An audit of Wilton Public Schools‘ policies done this summer by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) has helped prompt the district to revisit and revise some of the language in its policies.
On Thursday, Sept. 4, the Board of Education got a first official look at a revised school-climate policy and related regulations, as well as a new state-mandated policy on “Challenging Behavior Prevention: Restorative Practices Response in Student Discipline.”
“According to CABE, 81% of our policies are exactly as they should be,” Wilton Superintendent Kevin Smith told the BOE, “and then the remainder need a little bit of updating or tweaking.”
He said the policies fall into two categories — a small handful of new state-mandated policies, and a bunch that were drafted prior to new legislative changes that need to be incorporated and updated.
Smith said the BOE’s Policy Committee would be going over everything in detail, and that the BOE would be hearing more about them into the fall.
Meanwhile, on Thursday the BOE had a short discussion relating to the state’s ideas on the topic of bullying and school climate, as well as some more details on the expanding push to make “restorative practices” part of every district’s response to misbehavior.
Smith described how two years ago, “the state legislature completely revamped bullying and safe-school climate law,” he said.
In particular, he said, the language used previously was reworked, particularly with language around “restoration and safe-school climate, and standards for insuring safe-school climates in schools.”
“It’s a positive change,” Smith said, as the language now focuses “more holistically” on student behavior.”
“That’s something we’ve tried to do all along … We actually think this is policy catching up with the practice and a very good intent,” he said, noting that legal counsel had drafted a regulation that will “live alongside” the policy. The language is required by the state after having been created through CABE.
Smith said that one of the big differences is on the focus of “restorative practices,” versus just consequences to behavior.
“In the past, the policy kind of required consequences,” Smith said. “The law has now necessitated that, while there are consequences, there are also restorative opportunities.”
BOE Vice Chair Nicola Davies directly asked what was meant by the phrase “restorative opportunities.”
“I’ve heard the words ‘restorative practices’ alot, but I still don’t really [understand],” she said.
Smith summarized his view.
“I think the intent is to provide an educative experience to help that student reflect a little bit on his or her behavior and try to correct it through some measure, and in a way to make the victim more whole,” he said.
Wilton Public Schools Director of Climate, Community, Belonging and Wellness Kim Zemo echoed his thoughts, noting the idea is to get the misbehaving student to reflect on their behavior and actions.
“There’s a continuum, like with everything,” Zemo said, “so it could be that whole personal reflection, it could be a sort of conference that’s happening with students … who may have a disagreement. It could be a restorative conference with student and teacher. It could be an educational opportunity.”
“So it really depends on the situation, but often times, it’s discipline paired with restoration, because we know that restoration is actually more effective,” she said.
Davies noted that it sounds like this kind of approach would take more time.
“But it’s time well-spent,” Zemo said.
“I can tell you, in the conferences that I’ve participated in with students, that’s something that changes behavior,” she said. “Sometimes a suspension may not have that lasting impact because the issues may still be there.”
“It may be a little more time, but long-term I think you get better benefit,” Zemo said, “which is kind of the impetus of why the state is moving in this direction.”