Proposing Legislation to Address Violence

A report by a Milwaukee radio station on violence against teachers in the Milwaukee Public Schools has caught the attention of the Chairman of the State Assembly’s Education Committee, who is considering legislation to improve classroom safety for teachers.

State Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac) says legislation is needed to improve school safety for teachers. A former WELS school teacher, Thiesfeldt is a strong supporter of WCRIS schools and was the luncheon speaker at the WCRIS 2015 Administrator’s Conference in Madison.

Thiesfeldt says a bill addressing violence against teachers will be drafted in the coming months with input from a variety of education stakeholders — including WCRIS — and is expected to be introduced when a new legislature convenes in January.

In light of increased reports of violence against teachers, Thiesfeldt says “appropriate staff training in early intervention, crisis management and application of discipline must be a component of addressing this growing problem.”

Thiesfeldt said pressure from the US Department of Justice to have public schools re-examine student disciplinary policies for racial or ethnic disparities has led to the increased violence because districts are reluctant to discipline students for fear of losing federal funding.

Whether or not the proposed legislation needs to include private schools remains to be seen, said WCRIS Executive Director Sharon Schmeling.

“We’ll have to see what is being proposed and whether it would help or hurt WCRIS schools’ independence and their ability to manage discipline according to their various missions and values.”

“We know that many families choose our schools because they have strong discipline, which keeps both staff and students alike safe,” Schmeling said.

“Keeping teachers safe is an important public policy issue. But often, even the most well-intentioned laws create unintended consequences.  We’ll work hard to ensure that proposed bills don’t force changes on our schools that create more problems than solutions.”

For more information, read Thiesfeldt’s recent press release on the issue and read or listen to the WISN Radio report “Blood on the Blackboard: Violence Against Teachers in Milwaukee Public Schools”.

Do you have feedback about this issue and how it will effect your school? Let WCRIS know by contacting us here.