What Happened to Discipline in Schools?

Okay, people. 27 year veteran educator at the wheel here ready to talk problems, so you may ask yourself....who in the hell does she think she is? I've been a high school English teacher at the same school for 27 years. I began my career teaching middle school and escaped as quickly as I could. Anyone who chooses to remain a middle school teacher by choice is, in my opinion, a closeted serial killer. Seven years of that was enough. I digress and, of course, I am kidding about middle school. If you were to ask me what's wrong with the public education system (and that would open Pandora's box where the crazy monsters would fly outta there like clowns from a clown car), one of my chief concerns is discipline.

Now don't get all "butt hurt" as the kids say. I lived the corporal punishment life first hand in an elementary catholic school. Sister Gertrude could throw a marble at you with the accuracy of Robert Clemens. Relax, I am not suggesting that we should beat kids. However, it does seem that we now live far on other side of the pendulum. I'm unsure how Covid is responsible for all of this, but I witnessed the disappearance of discipline when the epidemic hit. Now I'm sure it could be total coincidence, but I don't believe in those. Perhaps it could be better traced to a change in administration, but it's a gripe we all hear that's being complained about globally. Is it a generation thing? Are we Gen Xers being overridden by the newer generation of Millennials and soon to be Gen Z parents? I mean...maybe that's it. Regardless, discipline seemed to disappear quickly as if Harry Potter waived his wand and POOF...all gone. As if the whole remote catastrophe wasn't bad enough, but to throw the "anything goes" thing in there too? The greenlight for serious behavior was turned on. Seriously, if you would have shown me a glimpse of education today 27 years ago, I'd have picked a different profession.

I know what some of you are thinking. Maybe if you were a better teacher, you won't have to worry about it. I pride myself on being a good teacher, but this thing I'm talking about is a whole different animal. Kids are not simply dropping a swear word once in a while without repercussions. We're talking about serious stuff: drop down drag out fist fights, vaping and drug use in the bathrooms and classrooms, vulgar language being used toward others, threats...you get the point. These are not trivial issues. I'm talking about terrible things. Scary things. To think that a kid can say, "Go fuck yourself," or "You're a fuckin bitch," to a teacher and have absolutely no punishment (and yes, I did use the word punishment) is disturbing. And if you are the parent who is saying, "but what if the teacher IS being a fuckin bitch?" There is no fixing you, so just go away, for you ARE part of this problem.

This is where it gets hairy. Parents get to chime in because...well, they are the parent. I totally get that, and I do not disagree that a parent should be a part of the disciplinary system, but demanding it not happen at all should not be a thing. However, at what point is the school not doing its job of providing a meaningful education by not holding a student accountable? After all, isn't accountability one of the cornerstones of adulthood? Isn't it the school's responsibility to help mold students into good people? By ignoring these flagrant behaviors, are we rdoing that? Do we turn our heads just so a parent won't be mad? The same parent whose child told the teacher to "go fuck yourself," is who we are trying to make happy? Interesting. Parents do not always have to be happy. I would imagine that it is upsetting to hear that your kid is acting horribly, but to simply disregard the issue for this reason is beyond acceptable.

I'm totally aware that there are many things to take into account with the discipline topic; however, the reality it that somehow we've arrived at a dark place where students and adults no longer feel safe at times because of the small population of students who continuously get away with murder with no accountability. It's creating a toxic environment. It often feels like the Old West.

Discipline is something that is a part of everyday life, is it not? If you get caught speeding, you get a ticket and pay a fine and your insurance goes up. However, some choose to pay a lawyer and try to get out of it which I find insane because.... YOU ACTUALLY WERE FRIGGIN SPEEDING. You literally did it. Be accountable. Pay the fine and do better. The idea that some parents want to metaphorically pay the lawyer and make it all go away is hard to swallow. It's part of the problem. And now...well, here we are.

What is the reason? Are administrators afraid to deal with angry parents? Is the newest educational philosophy that of let's all hold hands and sing....you know. Are we doubling down on restorative justice? Please, do NOT get me started on this topic. There will be a future article on this at length. Restorative Justice was created for criminals, but this is for a future discussion. Are we afraid of lawsuits? Regardless of the reason, I am here to tell you that things in school are NOT OKAY. School is an institution that functions a lot like Vegas. What happens in school mostly stays in school. We don't talk about things until they have gone so far off the rails that the news has to report it. We don't ever fix the small things because it always comes back to "we don't have the money and we don't have the bodies." Beautification is the objective, not reparation.

If one teacher complains, he or she is a cry baby and told to suck it up or find another job. If a group complains they are often degraded and made to feel inept, lazy, or incapable. Those who create and set the policies are those who rarely step foot in a classroom, and they are most certainly NOT those being called a "fucking bitch." At what point do we look at the current state of affairs and say, "This isn't working?" At what point is just barely holding our heads above water not acceptable? What will it take to fix this mess?

As a classroom teacher with a lot of experience, I am telling you that things are bad and change needs to happen yesterday.

The end of most of my writing will most likely always be similar in nature: go to a board meeting. Make waves. Stop swallowing the shit sandwich and acting like it's yummy. You are allowed to stand up and say, "Enough. Why is this happening? Why aren't we fixing it? I demand change." You are, but as teachers, we are not. We are not allowed to speak out at a BOE meeting. That's another fun fact of the many I possess.

Currently, I am relieved that I don't have a child in public school at this time. I could not allow him or her to be a part of such a broken system. A child's education is literally priceless. Every one of them deserves the very best there is to offer. The discipline part is what allows him or her to take advantage of all that is available educationally. If a child learns at a young age that he or she can do just about anything and his parent(s) will come to school swinging the proverbial bat, it is a failed lesson as a system.

I know that no administrator or school board would want my husband standing before them asking why we are failing to make students accountable and why his child is not receiving the education he or she deserves. He's loud and proud and NOT employed by the school district, so he CAN stand up for the big things, and, to me, this is definitely a very big thing.