Special-education teacher and long-tenured teacher raise safety and discipline concerns; trustees request CPI training data

Two speakers in public comment raised concerns about student behavior, supervision and staff readiness.

A special-education teacher who identified herself as an intern gave a detailed account of escalating in-class violence, multiple episodes in a single day that injured staff and students, and the lack of CPI/de-escalation training available to the classroom team. She said the classroom had been assigned a student with severe behaviors without adequate one-on-one support, and that visits by a behavior team had increased the use of toys and rewards in ways she said worsened classroom dynamics. She said she was subsequently notified she would not continue in the position despite positive evaluations and student gains.

Violet Carter, a 25-year teacher, urged consistent disciplinary standards across the district and described instances of students roaming unsupervised, use of vulgar language and threats that she said go unaddressed. Carter said parents deserve accurate information about what happens at school and called for accountability to prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

Trustee follow-up: Trustee Maria Okara asked administration to return at a future board meeting with a report on how many special-education teachers have current CPI (nonviolent crisis intervention) certification. The board accepted the request as a follow-up agenda item.

Why it matters: Teachers described frontline safety and training gaps that directly affect student learning conditions and staff retention. Trustees requested concrete staff-certification data to narrow potential policy responses.

Outcome: Trustees directed staff to report on CPI training counts for special-education staff at a future meeting.