LCPS Can Do Better

Was catching up with a teacher friend yesterday who had to vent about PBIS. She teaches 5th grade and about a week ago, she asked the class to come down to the carpet for a lesson. She has a student with a behavior IEP that basically says he won’t have to change seats ever throughout the year because new seats can be triggering to him (along with a whole host of other things which basically equates to he doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to do because it could be triggering)… this also applies to coming down to the carpet. But ultimately this story isn’t about him. The other kids have noticed that this student doesn’t have to follow the same rules and directions, and one student decided he didn’t want to come down to the carpet for the lesson. He wanted to stay back at his seat to goof off with his friend with the IEP. When my friend told him he needed to, he said, “No it’s freakin’ stupid to have to sit on the carpet.” Mind you the rest of the class had already settled in. My friend repeated, “You need to come over here for the lesson. Please take a seat on the carpet with us.” His response was, “No, I don’t want to it’s freakin’ stupid!” So basically it was a stand off until the teacher said, “So you’re already getting a phone call home about this, and it’s up to you on if I can say that you pulled it together and came down to the carpet.” He then complied, stomped over, and sat carpet adjacent. She asked him to please move to the carpet where the other kids were sitting. He said, “I’m on CARPET!” How does this relate to PBIS? Well because her district has adopted the “new” PBIS program there are restrictions on consequences. Teachers are not allowed to take recess, have a student walk a lap at recess, have the student owe a buck (their whole school PBIS reward system), but the biggest kicker is that teachers can’t have their own in class reward/consequence system. So effectively the biggest consequence a kid could receive for blatant disrespect in that situation is to fill out a “Think Sheet” (but not during recess) and get a phone call home. When my friend called home, the Mom was apologetic but ultimately said she was at her wits end. She doesn’t know what to do either. Quote from Mom, “I try to get him to do things and he argues with me in the same way! I don’t know what to do about it!” When districts prevent a teacher from providing a meaningful consequence in the moment, and parents don’t know how to parent, they are basically tying a teachers hands behind their back and telling them to swim. Her principal’s advice after hearing about the situation… “Did you reward the students who did come down to the carpet, with a buck?” I couldn’t roll my eyes hard enough.