School culture and climate greatly affect how successful school discipline policies can be. “The ideal school climate is one where the focus is on teaching and learning and the future of kids,” said Gus LeBlanc, principal of Lewiston High School.

“If you can get students to engage in the belief that the learning, education, and achievement part of school is important, and have activities and rituals in the school that recognize and support those values,” he said, there will be far fewer disciplinary problems. LeBlanc said that most disciplinary trouble he deals with stems from students not following the school’s code of conduct (which state law mandates each school have) or from students acting disrespectfully to teachers, administrators, or other students. One way to maintain a respectful school culture and deter harassment or bullying is to maintain uniform standards of discipline.

According to LeBlanc, “there are a number of state policies as to what school administrators can do, in terms of suspension and expulsion” when taking disciplinary action, including a maximum of 10 consecutive days of suspension. (The power to expel a student lies not with administrators but solely with the school board.) But while there are regulations regarding disciplinary action, administrators have to deal with specific issues as they arise.

“The whole issue of technology has become a challenge for us, with iPods, cell phones, all of those things, and kids using them at inappropriate times,” said Steve Galway, assistant principal of Edward Little High School in Auburn. “We met with the kids last year to discuss the issue… we heard what their needs are, they heard what our needs are, and we’ve come to an understanding that cell phones have their place,” he said, but only during specific times.

Students can use their phones before school, after school, between classes, and at lunch. The plan seems to have worked. “We now have minimal times when they are inappropriately used,” said Galway.

Oak Hill High School in Sabattus has adopted a similar policy; cell phones were once forbidden, but policing misuse became a nightmare. “By meeting the kids halfway, we’ve had much less turn-in of cell phones and we’ve found that the misuse of them has not been a real issue,” Oak Hill Principal Patricia E. Doyle said. “I think it’s an understanding we have to come to as different generations move through the technology age… the students have to understand acceptable use and there’s a middle ground we’ve found that I think is helping the process.”

Of course, these technologies can cause trouble even when they are not used at school. “The biggest bullying issue we deal with is cyber bullying,” said LeBlanc. Cyber bullying involves e-mail, cell phones, and social sites such as Facebook, among other technologies and sites. This bullying happens outside of school, but the effects overflow into the school environment. Parents can monitor their children’s online activity to avoid cyber bullying and poor relationships with peers.

How else can parents better prepare their children to avoid disciplinary trouble in school? According to LeBlanc, “respecting boundaries is very important.”

Doyle added that “a positive attitude and willingness to engage, as well as the ability to respectfully communicate your needs” go a long way.

It also helps if students come to school ready and willing to learn. “If a parent can motivate a child to be invested in what the school has to offer, and cultivate an understanding that there is something to be gained in the teaching and learning process,” LeBlanc said, “the child will be motivated to do well in school and that will solve a lot of the issues.”

For more on school climate, school culture, and bullying prevention, visit the Maine State Department of Education’s website at http://www.maine.gov/education/.

Copy the Story Link