Schools seek alternatives to strict suspensions

OUR POSITION: Throwing kids out of school often compounds a problem.

Education, as a general rule, seems to be getting steadily more complicated.

This is in no small part the result of politicians deciding they know more about education than educators. In Florida, the legislative penchant for testing has reached the point that students are given “end of course” tests before the course has been completed.

A few years ago, legislators clamored for more testing in the name of accountability. Now they are calling for less testing so that teachers can spend more time teaching. Still, micromanagement of the educational system by politicians appears to be doing little to produce better educated students.

On the other hand, innovative approaches to education, large and small, regularly come from educators.

One example recently brought to our attention were common sense approaches to classroom disciplinary problems.

In Lake Wales — a city in our newspaper group’s Polk County circulation area — a partnership between the Lake Wales charter school system and the Lake Wales Care Center is putting a positive spin on disciplinary suspensions. In this program, students now can spend their suspensions in community service, rather than just “hanging out” until the time for their penalty is fulfilled.

“The idea is they’ve taken something from the community, so they have a chance to give something back to the community by volunteering at the Care Center,” said Lake Wales High School Principal Donna Dunson.

The end of this partnership between educators and the community result is a benefit to the school, the agency, and to the students whose discipline may be turned from negative to positive.

This specific style of program is not available in Charlotte or Sarasota counties. Still, both districts have viable alternatives to out-of-school suspensions.

Charlotte County middle and high school students with chronic disciplinary problems are given the option of participation in the SEA Program — the Suspension Expulsion Alternative Program.

“We try a million and one things before we actually suspend you here,” said Mike Desjardins, executive director of school support services in Charlotte County. “What we have works pretty well.”

Schools don’t want to suspend students for infractions; educators want to keep kids in the classroom and engaged. Kids who miss school invariably fall behind, and problems become compounded.

When other types of intervention don’t work in Charlotte County, students are given suspensions — or offered the SEA alternative.

The program operates at Charlotte Academy, an alternative school that specializes in individualized programs. Students in the SEA Program take four academic courses, rather than the typical seven. Rules are strict: Students are escorted on and off the school bus, and cell phones are locked away during the school day.

“It is a well-monitored and special environment,” Desjardins said.

The program has been successful, he added. Recidivism is low. After completing the SEA Program, a “vast majority” ask to stay on and enroll at the Academy.

In Sarasota County, the Restorative Strategies Initiative offers an alternative that involves a face-to-face apology from the young offender, as well as an “apology of action” — a work program with a behavior contract that aims to both have students assume responsibilities for actions and offset the harm of those actions, said Rex Ingerick, program specialist.

Students facing suspension might help out in the classroom, do another form of community service or meet regularly with the school resource officer. When completed, the suspension is waived.

Key to success, often as not, is the face-to-face apology during which the students acknowledges the offense.

“Actually sitting and looking at the teacher or another student and owning your action is not comfortable for any of us,” Ingerick noted.

It’s an important step and, along with a work component, it promises a creative fix to problem behavior that the typical one-week suspension can’t.