In the District, misbehaving public school students often learn more about the plagues of punishment than the power of the pen. The D.C. Public Schools’ current student discipline policy allows off-site suspension for both major and minor offenses. As a result, the students most in need of the intellectual and emotional guidance which public schools are meant to provide often spend long stretches of time away from school, causing them to fall behind in classes, develop more serious behavioral problems, and increase the potential that they will drop out completely.
According to the limited data recorded by D.C. Public Schools, suspensions grew by 72 percent between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years, accounting for 4.5 percent of all students enrolled. While D.C. police say school violence has decreased this academic year, The Washington Post reports that several incidences—including a fight at Anacostia High School in November which involved multiple stabbings and arson—have shaken the community. Both students and faculty point to the ineffectiveness of suspensions in promoting good student behavior and preventing violent outbursts.
D.C. Schools’ Chancellor Michelle Rhee has presented an astute solution to the school discipline crisis. Her proposal, submitted to the D.C. Council for approval on Thursday, outlines a graduated five-tier discipline policy which would reserve suspensions and expulsions for only the most serious offenses. Minor offenses, such as cursing or disrupting class, may result in a parent-teacher conference or temporary removal from class but never a suspension. Rhee’s revisions would encourage good student behavior through increased instruction, allowing students to learn the consequences of their actions while giving them the opportunity to get back on the path to success. Rhee’s new policy would ensure that more students receive the teacher support they so desperately need.
The current discipline policy is largely shaped by financial concerns: most public schools in the District lack the necessary funding and staff to keep troublemaking students at school and provide one-to-one mentoring. The easiest—and cheapest—solution is to send misbehaving students home, where they cannot disrupt class. Rhee has proposed the establishment of Student Support Teams as well as adult advisory relationships to help encourage student to improve through one-on-one mediation. These measures carry a hefty price tag, but Rhee has shown that she has the connections and the fundraising acumen to collect the revenue necessary to improve the D.C. Public School system. The Chancellor’s proposal is a strong first step toward improving the care public school students receive and ensuring a safe learning environment for all. Let’s hope the D.C. Council agrees.
