DALLAS — When students misbehave in Dallas ISD, their parents may soon end up getting a lesson.
A proposed change to the DISD student code of conduct would give campus leaders and parents the option to send misbehaving children to six-hour "Saturday school" or community service instead of alternative school -- provided their parents also take a three-hour parenting class.
According to the district, the classes would include:
- Support and guidance for areas of student concern
- Parenting sessions to review student’s academic and behavioral progress
- Campus resources to promote positive student outcomes
- Mental health support / school counselor involvement
The option to avoid alternative school would not apply to all disciplinary offenses. For several offenses, state law requires districts to send kids to discipline alternative education programs (DAEP). Legislators last year, for example, mandated that students caught with vapes attend the alternative school program.
The DISD policy change could apply to other lower-level offenses from bus misconduct to dress code violations, from hazing to cyberbullying. It gives discretion to campus leaders on whether the classes in lieu of DAEP placement are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
"Dallas ISD for many years now has really been on the cutting edge for transformation, particularly related to its discipline system," said Miguel Solis, a former DISD trustee who now serves as chief of staff for the Commit Partnership.
His organization cites data claiming the district has seen an 80% drop in suspensions and referrals to reset centers since it implemented the new policies.
Solis said the proposal to involve parents more closely in the disciplinary process follows the same successful pattern.
"Figuring out a way to have better communication with those other stakeholders and working with them to try to make sure a kid gets support not just when they’re in school, but when they’re back home I think is a brilliant move," he said.
The president of Alliance-AFT, which represents DISD teachers said most of the educators with whom she's spoken believe the parenting classes are a good idea.
"It's a really important piece that I'm glad [the district is] not overlooking," said Alliance-AFT President Rena Honea. "The biggest concern for most people is how implementation rolls out."
She worried the district may be making a policy change without financial support to ensure students — particularly those who exhibit violent behavior — get the help they need.
"We need more counselors, social workers and psychologists to help implement a policy change like this," Honea said. "Does the district have the budget for these policy changes?"
A spokesperson for DISD said no one was available for an interview with WFAA Tuesday to discuss the proposed changes.
On Thursday, DISD officials will also brief the Board of Trustees on proposed change to the code of conduct policy against offensive language -- and the addition of a policy banning hate speech.
Punishment for hate speech would require guidance from district police and the DISD racial equity office and would only apply if the expression of hate is against a protected group and causes a threat or major disruption.
Trustees are scheduled to vote on the new code of conduct in Late June.