developed a profile of early warning signs of behavior that may lead to violence. That profile is found in the 1998 publication, “Early Warning Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools.” Early warning signs include:

· social withdrawal

· excessive feelings of isolation and being alone

· excessive feelings of rejection

· being a victim of violence

· feelings of being picked on and persecuted

· low school interest and poor academic performance

· expression of violence in writings and drawings

· uncontrolled anger

· patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating, and bullying behaviors

· history of discipline problems

· past history of violent and aggressive behavior

· intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes

· drug and alcohol abuse

· affiliation with gangs

· inappropriate access to, possession of, and use of firearms

· serious threats of violence

Imminent warning signs include:

· serious physical fighting with peers or family members

· severe destruction of property

· severe rage for seemingly minor reasons

· detailed threats of lethal violence

· possession and/or use of firearms and other weapons

· other self-injurious behaviors or threats of suicide

Parents who are aware of the early or imminent warning signs need to seek help through the schools or other social agencies. One writer expressed in the May, 1999, edition of “American School Board Journal” the following: “Yes, we do have a problem with violence in this country, but I have never seen the white flag of surrender waving at the school campuses I have visited.” That same edition included the results of a March survey which asked the following question: “Is youth violence caused primarily by an abundance of easily available firearms?” The result was that 87% of the respondents believed that societal factors –such as the breakdown in the traditional family structures, a lack of parental supervision, and the presentation of violence as entertainment on television - were the primary causes.

I have said repeatedly that the youngsters in Shonto Preparatory School are among the best I’ve ever been around. Still, we will keep a watchful eye and implement safety precautions.