School Zone... Or War Zone?

      Most of the time, news headlines focus on whether our kids are safe at school?  But these days, teachers are the ones who are sometimes in danger.  Calcasieu School Board members heard testimony after testimony last night from teachers who say the lack of discipline is out of control in our classrooms...  Teachers who are telling their personal stories of physical and verbal assault from students.  One teacher told of how she was hit by a student, to the point where three discs were damaged in her neck.  Jean Johnson with the Calcasieu Federation of Teachers provided a detailed presentation, arguing that the current behavior programs are not working.  Superintendent Wayne Savoy feels that the current policies are, indeed effective, and that it's just a small percentage of students who exhibit these major behavioral problems.  The Board passed a motion to reformulate the current policies on discipline.  And they plan to take up the matter again sometime in the future.  Do you think there's a discipline problem in our schools... particularly with students assaulting teachers?  If so, what do you think needs to be done about it?

Comments

[AWAKENED]

"Superintendent Wayne Savoy feels that the current policies are, indeed effective, and that it's just a small percentage of students who exhibit these major behavioral problems."--- This coming from the same superintendent who advocates the absence of seatbelts on our school busses based on the same statistical reasoning? Hmmm.... "small percentage of students"? If events such as Columbine as well as the HUGE increase in the deaths of students on our school busses fail to become the catalyst of action, nothing will....until it's too late...once again. Finger pointing at the checked-out crack-head parents has really done alot of good,huh?

[bill]

Nothing can be done about it. The problems stem from their home. Their parents don't care, so the kids don't care.

[get tough]

In School or on the Street!
Assault is one person inflicting physical harm on another without the other hitting back, as I understand it.
The Assault is a CRIME. Arrest and send this person to JAIL, if they think they are tough, let them be tough "with others that think they are Tough".Why haven't the Police been involved in these Assaults ??????????????????
There needs to be a RED phone in each Class that is directly connected to 911.

[Joe]

Bring back the coaches with the paddles. It was very effect when my group went to school. We are none the worst for it. The schools and society is worst off with out disciplining of our children. Look at all the problems parents and society are having with our youth because of disciplining problems.

[bb]

Bring back paddling...PLAIN AND SIMPLE

[A concerned citizen]

I agree with "Get Tough." They need to be put in jail. The Career Center that they are sent to is a joke. If those children could not make it in a regular classroom, what makes them think that they will be any better in the same type of setting? The school board does give too many chances. If they can't come to school and be decent, then kick them out, and quit worrying about drop out rates and numbers. The ones who assault teachers at this age will end up in jail anyway, they are just delaying the process.

[jock martin]

Unless parents get involved and are part of the solution, discipline in school will be very difficult to sustain. We must put our religious faith back into our schools also if we hope to be successful. What we are teaching now is not conducive to successful discipline of one's self.

[Dragon]

I have been a substitute teacher. Where I taught there was zero tolerence for thsi kind of behavior. The bad kid was sent home to a parent who had to deal with it. Until the parent is held accountable by our laws we will keep expeirencing this sort of crime. If the parent cannot control His child then the child sshould be taken out of society and placed in a setting where disipline is forced. Parents should have the authority do do so. The school board should help by supplying the place for these kids who have had no authority and conswquences employed in thier lives. Parents need to learn and go to night school on how to raise a child. How to be a person of tough love. It's not all the childs fault but I think it is at least 95% their fault. Kids know how to behave. They know right from wrong. It's a choice. The conviction is there to do right in all of us. The motivation to do right is not present. Church would help too. It's going to get worse.Sad it is Sad.

[Ibrahim Picard]

Bill is correct, the problem originates at home. Dysfunctional people are bringing children into this world and offering no love and attention to them. The children are not taught respect for others. The parent(s) does not value education, so the child will grow up to be dysfunctional and eventually have children of his/her own. Without cooperation between parents and teachers, the dumbing down of America will continue to accelerate.

[William]

Too many parents believe "their precious angel" can do no wrong. They blame the teachers, the administrators, and anyone else for their child's behavior. When they run out of excuses for their child, they resort to comparing their child's misbehavior to another child's and say their's wasn't as bad as the other child's and, and got a worser punishment. Then there is the convenient "race card" if all else fails. excuses, excuses.

[Rita Ceasar-Richard]

I have been of both sides of this issue. I was a Special Aide Para for 2 years and was assulted by by student that had a mental disabilty. Out of caring for my student I would only report when I had to, why you ask because there are not enough educated employees that can or want to handle the problems correctly. I agree with getting away from the whole tenure idea, and principles should not be the only person that does the hiring for the school. Most employee get in on the old "I know your family thing." I also know what is like to have a child that has fits due to his illness. But what is the problem, some teachers and some aides are uneducated in dealing with mental illness and other problems that face our children today. My son was assulted by his assisant principle on 1/20/2011 because she was tired of dealing with him and CPSB has tried to brush it under the rug because the principle of his school was hand picked by the superindent. The principles' answer to the whole thing is, he has BIPOLOR and it might not have happened the way he says. I have since found out that this happens a lot in different schools, why because it is the child words aganist the adults We do have a lot of children that come from great homes and still have problems that school board can't even begin to deal with, why you ask because they are so busy trying to past a test that they forget about the students and their needs. Our children should have better, not worse and if CPSB put them out of school then what will that child learn, nothing. But it is ok because it won't be CPSB problem anymore it would be they cities problem. Then what will we have a city full of uneducated children and a higher crime rate. Lets spend some of that TITLE 1 money on more intervention programs in our school system instead of wasting away the monies paying a head teacher to reteach teachers. What did they go to college for, if they can't teach let THEM GO. We as parents schould require better from CPSB that uses our tax dollars how they fill fit.

