FIXING OUR SCHOOLS FOR DUMMIES-VIII

Dangerous, Disruptive and Disobedient Students

Whether it is still done or not I do not know; but there was a time when children had to pass a readiness test for admittance to kindergarten. Children were evaluated on the basis of social, motor and language skills. In the social skills section of the evaluation, among other questions, parents were asked: if their child could follow directions, do tasks when asked the first time and work independently. I would venture to say that a significant number of our students currently in the upper elementary grades and in junior and senior high school would not pass this kindergarten readiness test. These students cannot or will not follow directions, rarely do anything when first asked or even after multiple requests and are unable or unwilling to work either independently or in a group. It is these uncooperative students that create the toxic atmosphere in which teachers and the rest of the students currently have to function.

As these uncooperative students move through the system they continue to be not only uncooperative; but disruptive, increasing disobedient and at worse they become dangerous individuals. Unfortunately, the way the system now operates these malcontents must be dealt with in the school setting. Yes, the very worst may be reassigned to "opportunity classes", occasionally suspended and some even expelled; but the vast majority are accommodated within the regular school setting. Consequently, teachers spend far too much time trying to deal with the aberrant behavior of these uncooperative individuals. Sadly every minute spent controlling these disruptive students is time taken from the process of teaching.

The solution is rather simple. Allow schools to provide the service that they were mandated to provide; that is, a free education. It is not the school's role to be a detention or mental health facility nor an extension of the courts, probation departments or social services. The school's staff are trained in the area of education not social work, custodial supervision, parental support or crime fighting. Those educators not in the classroom, administrators at all levels, must begin to show more than lip service support for classroom teachers by seeing that the disruptive, chronically disobedient and dangerous students are removed from the regular classroom environment. Just as one rotten apple can spoil the barrel, one disruptive student can spoil the positive learning atmosphere for an entire class. It is time for educators in policy and decision making positions to put their money where their mouths are. If the educational leaders truly want to see gains in achievement via standardized test scores then level the playing field for all students and all teachers. Teachers and students now working in schools that are like combat zones need to have their environments adjusted to be similar to that of schools were deviant student behavior is not tolerated.

Just as the gifted and talented students perform and achieve more when taught with other gifted and talented students so too the vast majority of the regular student population would perform, achieve and learn more in peaceful, orderly, engaged and trouble free classrooms. Students have a right to be safe and experience a positive learning environment at all times and in all schools regardless of the school's location. Administrators have a responsibility to see that both students and staff are safe at all times during the school day. If they are unable or unwilling to provide this safe environment then they need to step aside. The buck does indeed stop with the school administrators when it comes to school safety and they must either lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. There is too much at stake to accept less.

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