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New York City Public School Discipline Rule Changes – New
Solution or Mayhem
© Donald Reinhardt, August 31, 2012
The New York City School System has
amended the rules of discipline for students so that those who smoke, curse or cut
classes will no longer be punished by suspension from class or school. How does
that sound to you?
The 2012 New York City “Citywide
Standards of Intervention and Discipline” and a TV
report by CBS News in NYC reveal important
aspects of this new ruling. Although the possible long-term-effects of these
changes are unknown, we may surmise some unintended consequences may happen as
a result of this adjustment in the rules of student engagement and punishment
within the New York City education system.
School Discipline, Student Punishment or Permission and the
Learning and Character Development
Lack of respect for teachers, fellow
students, the environment and the suspension of certain rules of good behavior
and common etiquette possibly will harm learning and character development in
the public schools.
One might expect that public schools
which permit and do not punish smoking, cursing and basic disrespect will cause
these behaviors to increase in the overall student population. How is this so? All
learning is reinforced either positively or negatively. Praise or permission to
do something by an authority figure (e.g. parent, school, organization) is positive
reinforcement. Punishment is a negative reinforcement.
If whatever you do or are doing is OK
or permissible, then that affirms that you can keep doing it. If you are
punished, there is negative consequence to the action. And as some of these poor
or disruptive behaviors of students are repeated over and over again they will tend
to distract from learning and development of good character both inside and
outside the classroom. Administrators such as Chancellor, Dennis Walcott of the
New York City School system, certainly will evaluate all the effects of this new
leniency and ruling during the academic year. School administrators may develop
new perspectives and see the possible dangers that can issue forth from this
more lenient ruling. School vandalism and fights or major altercations are
still events that result in student suspension or dismissal from a New York
City school.
If this ruling by the New York City
School System panders to a much lower common denominator for student behavior,
then the negative aspects of this ruling will outweigh any potential positives.
How much lower can student standards and disciplines fall? Yes, “the road to
hell is paved with good intentions” and the signposts along New York City’s
road to education seem to point downward rather than upward.
Additional Sources
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