(Unsplash)
(OREGON LIVE) – Middle schools in Portland are facing a student behavior crisis and need more dedicated staff to help navigate the issues, according to a letter sent this month to Portland Public Schools’ district leadership that was co-signed by all 15 middle school principals.
Sixth through eighth graders had more disciplinary incidents through the end of March than for the entire 2021-2022 school year, wrote Robert Gray Middle School Principal Lisa Newlyn, who penned the letter. Disruptive conduct, harassment toward fellow students because of race, disability and religion and physical altercations are on the rise among middle schoolers, she said, and school leaders are spending much of their time focused on responding to such behaviors.
WND is now on Trump's Truth Social! Follow us @WNDNews
They are petitioning for the district to hire at least 15 new full-time employees who would focus on student safety, mental health and alternative approaches to discipline that emphasize mediation instead of a more punitive system of detentions and suspensions. The district’s 12 K-8 schools were not included in the original ask, but would benefit from similar supports, Newlyn said.
The post Middle-school principals in blue city plead for help to manage student behavior problems appeared first on WND.
