CLASS WARFARE Also, many schools still use the discredited—and teacher union supported—Restorative Justice procedure. This racially motivated, fifty-year-old regimen emphasizes “making the victim and offender whole” and involves “an open discussion of feelings.” It arose in the 1970s because black students were far more likely to be suspended than those of other ethnicities. The implication, of course, is that white teachers and administrators tend to be racist. But the racial bean counters never explain why the racial disparity persists even in schools where black principals and staff predominate.
Student behavior is deteriorating, and teachers are leaving the profession as a result.
Student violence in many of our nation’s schools is out of control. An Education Week teacher survey, whose results were released in March, found that 35% of respondents said classroom behavior was “a lot worse” than last year. It’s not just children fighting with each other; teachers are often on the receiving end of assaults.