I started these "Memos" eighteen years ago because I found myself running around schools, both locally and nationally, addressing the same issues on Friday as I was on Monday. So, being very protective of my energy and time I began to write down observations, research, thoughts, and solutions to the dilemmas schools faced with students in the areas of general mental health, behavior, development, substance abuse, discipline, etc. I then began to send these missives around to the schools contacting me. The original purpose was to save me the time and energy of repeating myself over and over again. Today, Mayer's Memo is distributed across the country and has received awards for its content. http://www.drjohnmayer.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 16:58:36 -0500 Mon, 12 May 2008 15:23:37 -0500 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com The most popular topic suggested from the survey we did on these Memos last spring was to discuss my thoughts on DETENTIONS & SUSPENSIONS. I would like us to consider a few facts: Research shows that the vastajority of students who serve detentions and/or suspensions are repeat offenders. Home suspensions often punish parents more than the student. Monetary fines also punish parents more than students. The typical after school detention does not achieve remediation of behavior. It just detains. Now consider a few solutions: 1- Always get parents involved in detentions and suspensions immediately. Student’s 1st and 2nd detention = student must call parent immediately from the dean’s office. The Dean and a counselor also talk with the parent. 3rd offense = parent must come to a 7:15 AM meeting the next morning. 4th offense and beyond = the parent must show up at school and sit with their child while they serve the in-school suspension or detention. No matter how many class periods this is. Use this time to instruct the student and the parents on the philosophy and rule structure of the school. Have the student’s counselor stop in and work with the parent on academic and behavioral problems. I have always found that when you involve and to be honest, inconvenience, the parents, most of the student offenders show remarkable progress. 2- Give students real consequences. For every detention, no matter the infraction always remove the student from the scene/class of the offense. They should be sent the student to the Dean’s office or Student Services immediately. Teacher should send student away with an extra homework assignment or a ‘make-up’ assignment(s) the student missed in the past. May want to put this step right on your suspension/detention slip. Student returns to that class only after passing a test on the subject matter of those class hours they missed.<br /> Eliminate completely any home detention or suspension. Home suspensions just reward the negative behavior. <br /> Levy a fine on the student. Make it the pro-rated amount of the hourly salary of the staff member monitoring the in- school suspension/detention. ---Summary--- 1st & 2nd offense = remove student--parent call--make-up work + quiz 3rd offense & beyond = remove longer per seriousness of the offense all of the 1st & 2nd conditions more make-up work/study http://www.drjohnmayer.com 7BB8EDD9-7559-4174-85C6-2A6AF27B25F8 Mon, 12 May 2008 15:06:11 -0500