"The school board asked that the policy make clear what's expected at each level so a student moving from middle to high school wouldn't be suspended for something that was a minor offense for a younger child." I'm not sure what might be considered a "minor offense" in middle school but, if a student is a habitual offender, no matter the infraction, he/she should be dealt with more severely once he/she becomes a student in high school. If the student hasn't mastered discipline in lower level classes, he/she certainly would be a problem in upper level classes. It would seem to me that the "Board" is merely looking for a way to avoid parental confrontation and harassment when appropriate discipline is called for when a student should be actually removed from the classroom for more than just a few hours of "in school" detention. It is no wonder SC students (and ultimately the schools) are doing so poorly when ranked with schools across the nation. The lack of disciplinary maintenance in any public school is one of the key factors for educational failure in the school, and that blame falls squarely on the school trustees, administrators, and the teachers.
