Many schools desperately need caring professionals like guidance counselors and social workers to ensure students' emotional, social and educational needs are met. But proposals to arm teachers are irresponsible and dangerous. The role of educators is to teach and nurture our children, not to be armed guards.
Most teachers prefer to teach highly motivated kids who live in safe communities.
You can have great teachers, but if you don't have a good principal, you won't have a good school.
Lawless schools produce lawless children.
If school principals have given up on the important things and are focusing on discipline, they are creating a certain, diluted reality. In an organization that functions properly, discipline should be a marginal issue.
Successful state schools work because charismatic heads or teachers are terrific bluffers, giving the impression that they are to be feared while knowing in their hearts that they have no real power.
It's hard to say whether the general incidence of school violence of all types is increasing or not.
Every child should feel safe at school without feeling like a prisoner.
Actually creating a positive school climate, particularly in schools that are in communities that are themselves not calm and orderly, is hard work.
As a teacher myself I've been in situations where parents come at you, and sometimes parents come across like the teacher doesn't want the best for their kid and it can be really, really hurtful.
Homophobia is manufactured in high schools, so it's probably useful to keep in mind that it really does bother people.
It's hard work to ensure that all schools are safe and welcoming places for all children. It means changing policies, practices and cultures; providing school support personnel; and funding programs like restorative justice - not simply resorting to excessive and often discriminatory discipline.
What you get is what you see, which is suspending kids doesn't lead to high attrition rate. That is what the data shows.
I will comprehensively review the education system with my team to create a stable, caring, and inspiring environment for students, parents, teachers, and principals.
We shouldn't need riot police at schools.
Teachers themselves know if there's a colleague who can't keep control or keep the interest of their class, it affects the whole school.
There are essential elements for our public schools to fully develop the potential of both students and educators. They should be centers of community, where students, families and educators work together to support student success. They should foster collaboration.
All of our students should feel safe and supported when they go to school.
I think it'd be useful for parents to know kind of what is the culture of an institution.
The real role of leadership in education ... is not and should not be command and control. The real role of leadership is climate control, creating a climate of possibility.
One of the things I found is that no matter where in the country - poor communities, rich communities - everybody deals with very similar issues of bullying. It's pretty widespread.