[Rita Ceasar-Richard]

This is for the concerned citizen that posted, putting them in jail will not solve anything. That would just give you something else to fuss about; your taxes being used to take care of them. Lets try to fix the problem now, and no not all of them go to jail, so of them are very successful now. Why you ask, because they find just one teacher or employee that cared enough to help them.. Stop and think before you speak..

[Nuclear Narcisse]

No Morality , No Dress Code , No Respect , No Prayer , but Billions upon Billions to find out that the OLD WAY was the BEST WAY -NUNS and rulers acrtoss the knuckles , Fear of the Teacher and a Greater Fear from Mom and Dad made US Superior Students - It is all about Discipline of the Punks and Punkettes. Give me a Break you MORONS

[Dragon]

Rita, how do you help a child that is normal but chooses to inflict injury on another person who has authority over that individual? It's parents like you who are the problem. Get real. This type of behavior does not happen in other countrys. Bleeding heart parents who will not disipline their child will suffer the consequences. How do I know? The Bible tells me so and so does History. If we donot learn from History we will continue to all suffer for a few. This was not about the mentally ill BTW.

[ALLEN]

GO BACK TO THE WAY THIS WAS HANDLED IN THE PAST.. THESE PROBLEMS WERE HANDLED AT HOMEWHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE PARENTS ATTENTION ... TODAY SOCIETY TELLS CHILDREN THAT IF THEY DO NOT LIKE THE WAY PARENTS ARE DISCIPLINING CALL 911 OR FAMILY SERVICES ......WHAT A MESSAGE !!!!!!!!

[Zombie Kid]

I like turtles.

[Exasperate Educator]

CPSB and Wayne Savoy is in denial with the administration problems at the school levels. The teachers are blamed for the students not performing at their best. Good teachers are chastited for not having good classroom management and other frivolous things. Wayne said that PBSI is working that it's the other 20%. PBSI is a reward system for the students with good behavior. It doesn't addresses behaviors only that it has to be a level 3 in order for the student to be sent to the office. When the student goes to the office for cursing a teacher, the principal tells the students to sit for 30 minutes. During that time he/she is sent on errors for the office. When he finishes his/her time, they are reward with a sucker and sent back to school. Teachers are told you don't what type of morning they had. Life is not going to give them a sucker and say go back to class. Let's address the problem, the students have more rights then the workers. CPSB Board members and Central Office Workers need to spend a day as a classroom sub in the schools. No notification to the administration or school. You will get the really picture. You can't teach if you spend 95% trying to discipline.

[Joe]

"Spare the rod, spoil the child": This means that without corporal punishment you ruin the child. You will not achieve discipline over the child. Someone far more wiser than man is telling us to spank.
I am not advocating beating of the child to the point of child abuse. When the child still exhibits marks or redness the next day; that is abuse.
Corporal punishment was successful in the past and will be successful again.
Give the teachers the authority to discipline a child by what ever means neccessary. Those causing problems in the classroom are cheating the other students of their education and there are many parents who don't appreciate that at all.

[Rita Ceasar-Richard]

Dargon, may be you don't understand that they are including ALL CHILDREN,please read your parent and student handbook and behavioral handouts. I do understand that children need discipline, I agree but lets do it in a orderly way. Teacher used to be teacher, not friends. There are some teacher that still don't need to be teaching. And you get real, in other countries students are being TAUGHT by teachers that want and love to do it, not given information by someone that only wants weekends and summers off. This is not all teachers but there are many that think this way.. If you are not a teacher or have children in school go visit you will see were your tax dollars are going..

[old wise one]

heres is a new approach. let's do it like the State troopers do it. If you misbehave in school the parent pays a fine of let's say a $100.00. the I bet parents get involved. can't pay the fine. 10 hours of communty service at the school where your child attends. That is what we do when they misbehave other than school. Little Johnny breaks a window with a rock. Moma pays for the window and son gets charged. Goes before the judge and the judge fines him. Parent pays. Parent can't control child, send him/her to juvenile school. Make them live there and pick up trash on highways until they are willing to be good citizens. Novel approach don't you think, Rita?

[JB]

From experience I know in elementary it can have a lot to do with classroom management...but, on the other hand, you have children who are not facing any consequences at home for disorderly behavior. When I did my student teaching one student,maybe about 7, knocked over some desks and the teacher frantically tried to stop him while he continued to kick her. I went over and grabbed his little tail and made it known I was not about to put up with his foolishness. He instantly got ahold of himself and broke into tears. I wish his parent would have asked me why I put my hands on him...I would have replied "I'm just doing your dirty work". Parents need to STEP IT UP!

[Mike]

Discipline and respect for authority are taught at home. That is not the school's responsibility. An unruly student should be immediately removed from class and isolated from the rest of the student body until his parents come to get him. If this behavior continues, then the student should be permanently removed from school. We do not owe any student an education. We only provide the opportunity and if they won't take advantage of it then let them survive as best they can. I feel absolutely no sympathy for undisciplined students. Either conform or get out. Sure I'm advocating a hard-line approach but it's obvious that our current baby-sitting approach isn't working. Send these unruly students back to their parents and hold them responsible for their kids misbehavior.

[Gump]

Look...we have good teachers. It's not Wayne's fault. It's our fault for setting up a system that allows the children to be responsible for nothing. They have no respect for authority. Not teachers, police or their parents. They know that they will not have to pay for their actions.

[AWAKENED]

Update: Bus Hits Lafayette Home
Bus Hits Home in Lafayette | KATC.com | Acadiana-Lafayette, Louisiana
www.katc.com

[AWAKENED]

And yet....ANOTHER ONE....

KATC-TV 3: Acadiana's Newschannel
Another bus accident in Lafayette... MLK and Essie... Information to follow...