2015/05/06 – A Jackson Public Schools teacher told the Board of Trustees on Tuesday that despite teaching for 18 years in New York, she has “never felt more disrespected and degraded” than in the two years she’s spent in Jackson Public Schools.

The teacher, Kerry Doyle of Brinkley Middle School, told officials she has been assaulted and cursed at by students.

Doyle and other members of the Jackson Federation of Teachers addressed their concerns with the district’s discipline policy and their belief it leaves teachers vulnerable.

The group conducted a survey, which a member said included responses from 1,513 employees from 61 work sites in the district, on the issue of discipline in JPS. Members of the union shared some of the findings from the report, titled “S.O.S.: Reclaiming the Promise of Great Public Schools in Jackson Through Common Sense Student Discipline.”

Two-thirds of personnel said their work environment feels out of control daily or weekly, one member told the board.

The group asked specifically for officials to partake in a working committee with members of the union to develop and change policies, including the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy for assault against school personnel.

Rodney Williams, an in-school suspension teacher at Capital City Alternative School, shared that he often feels in danger for his life.

“I’m not going to lie to you or sugarcoat it … but if you try to stop me from going home to my family, if we get to dancing, it’s not going to be pretty,” he described of his experiences attempting to deal with misbehaving students.

School board President Otha Burton said the board hears their concerns and is looking forward to seeing the results of the report and working with the group.

Source: The Clarion-Ledger 

Kate Royals