How Tolerating Misbehavior Hurts Students

Students need order — not loosely managed pandemonium — to learn effectively. Without it, pandemic-era learning loss will continue to accelerate.

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Aletter from a teacher to the Milwaukee School Board begins with the line: “Coming to work each day has always brought me excitement” but “those feelings are quickly turning to fear; fear of how my colleagues and I will be abused for yet another day.” The letter continues: “Teachers are trying to put out the ‘bigger fires;’ the fights, the furniture being flailed, protecting their students from bodily harm.” Another letter writer tells of being punched by a student who received “no consequences.”

While woke curricula might be turning math classes into mediocre seminars on critical race theory, the intrusion of progressive discipline policies into schools are changing entire buildings into Lord of the Flies. Among other misbehaviors, America’s children are serially vandalizing school property, challenging other students to slap teachers, and engaging in open sexual harassment against adults.

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About the Author

Garion Frankel

Garion Frankel is a Ph.D. student in PK–12 educational leadership at Texas A&M University. He is a Young Voices contributor and formerly an education journalist.

Daniel Buck

About the Author

Daniel Buck

Daniel Buck is a research fellow and the director of the Conservative Education Reform Network at the American Enterprise Institute.

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