Guilford school policy targets students' online posts
Oct. 18—GUILFORD COUNTY — A proposed major revision to the Guilford County Schools' student discipline policy would make clear that students can be punished at school for posts online that have reverberations at school.
It also would explicitly discourage the use of out-of-school suspensions when there is not a safety threat because they make it more likely that students will drop out.
Work on the proposed "significant revision" to the student discipline policy began in June, said Anitra Wells, the deputy superintendent of instructional leadership, in a presentation Tuesday night to the Guilford County Board of Education. The last major revision to the policy was adopted in 2004, and minor changes were made four times since then.
But there have been major new developments in society since 2004 that have affected students and schools, such as vaping and social media, that the policy did not address because they did not exist, she said.
GCS officials have said repeatedly that schools and administrators frequently have to deal with the fallout from things that were posted online, from videos to rumors and threats.
School board attorney Jill Wilson said that the proposed revision echoes legal precedents that have said that if a student's online posts directly relate to school, schools can take disciplinary action.
Board member Crissy Pratt said she was glad to see the policy being changed to address students' online behavior.
"Like you say, life has changed A LOT since this (current police) was written," she said.
Part of the proposed revision that deals with suspending students says: "Recognizing that exclusion from instruction can exacerbate behavioral problems, diminish academic achievement, and hasten school drop outs, the Board urges schools to avoid using discipline tactics that exclude a student from instruction when feasible and to reserve exclusion from instruction for the most serious misconduct that threatens the safety of students, staff, or visitors."
The proposed revision said that among the interventions that should be available is moving a disruptive student to an alternative learning program while the behavior problems are being addressed.
The proposal carves out a major exception, however, for any student who brings a gun to school.
"A principal must recommend a suspension of 365 calendar days for any student who has brought or been in possession of a firearm or destructive device on GCS property (including a district-owned or operated vehicle) or to a school-sponsored event," it says.
Board member Linda Wellborn said she didn't have a problem with the proposed emphasis on services and interventions that address disruptive behavior without suspending the student, but she wants to be sure GCS communicates all the steps and interventions to teachers so they don't feel they do not have support and backup.
Board chair Deena Hayes said that many parents and teachers have justified concerns about disruptive students.
"I don't want someone that's disruptive to be returned to the classroom over and over and over," she said, but she also doesn't want that student to slip through the cracks.
The policy has been posted for community input through Nov. 16, and the school board is expected to discuss and vote on it at the board's December meeting.
In other business, the board adopted an adjusted pay scale for classified employees, including teacher assistants, treasurers and bus drivers, who will soon see an increase in pay using $15.4 million from the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and funding provided in the 2023-24 North Carolina budget that became law on Oct. 3.
