Educators left in suspense
By Randy James, Republican-American, May 17, 2007

Educators, not legislators, should decide how to discipline students, local school leaders say.
Many in the city hope Gov. M. Jodi Rell will veto a measure that would limit the ability of principals to issue out-of-school suspensions.

"Trying to legislate something like this across the board just doesn't make sense," said Paul Guidone, the chief operating officer for Waterbury's schools. "Discipline in schools should be left to trained educational administrators."

The bill would block schools from suspending students out of school for minor offenses, limiting the punishment to students who are considered dangerous or highly disruptive. Other students would need to be given in-school suspensions.

The state House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday, and the Senate approved it last week. Rell has not taken a position on the measure, a spokesman said Wednesday.

School board President Patrick J. Hayes Jr. said expanding in-school suspensions would be difficult and costly.

"It's another mandate that doesn't have funding," he said. "We hate sending kids home, but the fact is we don't have the space or the staffing or the budget" to accommodate them.

Middle and high schools have one room each dedicated to in-school suspensions. Elementary schools do not have in-school suspension programs.

The bill, which would take effect before the 2008-09 school year, is a response to concerns that many suspended students treat their punishment as vacation and lose valuable classroom time. Public schools statewide issued 77,000 out-of-school suspensions last year, officials say.

The issue has drawn special scrutiny in Waterbury, where nearly half of the city's high school students have been suspended out of school this year.

"There's an incentive for some students to purposefully get themselves suspended so they don't have to get to school," said Rep. David K. Labriola, R-Naugatuck, a supporter. "This bill would eliminate that problem."

ConnCAN, an education research and advocacy group, also backs the idea.

"Often the kids who end up in out-of-school suspension fall behind," Executive Director Alex Johnston said. "I think this is a practice we need to move away from."

But local officials insist the punishment is often needed, even for students who are repeatedly tardy, fail to comply with the dress code, or otherwise violate smaller rules.

"You can be disruptive by being less than courteous. You can be disruptive by putting your head down in class," Hayes said. "I don't think (legislators) should be telling us what they consider to be severe infractions."

Ann M. Sweeney, another school board member, sent a two-page e-mail to Rell opposing the plan. Instead, she recommended a community service requirement or other new forms of discipline.

"Give educators something to work with, not something that further ties their hands," Sweeney wrote.

Sen. Sam S.F. Caligiuri, R-Waterbury, said he originally supported the proposal, but changed his mind.

"On paper, it seemed to make some sense," he said. "But we've heard from so many teachers and principals who are concerned it would make an already hard job that much harder."

Caligiuri voted against the bill, but fellow legislators favored it by wide margins.