TOMMIE SAYLOR: Give discipline a time to take its course

“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”  

Plato

By Tommie Saylor

Kennedy High School Principal

“And nothing is being done…”

Those are words that instantly infuriate me. I’m not sure if students, parents, community members, teachers and staff understand how insulting those words are. 

When a student makes a mistake and is referred to the office, a whole slew of options and actions are instantly engaged.  Assuming that what took place is not an automatic suspension (i.e. a fight, weapons charge, drugs, etc.), a wide variety of decisions are considered. Therefore, a day or two delay may occur between the infraction and the final decision.  During this delay evidence is gathered and decisions are made.

Unfortunately, we often hear that “nothing is being done.” This could not be further from the truth. We need the time to make a correct decision, and address the offender’s actions in a productive manner. 

Remember, we are a school, not the criminal justice system. We are here to teach the offender a better way. This does not mean that I’m going to “hold their hand.” But it does mean that I’m not going to victimize the offender, which only serves to perpetuate a negative cycle. 

Research tells us that suspensions alone do not serve as a deterrent to negative behavior. Suspending without educating the student guarantees that when the student comes back from the suspension, so does the problem. To make the correct decisions take time.

If a student commits an offense and is not severely punished by the end of the day, don’t come to me and say that, “nothing is being done.” Trust in the fact that we will handle the situation.  Just because you did not see us take the student out back to the woodshed does not mean that nothing is being done.

We are an educational facility even though through disciplinary practices we can also teach students lifelong lessons that pay dividends.  We are here to teach students a better way, not hammer them. We are here to show them options, not perpetuate a cycle of negativity.

Helping students to find their greatness. Making Kennedy the school of choice. Excellence by design.