When considering behavior and discipline [“Survey confirms school discipline issues,” Feb. 4], it is very true that it’s getting worse. The new Chancellor’s Regulation, along with the fear of over-suspending minority students, has led to a zero-consequence problem in many schools. Students feel they can behave any way they want, and it’s true. When there are no consequences, students will continue to push the limits of misbehavior, until it becomes unmanageable.

That being said, discipline only solves half the problem. The other issue is the lack of supports to teach students strategies to cope, before acting out, especially in high-needs schools where the vast majority of students are minorities.

In my experience, big-needs schools have low student populations and, as a result, smaller budgets. Thus, the school can’t afford to hire support staff. As a result of the low budgets, there are no available staff to help students in crisis, help them cope, help them with conflict resolution, all of which leads to more and more disruption.

The UFT and the DOE need to look into supplying struggling schools with extra staff, despite the number of students. Guidance counselors who actually have the time to counsel students, social workers who can work with students to stop misbehavior before it happens, deans who can address misbehavior as it is happening. Without these support systems, behavior will continue to be a problem.

Cora Cooledge Fazio, PS 45, Queens
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