Duval school board questions program training teachers how to handle classroom disruptions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (FLV) – Duval County school board members questioned a contract that was approved 4-2 Tuesday that would fund training for teachers to learn how to handle violence and classroom disruption in schools. 

The school system was awarded a grant by the Department of Justice Bureau through the STOP School Violence grant.

The Duval County School Board approved a three-year contract with International Institute for Restorative Practices Graduate School to conduct “Restorative Practices” services with the intent to reduce school violence.

Restorative practices offer schools a different approach to traditional disciplinary actions, according to Next Gen Learning.

School Board Member April Carney said the code of conduct already implements the sort of “practices and discipline” that the new program includes. 

“It seems to me that this is putting a lot of added pressure on our teachers,” Carney said. “And since we’re already using restorative practices, I’m really concerned that this is going to be causing more pressure on our already strained faculty.”

Duval County Chief of Schools Scott Schneider said the program “does not circumvent” the code of conduct and it is “completely opposite, it actually has to be aligned to the code of conduct.”

Board Member Charlotte Joyce noted similar concerns about the burden on teachers, but also questioned what was in the material. 

With the training material in her hand, Joyce cited one scenario that says “many things can disrupt the class,” such as bullying, someone destroying property or cheating on tests.

It promotes teachers putting students in a “circle” to discuss the issue at hand in order to create a positive change.

“I don’t know how the district would expect me to stop my classroom to have a circle in my classroom to address these issues with my students, that just should not be my job,” Joyce said.

She said restorative practices can be done outside of the classroom, but her “point is the teacher should not have to do this.”

Joyce also said it “bothers” her as a former teacher that the material also teaches administrators to do circles with teachers as a form of restorative process as “staff and teachers also behave in inappropriate ways.”

“Again, in the district, we already utilize restorative practices, every single school. I cannot place the burden of this program on our teachers shoulders, especially when the effectiveness of the program is being called into question,” Joyce said.

Temporary Superintendent Dr. Dana Kriznar clarified that teachers do not have to participate in the training if they do not want to and it is “completely voluntary.”

Chairman Darryl Willie said he used “restorative justice” in his classroom and it reaped “benefits.”

“So I know their stories about this systemic, supposedly pieces that are tied there,” Willie said. “But there are also stories on the other side of where restorative justice actually pushed students to actually be successful and be successful within the school environment.”

School Board Member Warren Jones said the initiative will help reduce the “school to prison pipeline.”

“Restorative justice is a program effort to reduce classroom disruption,” Jones said. “We know in this community and when you talk about violence, Duval county has been the leader in the state of Florida with violence. And that spills over to our class and our schools.”

Carney said Duval schools cited in the grant application that the district is the “most dangerous school district in the state of Florida” and asked “where that is coming from,” as it is the first time she has heard that statement.

Kriznar said it was internal data that she believes was included to help the district receive the grant. 

“I think that what they wanted to do is highlight some of our schools that were in most need to ensure that we could get the grant. And so that’s why they put some of that data in there,” Kriznar said.