The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board received an update on its Code of Conduct at its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 5 and awarded KVOA a $750,000 marketing contract.
The District’s PR guru, Stephanie Boe, left her job as an executive producer at KVOA to take the job at TUSD.
Jim Freeman, the consultant who is leading the revision of the Code of Conduct, formed a focus group to create new policies with a goal of having them in place for the 2016-2017 school year. The focus group includes teachers, school support staff members, school administrators, district administrators, students, parents and community members.
Board member Dr. Mark Stegeman said he hoped Freeman would have reached out to board members as part of the process.
“I hope that any revision addresses the many internal inconsistencies within TUSD’s own policies and between TUSD’s policies and the Unitary Status Plan,” stated Stegeman prior to the presentation. Stegeman said he wants to understand how the proposed discipline policies affect the other side: the students who are not disruptive and whose primary concerns are to feel safe and to get a good education.
Freeman offered research about that supported a loose discipline policy. He presented evidence that found that students who were suspended or expelled were six times more likely to repeat a grade, five times more likely to drop out and nearly three times more likely to be in contact with the juvenile justice system the next year.
Among the goals for the District’s new policies:
- Create a shorter, more user-friendly Code of Conduct (currently known as the Guidelines for Student Rights and Responsibilities)
- Establish a positive, forward-looking tone and explain the mission, vision and goals of the District.
- Find root causes of behavior and implement disciplinary actions that help students learn appropriate behaviors, promoting positive and supportive school climates.
- Emphasize use of a variety of techniques and use severe consequences only when necessary.
- Promote consistency across the District.
- Develop protocols for threats to safety and repeated misconduct.