Aug 9, 2017, WESH TV, Orlando: Brevard County schools rolling out new discipline system http://www.wesh.com/article/brevard-county-schools-rolling-out-new-discipline-system/11657928 As a new school year starts in Brevard County, the district has a new discipline system in place. Superintendent Dr. Desmond Blackburn saw the need to create a district-wide student code of conduct as it pertains to punishment, when he saw how the lack of that very system was discriminating against certain groups of students. "Our children living in poverty, our children with disabilities, and our African American students were being suspended and expelled at twice the rate of their existence in the student population," Blackburn told WESH 2 News. … "Brevard Public Schools acknowledging that there are problems with current policy (or lack thereof) is huge. Implementing the new disciplinary action policy is definitely a start toward an effective corrective action plan. The new policy is not perfect and as with any major overhaul of a policy it will require training, periodic reviews and revising as we measure its effectiveness. A component of diversity training will hopefully be provided to staff and administrators to further improve their ability to serve all of our students.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.