Brandywine School District Superintendent James R. Scanlon is seeking to reduce the discipline problems that negatively impact students' learning in a series of public meetings.
Almost 100 people attended the first two meetings Brandywine held on the subject this month. Scanlon said he was convinced that discipline has been on the minds of parents and teachers for years. He is also looking to recruit community and staff members to serve on a new discipline committee to "proactively address" the issue.
Data provided by Scanlon at the meetings shows dramatic increases in disciplinary incidents in three of Brandywine's elementary schools but notable drops in three other elementary schools between 2006 and 2008. Also in that time frame, one of the middle schools saw a significant increase in disciplinary incidents, while one remained flat.
The District is proactively addressing inconsistency among and within schools in enforcing discipline, Scanlon said. For instance, in one school, students told to take their hats off in one hallway know they can put them right back on in the next hallway.
“That is unacceptable,” Scanlon said. “Let’s address this not as a classroom, not as a school, but as a school district."
Brandywine is also looking to address minor infractions in order to prevent them from leading to more serious offenses in the future, Scanlon said. In particular, one of the district's biggest disciplinary problems is tardiness.
“If they’re out of class, they’re not on task,” Scanlon said. “So, they missed some time.
Tracing the data, a lot of students started off committing minor infractions such as tardiness. It’s best to deal with this right away to avoid things like suspensions in the future."
Rose Wootan, an interventionist at Talley Middle School, said “it is a character issue.”
"If you get up and go to work whenever you feel like it, how long are you going to have your job?" she said.
Scanlon said heading off the problem early is important.
When students are disciplined, they are off task, Scanlon said. If they are out of class, they are missing instruction time. For every day a student is out of class, he loses two days of instruction, he said.
“They come back. They’re further behind and they’re frustrated. The teacher asks them to do the work and now they’re mouthing off at the teacher,” he said. “Now, it’s insubordination or defiance of authority and now they’re out for a couple more days. It’s this big cycle.”
Scanlon said the district will also be providing training to teachers in classroom management, which he called "the number one problem for new teachers."
But the District faces challenges beyond the classroom, he said.
"Most all discipline begins at home," he said. "The problem school districts face is that several children do not get that basic discipline at home."
District resident Lyn Newsom said some schools “totally work” and have little tardiness and other incidents.
The District should be able to replicate what the successful schools are already doing in those that are failing to implement consistent disciplinary practices, she said.
| Brandywine Disciplinary Violations | |||
| School | 2006 | 2008 | Difference |
| Brandywood Elem. | 21 | 91 | +333% |
| Carrcroft Elem. | 532 | 401 | -25% |
| Darley Road Elem. | 281 | 293 | +4% |
| Forwood Elem. | 156 | 120 | -23% |
| Lancashire Elem. | 243 | 243 | 0% |
| Lombardy Elem. | 214 | 151 | -29% |
| Maple Lane Elem. | 67 | 112 | +67% |
| Mt. Pleasant Elem. | 330 | 553 | +68% |
| Claymont Intermediate | 666 | 781 | +170% |
| Harlan Intermediate | 247 | 254 | +3% |
| P.S. duPont Intermediate | 586 | 540 | -8% |
| Hanby Middle | 3,945 | 4,752 | +20% |
| Springer Middle | 2,262 | 2,267 | 0% |
| Talley Middle | 471 | 1,341 | +185% |
| Brandywine High | 3,914 | 4,550 | +16% |
| Concord High | 6,286 | 5,223 | -17% |
| Mt. Pleasant High | 4,232 | 3,990 | -6% |
"You have the good kids in the class whose learning is being inhibited because of the one or two behavioral problems,” she said. “Where is the accountability? When do we start dragging parents in?”
Scanlon said accountability has to be part of the solution as well as putting proper channels in place to help schools resolve behavioral issues so that classrooms are not disrupted.
What’s more, while there are alternative placements for older students, they do not exist for the younger students, he said.
“We have kids coming into our schools who are emotionally and mentally disturbed,” Scanlon said. “There aren’t a lot of mental health services for kids in first, second or third grade. I don't know how to solve that unless we create our own in-house program. The state has no money."
Scanlon encouraged parents to join a discipline committee he is forming. He also plans to conduct student focus groups at all levels.
