June 22, 2010. St. Petersburg Times.
As Pinellas schools have experimented with a variety of discipline programs over the past few years, a grass roots church coalition has complained about erratic enforcement.
But at a meeting Monday at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, members of Faith and Action for Strength Together applauded when a Pinellas school official said the district is launching a new effort to make discipline more uniform across all schools and, when appropriate, defuse negative behavior rather that meet force with force.
“Rather than confront an angry student, we’re finding how to calm them. If a teacher confronts a student, it can result in a fight,” said deputy superintendent Cathy Fleeger. “Instead of sending the student for discipline, maybe the student needs to see a guidance counselor instead.”
This summer, the school district will train teachers from each school, who will in turn train their colleagues, on the new discipline effort called response to intervention.
“We’re saying to the school, “you can have your own plan, but it must have these components,”‘ Fleeger said.
Part of the training this summer includes data analysis, which includes finding trends and discrepancies between students of different races.
In the past, a districtwide discipline policy was met with resistance because principals said it took away their ability to individually adapt.
Lynn Lester, a member of FAST and a retired teacher who taught at Gibbs High School for 18 years, said one of her biggest frustrations was a lack of discipline.
That is part of the reason, she said, she helped FAST push for a new model. Because when students are suspended or expelled, they miss school, and if students miss school, they stop learning, Lester said.
“Now if a student is disciplined anywhere, it will be handled in a uniform and positive manner,” Lester said.
