Safe schools are No. 1 priority

A Spectrum, by Bob Thompson

No matter what country, no matter what state, no matter what community, when asked to prioritize school issues, student safety is the number-one response. Educators and parents are united in believing that no one can learn in a threatening environment. Recent events have only served to heighten awareness of this issue.

As a school administrator, I feel obligated to do whatever is necessary to provide a safe environment for learning. Implementing plans and programs that ensure a safe school is my duty. That is why I am such a strong proponent of a program called "Make Your Day." In all my years in education, I have never seen or heard of a more effective program.

The results in our own Mat-Su schools speak for themselves. Wasilla Middle School piloted this program in 1997. In the first year of implementation, referrals to the office were down 60 percent. Suspensions from school were down 40 percent. Vandalism decreased, as did incidents of harassment and bullying. Visitors frequently comment on the nice, relaxed atmosphere in our building.

Since 1997, every middle school in our district has adopted the Make Your Day program with similar results. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District now has a school with Make Your Day, and hundreds of schools from Arizona to Alaska have successfully implemented this program. Most staff members who have learned to use the program say they would not work in a school that did not have Make Your Day.

Whether as parents, or as teachers, administering effective discipline requires consistency. Make Your Day is more consistent than any other discipline program in the school district. Effective discipline requires rules and clear expectations. Make Your Day clearly establishes those rules and expectations. Effective discipline requires that the child's dignity be preserved. Make Your Day goes to great lengths to ensure that a student is not embarrassed or dealt with unfairly.

To be effective, school programs must include parents. Any successful discipline program requires that parents support good behavior at school and are involved with their children's education. Make Your Day is deeply rooted in parent involvement. When problems reach a certain point, parents are contacted for conferences. Parent involvement is the most critical factor in whether or not a student will be successful in any school.

What makes Make Your Day stand out from other programs, however, is not the discipline. Through Make Your Day, students are learning to become better students and better citizens. Students learn self-discipline and the understanding that they have a right to learn without interference from others. Throughout the day students assign points to themselves by evaluating how they did in school. Points are taken after every class period, and then are totaled at the end of the day. If students have enough points, they Make Their Day. If not, a slip goes home to parents letting them know that their child did not Make Their Day and the reasons why. The next day is a new day.

There are no rewards for Make Your Day other than the incentive to do the best you can and thus Make Your Day. The rewards are feeling good about yourself and knowing that you did your best. Students that demonstrate this are successful in school. People that learn to do the best they can succeed in life and at work. At WMS, we feel there is nothing more important than this simple concept.

We are continually trying to adjust and improve this program. We have a committee that meets monthly to discuss issues that arise and address concerns. We are currently discussing the formation of a student advisory group to help further develop this program. We feel students should be able to suggest ways to improve Make Your Day, as it is another part of the learning process.

When discussing school discipline and safety, there is a great deal of common ground. Students want safe learning environments and a quality education. Parents, teachers and other members of our community share the same goals. We can move toward meeting our goals with the Make Your Day program. I am confident that the Make Your Day program will continue to gain support in the community, because Make Your Day works. It is good for our children, our schools and our community.

Bob Thompson is the principal of Wasilla Middle School and a longtime resident of the Mat-Su Valley.