LORAIN, Ohio — Some Lorain families and teachers say student behavior is disrupting school learning. Concerns raised at a previous Lorain City Schools Board of Education meeting prompted a special work session on Tuesday.
“It’s just about the safety of my children at school,” Summer Williams told News 5. “And not from outside sources, but just the other children that are in the classroom with them.”
The mother of a preschooler and kindergartner attended her first school board meeting in the district on Tuesday. She said she learned from a March 10 meeting that a student had chased her daughter and other kindergarten classmates with scissors.
“It’s just very alarming. And I didn’t know the extent of the situation. I was never called by any principals or anyone for that matter,” she said.
Educators also shared their perspectives on navigating violent outbursts and addressing troubling behavior.
“We want to protect the teachers from being hurt while trying to educate our kids. We want tools, we want training,” Lorain Education Association President Julie Garcia said.
Other teachers and parents echoed similar anecdotes about a growing number of disruptions and violence in classrooms at last week’s meeting.
“I don’t even want to send my kids to school anymore. It’s ridiculous. Things need to be put in place to help the teachers help the kids,” one parent told the board on March 10.
The lengthy discussion at that meeting prompted a special meeting Tuesday morning with more public comment and an explanation from the Board of Education about the strategies already being deployed.
“We have to continue listening - which is what we’ve been doing,” LCSD Assistant Superintendent Michael Scott told the board and audience members Tuesday.
Some believe the increasing number of student behavioral issues are related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent research from the National Center for Education Statistics found that more than 80% of public school leaders believe the pandemic’s lingering effects continue to negatively impact student behavior and mental health.
“A lot of experts warned us about this—that because of the way kids were socialized or not socialized - to expect some atypical behaviors,” said LCSD superintendent Dr. Jeff Graham.
He explained the district began preparing for challenging behaviors as students returned from remote learning five years ago. It hired new support staff, including more social workers, behavior coaches and more assistant principals. Additionally, district leaders have focused on early intervention techniques and support teams for troubled students.
Graham said the district has already seen decreased fights and improved behavior at the high school level, and progress in the primary schools is trending in the right direction. After Tuesday’s meeting, he acknowledged more work needs to be done to improve communication with families and support for teachers.
“Our plan, in my opinion, short-term and long-term is solid. But we have to shore up some of these gaps,” he said.
The teachers’ union is also calling for more training. Garcia said many well-intentioned efforts to address behavior aren’t being implemented quickly enough.
“Ok, let’s get them calmed down. But now what do I do with the child? How do I have a conversation? I’m not trained in any of those things. And we do have some of those supports. We don’t have enough,” she said.
Williams said she’s seen more support staff and resources in her daughter’s kindergarten class, but she worries next year will bring new challenges.
“It just saddens me that it happened so late. And I don’t know how effective that will be with 45 days left of school,” she said.
The Board of Education adjourned its Tuesday meeting after 2.5 hours but pledged to continue discussing student behavior and its efforts to address issues in the coming weeks.
