NASRO Advises Against Enforcing School Rules With Police
When students act out, educators can be tempted to seek the assistance of on-campus school resource officers (SROs). The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), however, recommends that SROs refrain from involvement in enforcing school rules and behavioral expectations, instead encouraging educators to handle classroom management and school disciplinary situations. It’s also important that communities choose police officers carefully for SRO positions, notes Mo Canaday, NASRO’s executive director. Don’t employ any officer who has had difficulty with juvenile cases in the past or been disciplined for behavior related to juveniles. Consider enrolling SROs in NASRO’s officer training programs so they can best meet school needs.
Maryland School Board Closes Schools on Muslim Holiday
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, applauded Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education’s unanimous decision to close public schools for students on Eid holidays on the rare occasion that they land on a school day. “This historic victory is the culmination of a decadeslong battle by local leaders to seek equal recognition for the county’s thousands of Muslim children,” said Zainab Chaudry, CAIR director of Maryland outreach. “It sends a message to Muslim students and parents that school officials are paying attention to their needs, and that they are valued, seen, and heard.” CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Students Do Better When They Understand and Manage Emotions
Students who can understand and manage their emotions effectively—displaying emotional intelligence—do better at school than their peers who struggle in that area (as measured by grades and standardized test scores), according to the American Psychological Association. “Although we know that high intelligence and a conscientious personality are the most important psychological traits necessary for academic success, our research highlights a third factor, emotional intelligence, that may also help students succeed,” says Carolyn MacCann, lead author of the study from the University of Sydney in Australia. But MacCann cautions against widespread testing of students to identify those with low emotional intelligence, as it may stigmatize them. Instead, she recommends interventions that involve the whole school, including additional teacher training and a focus on teacher well-being and emotional skills.
City Year Receives Grant to Expand Networks for School Improvement
In partnership with the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education, City Year, an American education nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students and schools succeed, received a second grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The five-year, $12.7 million grant will accelerate City Year’s work to support schools in using continuous improvement practices to help students—particularly students of color and students from low-income families—complete eighth grade to be on track for high school graduation. As part of the foundation’s first cohort of Networks for School Improvement (NSI) grantees in 2018, City Year convened a group of five middle level schools in Milwaukee to identify and address factors that could improve eighth-grade student on-track outcomes. With the new grant, City Year will grow to 10 schools in Milwaukee and expand the NSI effort to three additional cities in the next five years, launching the second in Tulsa, OK, in 2020.
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