School Officials Balance Issues With Discipline Decisions
When handling disciplinary issues, Wolf Point school officials work on a balancing act where they don’t want to give up on struggling students but also aim to provide the best educational setting for all students.
Wolf Point Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perkins feels disciplinary methods have gotten tighter in the school district during the school year. “When you weigh the good of many to individuals, it’s never an easy decision,” Perkins explained. “Everybody wants to help kids who are struggling. No one wants to write them off.”
One thing that Perkins hopes to achieve is adding wording to the school district’s handbook to establish persistent misbehavior as being grounds for student removal. Examples might be consistent disruptions, fighting, tobacco or drug use.
“I want to tighten things up because expectations need to be higher,” Perkins said. “
He feels that establishing expectations is a key to achieving positive behavior. As an example, Perkins describes behavior on the in-town bus route that he drives and contains up to 65 students. Rules were established on the first day.
“I do not have a lot of garbage on the floor,” Perkins said of the bus route. “They are not moving around. The kids are respectful.”
He wants that type of respect and expectations in classrooms. He says if one student’s behavior constantly disrupts the learning process, school officials can’t let that behavior to be allowed. “We cannot have that kind of atmosphere,” Perkins said.
Perkins noted that alternative learning centers have been added at the elementary schools to assist some students. “We don’t want to remove the students if we can avoid it,” he said.
The superintendent added that it’s important that parents reinforce rules and expectations to their children.
“Do we want kids with 15-20 referrals back in school?” Perkins said. “Principals are dealing with discipline to the point where they can’t be academic leaders. That’s an issue.” Struggling students need to understand expectations and that there’s a price to pay if those expectations aren’t followed.
“Parents can help by talking about respect and expectations,” Perkins said. “Students need to understand that their pride isn’t more important than doing what’s right.”
