HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 03-25 At Legislature, lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota - MinnPost 3/28/2016 At Legislature,lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota I MinnPost
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At Legislature, lawmakers debate vastly
different approaches to student discipline
in Minnesota
By Erin Hinrichs 03/25/16
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MinnPost photo by Erin Hinrichs
Martha Johnson,a mother and longtime teacher in the St. Paul Public Schools district, says every classroom should have a
"breathing ball"for students to use as a self-regulation tool.This was one of many interventions suggested as positive
alternatives to a zero-tolerance policy for suspensions.
At Thursday's Senate Education Committee hearing, Sen. Dave Brown, R-Becker, wanted to send
a strong message of support to public school teachers who feel unsafe at school, saying any
incident of student-on-teacher assault should result in mandatory expulsion.
As stated in his proposed "Teacher Protection Act" school boards would be tasked with
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3/28/2016 At Legislature,lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota I MinnPost
determining the length of the expulsion; and— unless the assaulted teacher agrees to allow that
student back into their classroom — school officials would have to find an alternative placement
for the student as well.
"This bill gives our teachers a voice and lets them know the
Legislature [thinks] their protection is important," Brown said.
While many committee members agreed that concerns of teacher
safety — which have been heightened by recent news coverage of
assaults in St. Paul Public Schools — warrant some refined
legislative guidance, few lawmakers were willing to put their
weight behind Browns zero-tolerance policy.
Even Senator Chuck Wiger, DFL-Maplewood, the committee chair
and co-author to Brown's bill, seemed inclined to let it fizzle out
in favor of a more comprehensive bill authored by Sen. Sandy `
Sen. Dave Brown
Pappas, DFL-St. Paul.
In Pappas' "Student Inclusion and Engagement Act," suspension would be a last-resort action,
only deemed appropriate after alternative disciplinary interventions have been employed, the
student's parents have been notified, and the entire situation has been documented. The
proposal also lays out requirements for a suspended student to have the opportunity to make up
missed work for full credit, and for school administrators to create a clear re-engagement plan.
"We're all concerned about disorder in our schools," Pappas said. "However, outdated discipline
practices are pushing too many student outside of the classroom, often for nonviolent behavior."
Statewide, the number of students expelled from
schools is dropping as districts invest more time
and in some cases, more money— into various ways
of preventing and mediating problem behaviors,
approaches that take a student's social, emotional
and academic needs into consideration.
1 But students of color and disability are still
disproportionately affected by disciplinary
measures. In the 2014-15 school year, 38 percent of
discipline cases in Minnesota schools involved black
students, even though African-Americans only
represent 12 percent of enrollment in the state.
Those advocating for a more equitable education system often cite the "school-to-prison
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3/28/2016 At Legislature,lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota i MinnPost
pipeline" as a grim reality for many of these students. Marginalized youth who are funneled out
of public schools, even for non-physical offenses, are more likely to end up in the juvenile justice
system.
Pappas' proposal is expected to be absorbed into a student discipline workgroup proposed by
Senator Greg Clausen, DFL-Apple Valley, that would meet over the summer. Based on those
discussions, the workgroup would then deliver its recommendations to the 2017 Legislature.
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MinnPost photo by Erin Hinrichs
At Thursday's Senate Education Committee Hearing,testifiers support the"Student Inclusion and Engagement Act"presented by
Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, (center). Sen. Dave Brown, R-Beker, (back right)proposed the"Teacher Protection Act"prior,
with no supporting public testimony.
'Too broad an ax'
Brown says his bill was created in response to phone calls and emails he'd been receiving from
teachers who had been assaulted and didn't feel the situation was taken seriously by
administrators. One of these teachers claimed she had been assaulted by a student two years ago
and ended up leaving her job while the student stayed in the school.
Yet none of these teachers showed up to testify in support of Brown's bill. "They were all afraid
of reprisals that would come," Brown told reporters in a press conference following the
hearing. "I understand that."
While Brown's bill lacked public testimony, Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, spoke out in favor of
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3/28/2016 At Legislature,lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota I MinnPost
it. "For too long, we have rationalized and excused students from their actions and I think that's,
in part, one of the reasons we're seeing the problems we're seeing today," he said.
But most committee members felt Brown's bill was a far cry from what's needed. "My fear is
because of the lack of a case-by-case basis, this is too broad an ax for a much more nuanced
problem," Sen. Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury, said. "I appreciate the intent very much, but I'm
afraid for all the reasons that have been discussed that we need to come up with a better
solution."
Kent's comments were aplified by Martha Johnson, a veteran St. Paul teacher and mother, in her
testimony against Brown's bill. "You would not expect or ask a child in a wheelchair to walk up a
flight of stairs and punish them if they couldn't do it," she said in her opening remarks.
As the foster parent of a 15-year-old son she refers to as a "prickly porcupine," she explained that
behaviors that are often deemed grounds for suspension are, in fact, involuntary in nature. For
instance, she says her son was once suspended for curling up under a table and refusing to come
out.
He's been suspended for similar episodes more times than she can count, she said, noting
educators should be turning to things that help students self-regulate or de-escalate situations
instead.
"This bill is a long overdue first step to create system-wide, state-wide solutions," she said.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Erin Hinrichs
https://www.m i nnpost.com/education/2016/03/1 egi sl ature-I aw m akers-debate-vastl y-di fferent-approaches-student-discipline-m i nnes?utm_source=M i nnPost-RS... 4/7
3/28/2016 At Legislature,lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota I MinnPost
Erin Hinrichs is MinnPost's K-12 education reporter. She can be reached at
ehinrichs @minnpost.com, and you can follow her on twitter at
! @EHinrichsNews.
