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A faction of School Board members are voicing concerns over proposed changes to the Prince William County Public Schools code of behavior, saying it could pile more training and restrictions on school staff in how to discipline bad behavior.
The School Board is expected to vote Wednesday night on a suite of changes and additions to the division鈥檚 code of behavior for the 2023-2024 school year. Among the most controversial additions is new language calling for school staff to use 鈥渞estorative practices鈥� as 鈥渁 preventative and restorative approach to unwanted behavior鈥� and an 鈥渁lternative to suspension.鈥�
While the draft of the code of behavior update doesn鈥檛 feature any significant changes to the section on categories of behavior and possible responses, it does call for teachers to use a 鈥済raduated system which incorporates instructional, restorative, and age-appropriate responses.鈥�
Under the proposed changes, second-tier behavioral misconduct could be met with a 鈥渞estorative practices conference and/or circle,鈥� according to a draft presented at the June 7 School Board meeting, and educators are called on to 鈥渁pproach discipline from an instructional prevention-based standpoint.鈥�
The draft also includes new sections on 鈥渆ducator cultural competency鈥� and a 鈥渕ulti-tiered system of supports,鈥� calling for disruptive behavior to be met with a 鈥渟tudent support team,鈥� goal setting and 鈥渆arly implementation of evidence-based interventions with fidelity.鈥�
Though not always clearly defined, restorative practices often include conferences between students who misbehave, teachers and possibly students affected by the misbehavior, allowing all parties to discuss the behavior and its impacts.
But several teachers and School Board members voiced concerns over the changes earlier this month.
鈥淯ntil we start inconveniencing parents for those repeat offenders, for the ones who just continually disrupt class and cause that learning environment to go haywire 鈥� I think this is just going to persist,鈥� School Board Member Justin Wilk (Potomac) said at the June 7 meeting. 鈥淎 common feeling that I hear from parents 鈥� is that sometimes they believe their principal鈥檚 hands are tied, that they would do more and suspend more or enforce harsher punishment if they felt like [they] could.鈥�
Wilk said he would vote against the changes, as he has in previous years, until 鈥渨e move more towards that hard-line approach.鈥�
In addition to the division鈥檚 own changes, the code of behavior will inevitably feature new state-mandated language. After the passage of former Del. Glenn Davis鈥� 2023 legislation in the General Assembly, principals or 鈥渄esignees” will have to notify parents or guardians of any student involved 鈥渋n an alleged incident of bullying within 24 hours of learning of the allegation.鈥�
But the division鈥檚 draft changes also include new language directly targeting the 鈥渉ard-line鈥� approach Wilk described, saying research has shown that suspensions, 鈥溾�榸ero-tolerance policies鈥� and 鈥榞et-tough鈥� approaches to school safety are ineffective and increase the risk for negative social and academic outcomes, especially for children from historically disadvantaged groups.鈥�
Instead, it says, approaching discipline with 鈥渞estorative practices鈥� contributes to 鈥渁 positive school environment and ensures equity, fairness, and continuous improvement.鈥�
According to Dara Duggar, the division鈥檚 director of student management, the implementation of restorative practices will be led by the division鈥檚 department of tiered instruction and 鈥淸diversity equity and inclusion] department.鈥� She also said that support for teachers will be provided throughout the school year to help with the changes.
But School Board Member Lillie Jessie (Occoquan) questioned how teachers might perceive the changes. Many teachers have spoken at length about the ever-growing amount of training that鈥檚 mandated by the school division and the state, and Jessie said she wondered how consistently the new methods would be applied.
鈥淚 am very concerned with how this thing is going to roll out and how teachers are going to perceive it and whether or not we鈥檙e going to have any fidelity or consistency or norms for how to run these groups,鈥� Jessie said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been out there and I鈥檝e seen people run groups and those groups run well, but if there are no parameters and you have this little group meeting and everyone鈥檚 just talking and nothing happens at the end and the kids are still misbehaving 鈥� I鈥檓 just concerned that teachers are going to say 鈥楢nother thing to do, it鈥檚 too vague for me and 鈥� can I still send them to the office?鈥欌��
Board member Loree Williams (Woodbridge) spoke up in defense of the changes, saying that the division will 鈥渟till have [to] discipline鈥� but will also have more clearly-defined tools for how to deal with misbehavior.
鈥淭his year, I can鈥檛 be more excited about the code of behavior chart of changes. I love it,鈥� Williams said.
