Question for fellow teachers

[Reader Rabbit]

Since NCLB (and now RTTT), have you had any principals who cover up or dismiss disciplinary problems in order to reduce the "dangerous school" statistics?

If so, what recourse do teachers have when such practices endanger students/staff?

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. It's always been that way where I am

NCLB didn't change it.

[maryf]

2. Lately it seems to be the reverse in a few cases...

disciplinary problems are exaggerated in order to discipline/find fault with teachers, so that they might be let go...in NYS one can have disciplinary problems removed from the class for a day and up to 5 days on repeated infractions...

[Catshrink]

3. We can refuse to allow a student back into our classrooms

if there is paper trail. I threatened to invoke that earlier this year or file a grievance. The student was pulled from my classroom. He had missed over 50% of class days and when he was there, made rude and sexually demaning comments to girls, swore at me and other students, and refused to do any work. His goal was disrupting class as much as he could and I had enough of it.

[maryf]

5. Its a shame...

that a kid can get to that point, a cry for attention...

[Fire1]

4. Oh hell yeah. Consequently, I use the only recourse I have at my

disposal. THE PARENTS! I call them and or leave a message that the student cannot return to my class until I see THEM! This usually works for me because I have the support of counselors. The principal isn't going to do anything but send them back to class!

edit: sentence structure.

[Reader Rabbit]

6. Teachers at our school are worried/outraged/stunned...

...because there have been two incidents (that we know of) involving students bringing weapons to school. The first resulted in a one-day in-school suspension, and the second resulted in nothing—not even parent contact! Neither of these incidents was documented in such a way that it would affect our school safety numbers.

The second weapon incident involved students cutting themselves. Not only were there no disciplinary repercussions for these kids, their parents were not notified, nor was a risk assessment performed. Risk assessment is standard procedure when students are believed to have the potential for self-harm. In this case, there were kids with bleeding cuts on their arms, for God's sake! How is administration silence on this incident even legal, let alone ethical?

The teacher who brought it to the attention of administration has written it up and given the documentation to the union, so that admin can't throw him under the bus should this ever come to light, but what about these kids cutting themselves? Who's going to help them if admin won't and teachers can't?

[LWolf]

7. No.

But then, there haven't been any major issues in our tiny little rural school.