BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Superintendent of Schools Will Hartley wants to reimagine disciplinary action, curtailing options that result in lost instructional time.
He shared what he’s been thinking about with school board members during retreat workshop last week.
While drugs and violent offenses relegate students to the alternative education class at the technical college, lesser violations often result in school suspension. But, as Hartley has stressed with his work on attendance, kids cannot learn if they are not in school.
“We’re very punitive,” he said. “It doesn’t matter why the kids aren’t there; if they’re not there, it’s affecting their education.”
He’s noted that many of the absences he’s seeing are the result of in-school and out-of-school suspension. Other districts are also realizing they must do something to keep kids in a learning environment.
“If not, we’re sending them home for three days to sit in the environment that taught them the behavior that’s gotten them in trouble, and they’re getting no instruction,” he said.
Hartley wants to create an alternative to both out-of-school suspension and the alternative school. When a student breaks a rule worthy of removal from campus, but they are not dangerous, they would instead be sent to this new classroom.
Hartley said he saw this at work in Leesburg where it is called the Excel program. It is a last step before alternative school, and similar what instructor Robin Tatum already does with dropout prevention. It is for students who need a more controlled environment to make it.
The district would hire a new instructor to complement Tatum’s work with English and social studies, providing math and science instruction.
Away from the situations and personalities that are districting them, Hartley said they would have an opportunity to finish school without ending up in alternative education, getting expelled or droping out.
Unlike safety threats assigned to alternative education, these students would be able to work their way back to campus. In Leesburg, Hartley saw students with that intent as well as those who wanted to stay in the program for their own success. He even saw students doing advanced work for their grade level, giving them a chance to graduate early. Some mature so much that they come back and serve as mentors.
The superintendent even thinks this new path will improve behavior during in-school suspensions, where students often act up to get sent home. He thinks they will accept their brief suspension in school rather than be sent to this new class for a longer period of time.
School board members and Hartley agreed that success would depend on having someone as dedicated as Tatum involved.
“She’s for the underdog. That’s her kid,” he said.
“You need someone like that, because these kids really do need to know someone cares,” Lynn Melvin said.
Hartley also wants to place a cap on the number of students sent to the alternative school. He said Lake County with its tens of thousands of students has a cap of 50 students in alternate education. Closer to 3,000 students, he said Bradford probably had close to 40 students in alternative education, not all of whom would be considered dangerous. He want to set the cap at 20 students.
The Excel program would have a cap of 50 students, 25 per classroom, with students switching instructors midday for instruction in all four subjects.
Hartley said while administrators follow the current policy, many don’t agree with it because it interrupts education.
“If we’re in the business of graduating students, sending them away is not helping us,” he said.
The high school has already started by bringing back several students from alternative education, dropping the number left to around 30.
In other discussion:
—The board and superintendent talked about communication, both in the midst of incidents and notice of upcoming events. The superintendent’s secretary will be responsible for reaching out and informing board members when matters have Hartley dealing school administrators and law enforcement. The district will also make another attempt at an online events calendar to help with planning and public notice.
—Hartley clarified the cellphone policy for the middle and high school are the same, although it is more strictly enforced at the middle school. Cellphone use is allowed between classes and during lunch at the high school. Having discussed it with other superintendents, a mandate to have phones turned off and in a backpack is unenforceable without consuming administrators’ time and attention.
One of the things they will try to address in the code of conduct is the use of headphones/earbuds. They prevent communication with students, and that could be dangerous. They are useful with classroom technology, however. A new policy would likely restrict use around campus to one earbud at a time.
