July 4, 2018, Oshawa (Ont.) Express: Changes to address violent classroom incidents http://oshawaexpress.ca/changes-to-address-violent-classroom-incidents/ Durham District School Board will implement a number of measures to curb classroom violence and are investigating claims by teacher unions that violent incidents in the classroom are on the rise. Last fall, through a combination of in-school reports and a survey of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario’s (ETFO) 2,700 members in Durham, it revealed more than 300 incidents of violence were reported in regional elementary schools during the 2016-17 academic year. These reported incidents range from students making threats and throwing objects to physical assaults such as biting, punching and kicking. … DDSB’s administrative officer of safe schools will now be involved from the beginning when an employee submits a report. Incidents will now be classified into one of two levels to differentiate the response. There will also be consideration whether the student involved in the incident has special needs. .... In the past, some September EA positions were left unassigned in June to allow for the accommodation of students with significant needs that come into the board over the summer…. Specialized training will be provided to the EAs, who will provide support to teachers in the classroom….
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