School Discipline was the topic of a recent forum on On Point with Juandolyn Stokes. Our guests panelists included: Marlyn Tillman-Co-founder and Executive Director of the Gwinnett Coalition to Dismantle the School to Prison Pipeline (Gwinnett SToPP), Anthony Downer- Educator and Youth Organizer for Gwinnett SToPP, Selena Evans- Former Special Education teacher in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), and Evans daughter, Paris who is a 10th grader in GCPS.
It was a lively discussion that highlighted the unsafe environment many teachers find themselves in when students engage in violent behavior, and consequences for those behaviors are removed. Tillman countered,” Consequences must come with restoration.
Downer suggested teachers need more training and to engage in more healing-informed practices. Our student panelist said GCPS should listen to understand the hows and why’s of students’ behavior, and they should seek feedback from students about what their discipline should include.
