Sep 21, 2006 4:29 PM
In the last issue we criticized the Department of Education for obscuring safety problems in the schools by failing to accurately report all incidents. We noted that many principals were reluctant to file incident reports for fear that it would reduce their schools’ ratings and endanger their own jobs. We also announced the launch of the UFT’s new online incident reporting system that the union hoped would reveal a truer school safety picture than the State Education Department’s official count of 14 “persistently dangerous” schools — 11 of which were in District 75. That count defied common sense and was unfair to those who work with students with serious behavior issues. It seems that Chancellor Klein got the message because last week in Principal’s Weekly he wrote the following:
“It’s essential that schools report all infractions — from the most minor to the most serious. We, as a system, cannot afford to tolerate schools’ failure to report incidents. We need to know which schools are keeping students and educators safe and which ones are not. And, when we have full knowledge of what’s going on in our schools, we can better target resources and support our schools as we work, together, to make our schools even safer.”
Klein promised that the mayor’s office would release the incident statistics from last year in a few weeks.
He also noted that “safety is a prerequisite to learning. If our kids are not safe as they walk through the hallways and sit in the classrooms of our schools they cannot possibly learn what they need to become successful students.”
And added: “The mayor, the police commissioner, and I believe that by focusing on minor infractions, we can help to prevent more serious incidents and cultivate an environment that supports teaching and learning.”
Obviously, we couldn’t agree more. In fact, UFT President Randi Weingarten said of the chancellor’s statement:
“We’re glad to see the chancellor agrees that the ‘Broken Windows’ theory of cracking down on even the smallest infractions really is an effective strategy and that all incidents and occurrences — major and minor — must be reported. You can’t have real safety unless you start with accurate reporting; it’s the foundation of truly safe schools. It’s why the UFT started an online safety reporting system two weeks ago and it’s a great step that the chancellor is telling principals the very same thing.”
This breakthrough, with both the chancellor and the union asking schools to report, is important. But it’s only a first step. For example, too many members have reported being told by their principals to “just ignore” a threat or curse word from a student. Reporting that kind of behavior to the union will, at the least, help document an early warning if the disrespect escalates into disruption, violence or retaliation. And itmy also help us get a few “broken windows” repaired.