I am truly proud that Duval County Public Schools have continued their winning streak with a second consecutive year of an "A" grade. The late Harry Reagan (rest in peace, my friend) surely would have heaped many laurels upon our schools in an on-air WJXT-TV editorial.
The plus here is that we are indeed moving forward as a school system for the first time in generations. I believe, however, if we are to score a hat trick of three consecutive "A" grades, we need to focus on the Maslow that makes Bloom's possible.
When it comes to discipline and the Code of Conduct, there is a disconnect between academic achievement and student behavior. We have removed in-school suspension programs in our middle and high schools. We have focused on keeping disciplinary referrals down to score a few extra points on the checklist. We expect educators and education staff professionals to serve the differentiated needs of students with opportunities for remediation, intervention and support. In an ideal world, teachers can get this done in the snap of a finger. Reality strikes as even the best planned lessons can be hijacked by one child who needs intervention.
In our understaffed schools, however, there are no wraparound services to address the needs of one or more students whose behavior may come into conflict with the lesson at hand. With no in-school suspensions in our middle and high schools, and the current mindset that discourages out-of-school suspensions, the burden of classroom management falls to teachers, paraprofessionals and deans who must find real-time solutions for every situation, from chronic tardiness to physically assaulting a teacher.
Yes, the new buzzword is "restorative practices." I only say "horsefeathers!" because it's just a term without any real and tangible examples from Duval County Public Schools. I have only seen restorative practices applied as a student writing an apology to the affected party in conflict. As a union representative in my school, I have had members tell me they received three letters from a student apologizing for the same behavior. It was apparent the student did not truly learn from this. I forgive behavior, but I cannot forgive patterns. These patterns reveal the lack of district support for the teachers and paraprofessionals who are in the trenches fighting to keep our district on its winning streak.
This is where I want to elevate restorative practices from simply checking cute little boxes to actually doing something therapeutic and healing that serves the whole child.
I have been in communication with Duval County Public Schools about what I believe is a dire necessity to engage our community stakeholders in restorative justice. I want to see students given opportunities to perform community service hours on their own time in lieu of traditional out-of-school suspensions that only fuel the school-to-prison pipeline. I would like to see students volunteering with local nonprofits, such as St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Police Athletic League, and city agencies, such as the Jacksonville Public Library. I believe that when we unite as a village to teach our students they can make better choices in life and channel their energy through positive means, we give them a sense of belonging and community.
"The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth."
I was fortunate to attend the National Education Association's Leaders for Just Schools training last month in Houston. I collaborated there with my NEA colleagues from across the nation on issues we all face in our schools. I am part of a three-year cohort of educators and education staff professionals working together to create learning environments that are not punishment-centered, but centered on self-reflection and self-improvement.
"Go forth and sin no more."
Even the ancient definition of the word "sin" means "to miss the mark." It's like archery. Our students, at the heart of it all, are growing and evolving every day, and through dedicated efforts we can create a learning environment that flows flawlessly through any behavior issues. It's through data-based solutions, as offered by NEA's LJS program, that we can reduce the impact of "disruptions" on our standards-based instruction and student learning.
Stay tuned as I move through the next three years on this matter.
John Louis Meeks Jr.
Teacher First Vice President
Duval Teachers United
AFT Local #3326
