Education Week - August 24, 2016 - 1

Education Week VOL. 36, NO. 1 * AUGUST 24, 2016 edweek.org: AMERICAN EDUCATION'S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD * © 2016 Editorial Projects in Education * $ 5 BRE AKING NEWS DAILY Students Still Face Paddling In U.S. Schools Punishment Rates for Blacks Nearly Double Those for Whites Corporal punishment has declined so rapidly in the United States in the last 15 years that many people think it's practically nonexistent in modern American public schools. To the contrary, more than 109,000 students were paddled, swatted, or otherwise physically punished in U.S. classrooms in 2013-14, according to Education Week Research Center analyses of the most recent wave of federal civil rights data. Corporal punishment is often seen by proponents as a good alternative to suspending students. But in a field that requires specialized certification for all manner of programs and subjects, corporal punishment stands out for the virtual nonexistence of training or detailed procedures on how to paddle children of different sizes, ages, or psychological profiles. And in the absence of such training or guidance, the practice can leave students more vulnerable to injury and districts at greater risk of expensive lawsuits. Federal civil rights data show students experienced corporal punishment in 21 states and more than 4,000 schools nationwide during PAGE 16 > Yalonda M. James for Education Week By Sarah D. Sparks & Alex Harwin 8th Grade Paddling Takes Long-Lasting Toll on Miss. Man By Sarah D. Sparks When then-8th grader Trey Clayton entered the Independence High School assistant principal's office for a paddling in 2011, everyone-school officials, his mom, even Trey himself-thought it was a preferable alternative to being suspended. "I'm not going to lie, I was in a lot of trou- ble during school," Clayton said. "Every time, they gave me the option to get a paddling or get sent home, and I took the paddling." But that March, the decision to take paddling over suspension would lead to weeks out of school, years of court battles-and ultimately Clayton leaving school entirely. Advocates of physical discipline often Students in 21 states experienced some form of physical punishment in K-12 schools during the 2013-14 school year. Fueled by their fury over cuts to K-12 budgets, low pay, and an array of other grievances, a scrappy group of teachers is attempting to upend Oklahoma's political establishment this N election season. O I T ELEC After ousting the state's superintendent in a 2014 primary, the loosely organized group of educators from around the state successfully campaigned to scrap the state's teacher-evaluation system that was tied to students' test scores. They notched another victory when they lobbied to defeat a bill backed by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin that would've expanded the use of vouchers. So last spring, when someone suggested to their Facebook group that they start legislating themselves, more than 40 teachers filed to run for one of the 126 open seats in the state's Senate and House of Representatives. 2016 Outside the political apparatus of teachers' unions, individual educators have historically not been so active in rough-andtumble political and policymaking arenas. Even though they are the real-world experts on the day-to-day challenges of educating children, it's often noneducators who shape the policies that impact their jobs. But a number of recent policy shifts PAGE 24 > Shane Bevel for Education Week Oklahoma City If enough of the estimated 43 educators win their races in the November general election, they could nudge the deeply conservative state to the left on several education issues. "If you're not going to do your job, I want your seat," said Shawn Sheehan, the state's current teacher of the year, who's running as an independent for a state Senate seat. point to it as an effective means of getting students in line without missing school time from suspensions. But new research not only questions the effectiveness of corporal punishment like spanking and paddling, but suggests it might make it more difficult for students to behave well in the future. "It's been part of these schools for decades, and the teachers and administrators are sure it works," said Elizabeth T. Gershoff, an associate professor and corporal punishment researcher at the University of Texas at Austin. "But everything we know PAGE 16 > Okla. Teachers Shake Up Politics, Run for Office By Daarel Burnette II Trey Clayton, 19, sits on his porch in Sarah, Miss. A school paddling in 2011 led to serious injuries for Clayton, who now says, "I do believe in discipline, but I believe there's certain things you can take to prevent stuff like that happening." Recently retired teacher Judy Mullen Hopper, left, talks to Dianna Carter in Oklahoma City while canvassing voters in her campaign for a state Senate seat. Dozens of educators in Oklahoma are running for office in hopes of upending the state's stance on K-12 issues. Big-City Schools' Group Leaves Mark on K-12 Faces Tests to Its Staying Power By Denisa R. Superville One of the most stalwart advocates for big-city school districts and a power player in federal education policy got its start 60 years ago as an ad hoc meeting of superintendents worried about prospects for graduates in cities where manufacturing jobs were dwindling. That group-including superintendents from Chicago, Cleveland, New York City, and San Francisco-evolved into the Council of the Great City Schools, the Washington-based advocacy organization that champions the interests of the country's 69 largest urban districts and Hawaii's statewide school system. Along the way, the council became a formidable voice on behalf of urban districts, and has served as a forum for big-city school leaders to learn from one another. The group has left an imprint on major federal education legislation and policies, PAGE 14 > http://www.edweek.org

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