Our Principal's New Plan
By DW Davis
@DWDavis (25805)
United States
February 15, 2017 6:25pm CST
Today my teaching team learned that our Principal and Assistant Principal had come up with a new strategy for dealing with some of the persistently misbehaving students on our team.
Instead of suspending the student out of school, now that we've exhausted every other consequence for their misdeeds, the students' parents will be given a choice. Either the parent can come to the school and sit in class with the student for the number of days the suspension was to last, or the student will be sent home for that number of days.
Research shows this method has been successful in other low income/high poverty area schools with dysfunctional children from dysfunctional homes. We are hoping the method will help bring us some relief from the constant talking, confrontations, disrespect, and apathy we put up with from too many of our students on a daily basis.
Have any of y'all ever heard of this method? Do you think it will be effective?
16 people like this
16 responses
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
16 Feb 17
I think that would happen with many of these children. I've taught some of them. One who did behave for me, but not for other teachers, told me her parents were divorced. She lived with her father who pretty much ignored her and she said her mother often encouraged her to ditch school and come drink with her. She was very bright and had leadership qualities. She behaved for me and told her friends in the class to behave for me, too, since she sensed I really did care about her.
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
The parents talk a good game when they meet with us, but by the time they get to the parking lot they are singing a different tune. It's always interesting what they say to their kids once they think there are no teachers in earshot. And it is rare to see any evidence that they follow through on the promises they make during the conference.
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
Sorry to know it didn't work for you. We're going to try it, because our Superintendent is a bleeding heart who won't back us up unless we can show we've tried everything possible short of rope and duct tape to keep the students quiet and in their seats.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
16 Feb 17
@DWDavis When will they figure out that students weren't designed to keep quiet and stay in their seats and give them more physicals way to learn? Classrooms aren't the answer for everyone. That's one reason so many people homeschool.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (49401)
• Mojave, California
16 Feb 17
Interesting, just wonder how that will work with the parents who cannot afford to do that because they have to work. California is also trying new things in that regard. Talking about getting rid of suspensions all together. They say that is like a reward for the troublemakers and or just makes them feel that no one gives a crap about them. Which pushes them further into a path of bad behavior. Instead they are trying new programs where they get more attention and makes them feel more involved to where they feel like they are a part of the school and that they matter.
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (49401)
• Mojave, California
16 Feb 17
@DWDavis Maybe there is someway you can keep them busy with something. Something they are so interested in, that they forget to act out.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
We have tried "feel good" programs like that in the past. All the kids learned was they could get over and get rewarded for acting out. We've also tried to reward positive behavior, but that is a questionable practice as well. When students start getting rewarded for behaving as they should in the first place, they start expecting to be rewarded for every little thing and act out when the rewards aren't forthcoming.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
@crossbones27 I've tried that, and it's worked in limited ways. The thing is, when the other students see the "bad" ones getting to do something different, they want to do it to and the whole situation revolves out of hand.
1 person likes this
@CookieMonster46 (13454)
• United States
16 Feb 17
I have heard of something like it, my neighbors kid is having trouble in school, she had to go every day and sit in the class. It didn't embarrass him, or phase him in the least. When sent home, he was outside playing, she was at work, so not sure how this is a punishment.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
@CookieMonster46 For the kids it is like a day off, but for us not having them in class is a treat unto itself.
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
We used to have a program at an alternate site that students who were suspended out-of-school short-term had to go to instead of just sitting home. If they didn't show up, they didn't get credit for having served a day of their suspension. The Legislature cut the budget for it and told us to just send the kids home.
1 person likes this
@CookieMonster46 (13454)
• United States
16 Feb 17
@DWDavis , well for most they are having a good time off , at home.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79648)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
16 Feb 17
I was lucky to get through school in the 1960s and 1970s. Things were not so bad then and the schools I went to did not have any really disrespectful students. I think that the idea is not bad but I am sure that most parents are too busy these days to sit in the classroom with their kids. The problem I see with them being kept at home is that there might not be anyone watching them and then they will just roam the streets or do bad deeds. It is a difficult situation. I wonder if perhaps it might not be a bad idea to create special classes for these troubled students.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
17 Feb 17
@DWDavis When I would go see one of my kids' teachers for an IEP conference, I found many of them had their own children in private schools. I had to wait until mine were no longer wards of the state to get them into private schools or teach them at home.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
19 Feb 17
@bagarad I know a lot of public school teachers whose kids go to private schools because they don't want their kids influenced by the kids who are in the public schools. Our Principal does have her daughters in public school, but she gets to handpick her kids teachers, and while they are at our middle school, she gets to handpick not only who is in her daughter's class, but who is in the classes on the same team. Her oldest is in 7th grade this year. I guarantee you we would not have the concentration of discipline problems on our team if her daughter weren't on the other team.
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15505)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 17
It'll only work if the parents are actually bothered.
Many kids are misbehaving due to having no discipline/boundaries at home because their parents don't care.
2 people like this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
16 Feb 17
That is not going to be an easy thing to do. Having the parent come to sit with the child. Most parents today work a full day. That will not be easy. In families with stay at home mothers, yes, maybe. I do think it is a good idea. That way the parent gets to see how their child behaves. Or, maybe better yet, have the parent sit somewhere else to observe their child without them knowing the parent is there. Then they can see first hand what the teachers and staff have to deal with.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
16 Feb 17
@DWDavis Okay, cool. I do know many parents will not like the idea of taking off work. That could be bad. So maybe they will fall in line and help reprimand the child at home and teach them better manners. I know schools don't have it easy. There are man issue sin schools. Bullying being a big one. And children are cruel. I remember my grammar school days. They were not pleasant. It was hard to learn with some other kids being harmful and hateful.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
Part of the effectiveness of this method is supposed to be that if the parent doesn't want the child sent home, they will have to take time off work to come sit at the school. We expect the students will be on their best behavior with their parent there, but the other students aren't intimidated by someone else's parent and will act out as they normally do, and the parent will get to see what the teachers are up against.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
The choice is up to the parents whether to take the time off. We hope they will be able to convince their children to straighten up so the parent won't have to come in because some of these kids are at an age where the parent would have to stay home with them if they get suspended.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37350)
• Toccoa, Georgia
16 Feb 17
I have not heard of that method, but it does sound like a good thing to try. I hope it works for your school.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37350)
• Toccoa, Georgia
16 Feb 17
@DWDavis I hope it continues to work.
2 people like this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
16 Feb 17
I had a parent shadowing her son today. He behaved well while she was there and the other students, for the most part, behaved well. Two of the boys did decide to horse around and toss each others things in the trash. They got sent to Time Out.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
16 Feb 17
You'll be lucky to find one parent willing to sit in class for the suspension time @DWDavis .
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@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
18 Feb 17
@DWDavis Oh no. Well at least she is trying.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
16 Feb 17
Misbehaviour is a huge problem these days. I'm not sure what the answer is. Some students would feel compelled to behave if their parents were around, but others wouldn't.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
16 Feb 17
Never heard of this before, but it sounds like a good idea. Teachers aren't babysitters.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (135943)
• India
16 Feb 17
There is just so much one can do at the school level as long as parents do not co-operate.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Feb 17
The best way to find out effectiveness is to try. Nothing to lose and all to gain.
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