Disruptive, disrespectful, and violent student behavior is a serious problem in some city schools, say some teachers I’ve spoken to recently.
Poor student behavior and meaningful discipline has been a problem in some city schools for years. The problem was so serious that it resulted in an overuse of suspensions: thousands of students were sent home for both short and long-term suspensions.
Former Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard introduced in-house suspensions as a way to curb the significant amount of instruction time students were missing as a result of suspension. The approach nearly caused a revolt among teachers when it was first introduced several years ago. And even though adjustments were made, in-house suspensions continue to be a problem, many teachers say.
“They [students] get sent to one of these rooms and you may have a second grader sitting next to an eighth grader,” a teacher complained. “It just doesn’t work.”
And several teachers said there are few problems that concern parents more than worries about student safety and spending classroom dealing with disruptive behavior.
The New York State Education Department’s Violent Incident Report was last issued for the 2010 to 2011 school year, and the data supports the teachers’ concerns at some schools.
During the 2010 to 2011 school year, East High reported having two assaults without a weapon, 49 altercations, 82 disruptions, 18 weapons found through screening, and one riot. And Wilson Magnet High School reported seven weapons found through screening, and more than 500 disruptions.
The stakes for teachers now are higher than they were then, however, because of the new teacher evaluations. Student behavior problems can have a direct impact on a teacher’s evaluation.
The district is in the process of conducting its own internal audit involving student behavior and suspensions, which could shine new light on the issue. But some teachers say they doubt it will make a difference.
This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2013.
Thank you for bringing this topic to people’s attention (again).
One of the direct observations people can make when looking at the district’s test scores is that the decline in Middle School is universal and dramatic. Our students don’t get stupider, the behavior does. Discipline in the middle schools is such a major issue that keeping experienced people in Middle Schools is very hard. It takes a special kind of angel to be able to tolerate the incredible strain of dealing with the behaviors, defiance, and lack of effective consequences that teaching in Middle School requires.
When I describe my students’ behaviors to people outside the district (and I refuse to use hyperbole) people still think I”m nuts. The teachers in my school have tried literally everything we can think of short of corporal punishment, and the results have been significantly worse behaviors. Phone calls home are done only so we can say we did them, because it’s not like they have any significant impact. Kids don’t care about their grades because they know they’ll get socially promoted. Even if they don’t, they can go to summer school for free.
Until we end social promotions, start charging for summer school, and somehow make parents accountable enough for their children’s behavior that they will find some sort of effective discipline for their kids, little will change.
Despair amongst my colleagues is high. We are all simply struggling to get to June. The countdown started weeks ago, and the way people talk about April recess in a couple weeks, you’d think it was prison furlough. From a Vietnamese POW camp.
PARENTS PARENTS PARENTS!! I never got in trouble in school because I knew that both (yes, there were 2 of them) would flip a sh*t if I got any kind of suspension. Discipline starts at home with the parents. If you can’t raise a kid, don’t have one! Having a kid isn’t some disease that you just catch, we know how it happens and how to prevent it!
@Yugoboy,for someone who claims to be a City School District teacher, you sure seem to have an awfully lot of of time to make a great many posts, and long posts, during the work day hours. Must be nice.
@Insatiable Dragon
Yes, I do do some comments during the school day. However, it’s only when I have the time available. I do my planning weeks in advance, I keep up on grading as best I can, and I also have the ability to quickly and cogently organize my thoughts and get them into the computer.
However, if you were to look at my “participation” in these comment streams, you’ll notice that I have only been making significant comments recently. That’s in part because the discipline issues and other stresses this school year kept me busy. The students’ behaviors haven’t gotten better, but I’ve gotten better at managing them. Contractually we get “planning periods,” so, if I’m planned days or weeks in advance, I have the time, when everything else is going according to plan. Also, during the school day students are supposed to be in their classes. After the school day, I get students, meetings and other events that keep me busy.
Also, this year my school starts late, thus giving me some time in the morning to participate during a time when other schools are already in session.
I know what you were insinuating and I don’t resent it, but it is telling that you even decided to make the observation in the first place.