Teachers beg for help as post-pandemic classroom violence spirals

Teachers in Modesto, California are begging their school district to institute changes to behavior policies as students are becoming increasingly violent since returning to school after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The teachers association for Modesto City Schools (MCS) confronted the district’s school board on Monday armed with photos of destroyed classrooms to voice their distress that the violence and chaos overtaking classrooms made it near impossible for them to do their jobs. Teachers said they have been bitten, kicked and cursed at, and said other students were scared, according to CBS News.

“If there’s no consistency and there’s no reinforcement, then your classroom becomes chaos,” Jennifer McGrath, president of the Modesto Teachers Association, told CBS. “Some things have to change so that we can start educating again.”

McGrath said that policies instituted during the time students began returning to school following the pandemic were aimed more toward keeping students in school rather than disciplining them. (WATCH: Virginia Teens Plead Directly With Voters To End Boys-In-Girls Bathrooms Agenda)

“When COVID hit and the students were isolated, coming back to school was not easy, and the district had to do a lot of quick fixes to get these kids to come back,” McGrath said. “What’s been happening is they get counseled, and then they would come back with a bag of chips, or they would come back with a juice box or a prize. That’s rewarding them for their bad behavior.”

Modesto Teachers Association and MCS did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Superintendent Vanessa Buitrago told CBS some of the blame falls on social media and the prior remote learning model.

“We face unique challenges that require more support from families, namely the expansion of Transitional Kinder programming for students who are entering our school communities at younger ages than ever before, the increasing overstimulation from social media, and the difficulty children are having adapting to school environments,” Buitrago said. “Taking these current conditions into account, I cannot stress how urgently we need families right now. Together, we can ensure that every student feels safe, supported, and ready to learn.”

Buitrago also said the district will work with teachers to tackle the issue, but that families also play a role in reining in the behavior.

“Our discussions with the Modesto Teachers Association have been productive and focused on supporting students and the educators who serve them every day,” Buitrago said, according to CBS. “We have heard our teachers’ concerns about student behavior, and we want our community to know we are listening. Districts across our state and country are facing similar challenges, and we are working together to strengthen support for both students and staff.”

“Families are our partners in this effort, and we ask for their continued support by talking with children about expectations, monitoring social media use, and reinforcing positive behavior at home,” Buitrago continued.

Violence in the classroom rose sharply following the pandemic, with 80% of educators reporting “at least one incident of verbal harassment or threatening behavior from a student,” according to the American Psychological Association. At the same time, an increasing number of teachers report a desire to quit or transfer jobs.

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