LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Starley Craig, Liberal
I can’t believe it took such a short time for our new school board members to join the old guards’ most precious activity — purchasing yet another “program” to “improve our district’s educational performance.”
This little jewel is called Reframing Behavior. It promises to “help build a positive and supportive classroom environment” and “help increase teachers’ understanding of the neuroscience of the brain” and “respond appropriately to stress and anxiety.”
I’m not sure if it is directed at students, teachers or parents, but the creators of the program sure have enough sense to use the word “help” in their presentation, which absolves the company of having to offer any guarantees (did you know that?).
Let’s look at the sales pitch. How long does it take to learn the neuroscience of the brain? Considering there will be only two teachers per school (trainers?) to bring this tremendously complex information to staff during inservice days, I can’t think this can work.
Where do we get teachers so incompetent that they cannot handle disciplinary problems, but must rely on an inservice day to brush up on brain neuroscience so they can teach?
The first thing a school system has to have to maintain a disciplined atmosphere so teachers can teach is a strong administration. Equally important are expected consequences for misbehaviors. Does USD No. 480 provide that?
I’m not sure if the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention — also approved — is free or not, since no cost figures for that were reported. I’m only asking the board to forget all the programs available for a while and trust the teachers. Anybody can write a program as they are all subjective. Please, USD No. 480, don’t put your trotters in the trough again.
