Supporting every student to ensure safe learning and working environments
By Erik Edoff, Senior Executive Director, Michigan Education Association
Smaller class sizes and caseloads. More individual attention and connection between each student and the educators who support them. Respect and communication between school and home, at every grade level.
Educators know elements like these are always essential for student learning. Right now, they’re critical for another reason — reducing disruptive and dangerous behaviors that threaten both student success and school employee safety.
Teachers and school support staff are seeing disruptions crop up among students of all ages and school settings, from school buses and classrooms to front offices and school sporting events. Increasing mental health challenges, constant access to smartphones, overexposure to social media, cuts to recess and recreation time, and a broader culture that promotes incivility all contribute to student behaviors that are deeply concerning to Michigan educators.
They need all of us to take note and take action.
Recognizing that student learning and safe schools go hand-in-hand, the Michigan Education Association is committed to helping address student behavior issues — and the root causes behind them.
Our goal is simple: to ensure every student has a safe place to learn and every educator has a safe place to work.
We have a lot of work to do. According to a recent MEA survey of preK-12 teachers and school support staff, 82% of public school employees have experienced verbal outbursts by students that have significantly disrupted learning, while 66% have had items destroyed or damaged due to student behavior. About 58% of educators have experienced verbal aggression or threats made by a student, and 40% have had to evacuate a classroom due to student behavior.
These experiences affect students and educators alike. Targeted support is lacking to help some students keep behaviors in check — and that’s impacting both their and their classmates’ ability to succeed academically.
The emotional toll on school staff is also real and growing, with the potential to hinder state efforts to attract and retain talented educators. According to the survey, 64% of educators report that problems with student behavior have made them more likely to leave the education profession.
Teachers and school support staff are committed to helping our kids learn while keeping classrooms safe and focused on every student’s success. To do that, they need more resources from policymakers and more support from administrators and families.
In the survey, 84% of educators report struggling with a lack of support from involved families, 62% say they lack sufficient classroom staff support, and 62% report a lack of support from school administrators for behavior referrals. In addition, 51% of educators report limited access to student mental health support in their school districts.
Students exhibiting behavior challenges often need more appropriate classroom placements, along with adequate paraeducator and specialist services. Aside from helping them, that also ensures every other student has the safe and productive learning environment they deserve — where disruptions are minimized, class sizes are smaller and students receive more individual attention.
What happens after the school bell is just as important. Schools can help develop social skills among children, but the basics we take for granted — treating people with kindness, taking turns, accepting responsibility and managing frustration — need to be taught at home as well.
In these times of economic and societal stress, many parents and families are struggling too. Beyond additional student support during the school day, we should offer more help for families through community initiatives, behavioral support, afterschool programs and direct parental engagement.
Students and schools across the spectrum of Michigan communities are facing these challenges. That’s why we all have a role in implementing solutions that reduce disruptions and improve safety — so every student can learn and grow.
Labor Voices
Labor Voices columns are written on a rotating basis by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights Executive Secretary-Treasurer Tom Lutz and selected Service Employees International Union members.
