Pittsburgh Public Schools board debates how to handle ‘uptick in problematic behavior’

PITTSBURGH — Several Pittsburgh Public Schools principals have apparently reported an “uptick in problematic behavior,” and school board members appear divided on how to address the situation.

“The reality is we have a cry for help and we have students who are not learning because of misbehavior,” Board Member Terry Kennedy said.

During a meeting Wednesday, Kennedy proposed bringing back certain disciplinary actions for students who commit repeated “level 1″ offenses.

Those actions are defined as “non-violent” and range from teasing to disrupting class to using inappropriate language.

In June, board members revised the policy to prevent schools from punishing these repeat offenders in particular ways, including through in-school suspension and detention.

Kennedy told Channel 11 that educators are “out of options” when it comes to stopping bad behavior. “Those kids stay in the classroom and continue acting up.”

During the board meeting, Kennedy introduced a resolution that would bring those punishments back as an immediate solution.

“We need to be able to restore some classroom order by removing the chronic misbehaving students.”

But not all board members agreed, citing the traumatic and challenging situations students faced amid the pandemic while learning from home during the 2020-2021 school year.

“I firmly, firmly believe that we need to have safe learning and teaching environments,” said Board Member Pam Harbin. “I feel like we should have known this was going to happen and we should have put some proactive measures in place so that when we came back to school we would be able to address our students’ full needs.”

Board member Devon Taliaferro echoed those same sentiments, and stated that the previous policies “tend to criminalize black and brown and disabled children in this school district.”

“I just don’t know how we can do this... I don’t know how we can go backwards,” Harbin said. “We need to figure out the right interventions.”

Kennedy said the policy needs to be applied across the district in an “equitable” way but questioned “at what point do the rights of the students who are misbehaving become more important than the rights of the students who are behaving and want to learn?”

You can view the full meeting here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/4425491/video/647362444

Parents and students have the opportunity to weigh in during a public meeting scheduled for this upcoming Monday. Board members are expected to vote on the resolution the following day, Tuesday November 23.

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