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Trustees and staff discuss discipline, ISS and supports; administrators propose ISS protocols and campus-level redirection spaces
Summary
Board members asked administrators for options to reduce classroom disruption. Elementary staff described 'redirection' rooms and called for counseling, social‑work and restorative interventions; secondary leaders said ISS is staffed and discussed teacher check‑in protocols to limit instructional loss.
Trustees pressed district leaders on classroom management and student discipline strategies at both elementary and secondary levels and asked for practical actions to reduce instructional loss.
Trustee Stanford opened the discussion by saying teachers need help with disruptive student behavior and suggested options such as more hall monitors, use of the truancy office and assigning a teacher to in‑school suspension (ISS) so students do not lose instruction time. Administrators described existing elementary practices, including designated “redirection” or “cool‑off” rooms and campus‑based teams of counselors, social workers and restorative coaches who work with students to address behavior before punitive steps are used.
An administrator who reviewed elementary data said that from the start of the year to October there were 87 ISS placement days across 13 of 20 elementary campuses and that a second snapshot showed 111 ISS days across 17 campuses in a later period. She noted that many elementary campuses do not staff ISS with a full‑time dedicated person and that, historically, receptionists, aides, or assistants have sometimes supervised students when ISS placements occurred.
At the secondary level principals said they already staff an ISS position and would implement clear protocols requiring teachers to check in with their students in ISS during a set window so students receive assignments and do not fall behind. Secondary administrators said ISS populations are typically small (often three to a dozen students) and that using a certified teacher full‑time in ISS would divert instruction from classrooms; one principal estimated that placing a certified teacher in ISS at all campuses would cost about $2.5 million if done district‑wide.
Trustees asked for written protocols and data. Administrators said they would publish a protocol guide so campuses have consistent ISS procedures this fall and said they would look at targeted staffing solutions — including part‑time or retired certified staff and restorative supports — for campuses with higher needs.
Why it matters: Recurrent classroom disruptions consume instructional time and are a top concern for teachers. Trustees asked for immediate, workable steps the district can deploy at the start of the school year to reduce repeated disruptions and preserve instruction.
Next steps: Administration will draft consistent ISS and redirection room protocols, provide estimates for targeted staffing options, and return to the board with recommendations.
