Discipline Policy Okd By Close Board Vote

After more than 2-1/2 hours of discussion, a revised discipline policy for the Ann Arbor schools was finally approved by the Board of Education by a five to four vote last night. Trustees Ronald Bishop, Paul Carrington, Charles Good and Henry Johnson issued a joint statement "opposing the adoption of any discipline policy which would impose a forfeiture of educational opportunity on any youth in our community." "Expulsion is unnecessary, harmful, and mean. It is unnecessary because it is always possible to offer some educational opportunity outside the regularly school setting without disproportionate cost and without risk to the school environment or to other students," their statement continued. "Expulsion is harmful not only to the expelled students whose hopes are destroyed but also to the general public. The public has no other means than the schools to provide constructive guidance for such rejected youth. It is a paradox that youth of grave offenses are placed in institutions which feature educational programs as the primary means of rehabilitation while those less guilty are expelled into the streets without any public effort to provide a rehabilitative program." "Expulsion is mean because it expresses our selfish and destructive instinct. It denies the common bonds which bring us together in the venture of public education," they concluded. This statement was also one of the 11 amendments proposed and defeated during the course of the lengthy discussion. Voting in favor of the superintendent revised policy were Trustees Ted Heusel, Ralph Bolhouse, Robert Cunn, Duane Renken and Board President Cecil Warner, all of whom indicated last week they would support the policy. "This represents the best possible policy for this school system," said Supt. R. Bruce McPhersonr "We need guidelines for the students we are trying to help but the most effective work is being done by the individual people in the schools." " According to McPherson this new policy will give each school principal more responsibility in administering discipline and each school will have a certain amount of freedom in interpreting the policy. Anne Enderby, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, criticized the policy, saying: "These long hours spent discussing the policy revision are ill-spent. The administration needs to explore the causes instead and develop alternatives." She also urged a further delay in the adoption of the policy in order to explore a more positive approach to handling discipline problems. The new policy pertains both to the elementary and secondary schools. Each case of disruptive behavior will be thoroughly reviewed and, as plans are made for a course of action, school personnel must work closely and continually with the student and his or her parent or guardians. Areas covered in the policy include: temporary removal from school or the classroom, suspension, return to school and makeup privileges, extended suspension, expulsion, behavior requiring disciplinary action, t r u a n c y , smoking, physical force or restraint and a grievance procedure. A teacher who wishes to remove a student temporarily from the classroom must notify the principal of the reason, and the teacher and principal must develop within a school day a plan which will prevent further occurrences. Suspension from school will be used only as a means for providing time for school officials to work with the student! and parents to find answer to the immediate problem. Following the time that a student is suspended from school, he or she will have the same make-up privileges that are given to students win excused absences. In all instances of expulsion, the principal's recommendation must be received by the superintendent within five days following the student's suspension which led to the recommendation for expulsion. Upon receiving a recommendation from the superintendent, the Board of Education will set up a hearing on the recommendation, and will determine whether the student should be expelled. Most disruptive behavior is separated into three categories; extortion, larceny and vandalism; the second involves possession of weapons, use or sale of drugs, bomb threats or turning in a false fire alarm; and the third involves arson, robbery, and physical attack. A member of the school staff may use physical force or restraint to protect himself or another person or persons. But in every incidence the school principal must receive a detailed written report of events leading to the application of force. At present persons under 21 years of age are not legally allowed to smoke. This is included in the policy. The newly approved policy allows a provision for a continual appraisal. It will be reviewed comprehensively on an annual basis by a special committee appointed by the board. Committee membership will now include a representative from the school staff, students, parents and community persons. The board will also add other members for the review.