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COMMENTS (10)
Breathing ball
SUBMITTED BY PAT TERRY ON MARCH 25, 2016-11:48AM.
What a great idea!When the kids entered the Como Park classroom to confront another student about their drug
deal gone bad, the teacher could have just handed them the breathing ball and no one would have been
assaulted. Instead of trying to breakup the fight at Central, the teacher could have just handed them breathing
balls.
Kind of like
SUBMITTED BY RAY SCHOCH ON MARCH 25,2016-2:11 PM.
...a police officer opening fire with his/her service weapon, an expulsion ought to be a last resort, not a first
response.Too often, in both cases, it's the latter instead of the former.
That said, and in response to"breathing balls"and other approaches, I heartily support the use of such devices
by people whose professional training provides them with expertise in that area. Most of the time, however,
those people will not be teachers,who are not hired to be mental health professionals and counselors. Some of
us do our own version of ad hoc counseling when we can, and when it seems appropriate,but the licensing
standards in various states rarely, if ever, mention the kinds of emotional de-escalation that a"breathing ball"
represents. School districts and parents are primarily interested in a teacher's subject-area expertise. Does Mrs.
Jones know her chemistry?Is Mr. Smith a competent writer and speaker,who can teach children by example
how to develop and use English language skills?Does Mr. Schoch recognize,when teaching about the
American frontier, that what was good for European settlers was disastrous for the native population?
While I might be willing to try something like a"breathing ball"in a one-on-one situation, it's my
understanding that Minnesota public schools, like public schools in every other state, do not provide teachers
and their students very many opportunities for lengthy, one-on-one interaction. Most of the time, maybe all the
time, a teacher has a CLASS, of which petulant Jane or acting-out John are only one member. Even if I wanted
to, it's not realistic for either legislators or the public to expect me to magically devise, on the spot, a creative and
worthwhile activity for the other 29 kids in the room to engage in for the next 30 minutes while I spend that half
hour in a back corner of the room with petulant Jane or acting-out John,helping him/her deal with their
current emotional overload.
Wise man
SUBMITTED BY PAT TERRY ON MARCH 25,2016-4:30PM.
You write with great diplomacy,yet your comment was far more damming than my snarkiness. Well done.
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3/28/2016 At Legislature,lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota I MinnPost
All I would modify in your comment is ....
SUBMITTED BY JOE MUSICH ON MARCH 25, 2016-8:41 PM.
CLASSES
How is Ms. Johnson example of
SUBMITTED BY ILYA GUTMAN ON MARCH 25,2016-7:40PM.
How is Ms. Johnson example of her son pertinent to her opposition to Mr. Brown's bill?His bill calls for
expulsion of students physically attacking teachers which was not what her son was doing. The problem is not
what her son and others like him are doing but a physical assault on teachers that goes unpunished. How can
anyone be against protecting teachers from that?Unfortunately, Ms. Pappas and others like her put political
correctness above teachers'safety.
There is something very wrong
SUBMITTED BY JOE SMITH ON MARCH 25,2016-10:44PM.
There is something very wrong with the system when teachers,who have been assaulted, are afraid to come to a
meeting for fear of reprisals. The Teachers Union run schools for the past 50 years have set back public
education more than anybody thought possible, not only for the students but for the teachers and their safety.
Seriously?
SUBMITTED BY PAT TERRY ON MARCH 26,2016-8:53PM.
If you have paid even the slightest little bit of attention to what is going on you would know its the teachers
union that is most upset with what is happening. The non-discipline policy was pushed by the
administration over union objections. If anything, its the decline of union influence that has resulted in
increased violence. To blame unions for this is completely absurd.
The Teachers Union run the
SUBMITTED BY JOE SMITH ON MARCH 27,2016-10:02AM.
The Teachers Union run the schools and have for years. If they are so upset they would change it, not
find ways to cover to up or shame those who disagree with their policies. If teachers unions don't run
the schools please tell me who does?It certainly is not the children, parents or the community because
they have been complaining for years about their kids not being prepared for life after 18 and High
School.
Nonsense
SUBMITTED BY PAT TERRY ON MARCH 28, 2016-9:12AM.
The issue here-the discipline policy(or more precisely, the non-discipline policy)was imposed by
the administration/school board over the objection of the teachers' union. The union can't simply
change it because, contrary to your belief, they don't run the schools. It quite literally is not in the
union's power to change this. Teachers are getting assaulted and the district is suspending
teachers who complain about discipline. The teachers in St. Paul absolutely hate the
superintendent and her policies. That is not reflective of union control.
There are areas where you can at least arguably blame unions,but the discipline policy is not one of
them.Again, if you had paid even the slightest bit of attention,you would know how absurd that is.
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3/28/2016 At Legislature,lawmakers debate vastly different approaches to student discipline in Minnesota I MinnPost
I find it ironic!
SUBMITTED BY DENNIS CARLSON ON MARCH 26, 2016-9:10AM.
In this same issue of MinnPost is Katherine Kersten's article on teaching "culturally relevant pedagogy."Having
just read it, she seems to say-people of color just need to buck up and assimilate more rapidly. Really,that
attitude will curtail the violence in our urban schools?
I would applaud any support given to teachers in a climate where they are too often criticized. Consider what has
happened in Wisconsin to the teaching profession as a result of Governor Walker's constant berating of teachers
and their professional unions.Very good teachers are retiring and/or leaving the profession-or at least leaving
the state.
I would also ask legislators to make sure they honor the existing local control of school boards in their approach
to curbing violence in our schools.As long as school boards stay within the law in these matters they will
usually be the best judge of how to handle the issue locally. I hope our legislators recognize and honor the vast
difference between urban, suburban, and rural schools in this state.
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