Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Discipline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Director signals stricter discipline practices, reports staffing counts and teacher openings
Summary
Director of Schools told the board he plans to increase disciplined decisions and placements to improve classroom instruction; he reported about 3,600 certified staff, nearly 6,600 total staff and roughly 11 teacher openings as school starts.
Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Sullivan told the board he will encourage stricter discipline decisions and different placement options for students whose behavior disrupts instruction, saying the district needs to protect classroom learning.
Sullivan reported roughly 3,600 certified staff and nearly 6,600 total staff across the district and said there were about 11 teacher openings at the time of the meeting. He noted a recent teacher survey and a state law requiring parent contact when clearing a classroom had prompted a review of the district's approach to removing students from instruction. "That practice that has become nationwide over the last 7 years can't be the way we operate as a district," he said, and said the district may increase alternative placements and homebound services as part of the change.
Board members discussed the balance between supporting individual students and protecting the broader learning environment. Director Sullivan said the district would notify the board about discipline-related increases in contacts and would continue to refine policy and practice.
