Middle School Team Meeting

Lakeview Conference Room

1/23/17 - 3:00 pm
Facilitated by Titus Pollard, MS Asst. Principal

Present: Sean Marshall, Eric Wallace, Lois Alpern, Serena Tedder, Kim Alston,
Marchell Franklin, Betty Ray, Theresa McGowan, Lori Bruce-Jawo, Leticia Boone,
Momolu Murray, Harold Garner, James Bacon, Eric Chaplin, Taronda Fishburne

Introductions
- Name, Where you grew up, Schools Attended

Middle School Concerns:

Need support in the classroom (Murray)

- Teachers are not really asked the background information with discipline issues
- Admin Decisions are made based on information shared by the student
- Ex. Saggy Pants, Hoodies allowed by group of non-classroom teachers, classroom
teachers were notified weeks later
- If students don’t comply with simple things, students will not comply with other
tasks asked of them by teachers.
- Communication could be improved by the adults
- Want for admin/support staff to spend more time in the classroom to observe
what is going on
- (Ray) Suggestion for the pants: zip ties
- Suggestion for hoodies: relationships, removal of hoodie completely if continue
to place on head

Hierachy of consequences of disciplinary action (Chaplin):

- Example: use of profanity, not only directed at peers, but now also
teachers/adults
- Need consequences for 1st through x offense…
- Teachers try multiple interventions/strategies/redirects/warnings to correct
behavior – if those are exhausted and request admin/outside help – what are the
consequences?
- (Marshall) – physically aggressive student behavior combined with use of
profanity and threats after staff redirects
- (Murray) Repeat offenders vs. a majority of students and its impact on other
students’ behavior
 - (Fishburne) Need More teacher representation with decision making of students
transitioning to Lakeview, reputation of Lakeview of a dangerous, gang infested
school
- (Bacon) Students perceive that they can do whatever they want and nothing will
happen to them, even beginning to use physical aggression along with profanity
towards staff.
- Student Code of Conduct needs to be shared and reviewed with staff
- (Bacon) Students often walk out of class – and it appears as though nothing
happens – back in class the next day
- (Fishburne) – sometimes students will comply with only one of two staff
members, but not others
- (Chaplin) – students often are seeking various ways to test where the boundaries
and consequences are for behavior. In his experience, often times the boundaries
are more clearly defined in an alternative school.
- (Bacon) – Perception of behaviors – flinching, behaviors with an apology will be
tolerated, inappropriate language towards staff
- (Bacon) – Drugs and drug use language in Middle School
- (Bacon) – Information needs to be shared with classroom teachers that spend the
most time with students
- (Boone/Marshall) – Be mindful of taking threats seriously, past behavior from
students threatening staff, children of staff, home robberies

Other:
- Staff getting sick from student illnesses
- Revised 2nd Semester Middle School Schedule