Schools Chief Listens To PTA Discipline Concerns

Fairfax County Public School’s Superintendent Jack Dale presented discipline statistics to the Parent Advisory Council Wednesday night, asking for their feedback on the issue.

The 45 PTA representatives met with the superintendent last night for one of their regularly scheduled quarterly meetings to discuss current school issues.

The topic making headlines these days is the FCPS discipline policies, which have come under scrutiny since the Jan. 20 suicide of Nick Stuban, a 15-year-old Woodson High student. Stuban's parents connect his suicide with his recent experience with the disciplinary process, claiming their son was treated "fairly and reasonably" and directly connected his suicide to the county's "inhumane, impersonal, overly harsh and draconian" discipline policies.

Participants’ questions and comments about discipline largely referenced a story in last Sunday’s Washington Post about Stuban.

The Virginia Department of Education data (above right), which Dale shared with the council, shows in 2009-10 Fairfax County expelled four students, an 80 percent decrease since 2005-06; and assigned long-term suspension (10 days or more) to 128 students, a 69 percent decrease.

High school principals attribute the decrease to positive behavior programs implemented countywide, alternative intervention strategies and the focus on academic performance expectations, Dale said.

Betsy Meholick, representing Robert E. Lee High School PTSA said, “You need to know that parents are afraid. Their biggest fears are that their kids are going to get killed in a car accident or get in trouble at school. More people are calling about this issue than any other.”

Meholick and other parents talked about the mistakes kids might make like “taking an Advil” to school and their fears around what might happen. Parents are telling their children “do not talk to an administrator or anyone before talking to us.”

PTA President Melissa Sporn, Haycock Elementary School, has attended several disciplinary hearings as a professional clinical psychologist. She expressed concern the process is more punitive than educational.

“Unfortunately my experience is that the message the kids get is ‘I shouldn’t get caught.’ We aren’t teaching them that mistakes can be opportunities to learn and change, if we handle them correctly,” Sporn said.

Michelle Menapace, past president of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs noted her group’s 2005 study, which documented higher rates of suspension and expulsions for special education students and in the minority community. She hoped these issues would be addressed moving ahead and she also stressed the importance of collaboration between homes, schools and other county services, particularly in mental health resources.

Dale took notes throughout the session and asked the group about discipline issues around victim-related incidents, such as bullying, thefts and sexual improprieties. The general consensus was that keeping children safe at school was the highest priority in these cases.

Sheryl Cosing, representing South Lakes High School, was impressed with Dale’s openness and accessibility. Sporn also commented on this willingness to listen.

“It was good to see how receptive he was to the dialogue and I like that he’s looking to individualize cases. What is important is what happens next.”

During the two-hour session Dale also reported on the fiscal year 2012 school budget status, plans for the implementation of full-day kindergarten, the attorney general striking down charging students for IB and AP tests, and other school-related topics.

At 5:30 p.m. today School Board members are holding a forum to discuss plans for reviewing and revising the disciplinary process.