LCS Addresses Expulsion Policies, Falling Graduation Rates, & Teacher Retention Issues

LCS Addresses Expulsion Policies, Falling Graduation Rates, & Teacher Retention Issues

At the April 10th Leon County Schools (LCS) Agenda Review/Workshop meeting, board members discussed several policies including expulsion waivers.

Board member Marcus Nicolas asked if there was a policy requiring staff members to attend de-escalation training. He noted his question stemmed from having read an expulsion waiver about a recent disciplinary incident. He stated, “someone well versed in de-escalation probably would’ve prevented this.”

Staff claimed that there is no current policy or trigger to require instructional staff to attend de-escalation training, and that usually when training is required it’s at the request of a principal. However, all new teachers are required to participate in classroom management training.

The board members had a long discussion about a policy that would help retain teachers at Title I schools. Dr. Nicolas pointed out that some teachers play the field and may leave Title I schools “high and dry” once given a better opportunity at another school. Additionally, staff explained that there is no current requirement for teachers to notify the principal that they will de-commit after accepting another offer.

Board members Darryl Jones, Roseanne Wood and Marcus Nicolas all leaned in favor of creating a policy requiring a teacher keep their commitment to the school they are currently working. However, staff and Chair Alva Smith noted that while such a rule may be beneficial, it could cause staff to leave the district. Staff stated, “To some extent we don’t want to lose good candidates in a scarce environment because we’re trying to place them in a school they don’t want to go to.”

Staff presented a graduation update to the board, noting the data shows that the Covid lockdown that sent children home has put graduation for many students in jeopardy. Rickards High School Principal stated, “I’ve never seen a defeated attitude in the students at Rickards, but I am seeing it now because of the two years of learning loss.” However, the principal claimed that boot camps, reading intervention coaches and counseling could help students affected by learning loss.

The LCS Board meeting will take place at 6:00 pm on April 11th.

9 Responses to "LCS Addresses Expulsion Policies, Falling Graduation Rates, & Teacher Retention Issues"

  1. Students can threaten to bring a gun to school and shoot up the place without any discipline. They are allowed to hit staff and each other without discipline. No de-escalation training is going to solve that problem. Teachers are quitting because there is no discipline.

  2. I see the comments have been removed on the article “lawmaker calls trans are mutants.” Free speech is not the Tallahassee Reports forte.

  3. Tucker Carlson has a thought. Poor performing schools and high crime cities benefit the politician. With failing schools comes more tax money. Big Crony Businesses get the money, skim some off the top and give the rest back to the politician in the form of Political Contributions.

    Yesterday, our local State Attorney office told me, they do not report Federal Crimes to the FBI, i.e. firearms on school campus, because Biden’s DOJ does not prosecute minors.

    Get use to guns on public school campuses.

  4. They don’t back the teachers when they need to be backed, they cottle little delinquent brats, and tell them idiotic things like you can change your gender if you want to.
    What sane decently grounded person would ever want to teach in that situation? And then there’s the part about indoctrinating them to hate the good ole USofA.

    I think I’d rather have a poke in the eye with a sharp stick…

  5. There is no current requirement for teachers to notify the principal that they will de-commit after accepting another offer.

    DE-COMMIT? Is that what giving 2 Weeks Notice is called now? I would NEVER stop an Employee from moving up in life and if that means a better Job with better Pay then I will help where I can.

  6. I knew one day it would come to this:
    The LCSB has gone so far off the deep end of wokness, child sexulazation, grooming, gender this and gender that, teacher sanctioned fight clubs, unicorn teachers, leftist politics, ect…ect…ect.
    Yes I knew one day it would come to this:
    Now they have held the first LCSB Agenda Review / Workshop meeting in years in which subject matter appropriate for a school board to discuss, debate, and resolve were the only subject matters discussed and taken up by the board for the entire duration of the meeting.
    This Leon/Tallahassee is truley historical. I dont know if the board has turned over a new leaf, found Jesus, or just matured in their old age.
    Actually I suspect its a trickey publicity stunt because its been since way back when Bill Montford was Superintendant that we have witnessed such an on topic appropriate subject matter LCSB meeting.
    Yeah most likely there is some sort of leftist subterfuge going on here. Dont trust them.

  7. Our schools are failing not because of covid. They are failing due to lousy policies and leadership failures by Rocky Hanna.

    It is that simple.

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