CLARKSBURG, Md. — An influx of security officers put an end to an outbreak of fighting at Clarksburg High School in Montgomery County on Tuesday, according to a whistleblower who says the situation has become a safety issue for students and staff.
Some teachers are blaming reforms to discipline policies for an increasing number of out of control kids, according to Deb Waxman, a retired special education specialist who continues to work at Clarksburg and other schools as a substitute and coach.
Waxman complains that discipline reforms designed to reduce suspensions and focus on so-called “restorative justice” do not work, resulting in an environment where at least a half dozen fights disrupted the school Friday – continuing with more fights Monday.
“You don’t get the same respect," Waxman said. "It used to be you could tell a kid something. These days they put their middle finger up at you and say 'what are you going to do about it.'"
Student suspensions for attacks, threats and fighting in Montgomery County Schools have risen since 2022, according to discipline data compiled by the Maryland State Department of Education. So has the overall suspension rate.
In the 2021-2022 school year 1,951 kids were suspended, with 1,511 of the suspensions for attacks, threats and fighting.
By contrast in the 2022-2023 school year, 2,425 kids were suspended in the county with 1,859 of those for attacks threats and fighting
The suspension rate in 2021-2022 was 1.3%. It rose to 1.6% last year.
In 2018-19 before the COVID pandemic, the suspension rate was higher at 1.8%
The historic high was 4.7% in 2005-2006 before reforms were introduced to reduce suspensions.
School authorities rely on a five-level code of conduct for discipline that begins with counselling, writing apologies, and peer mediation before resorting to suspensions.
Violence resulting in injuries calls for an automatic suspension.
One Security worker was injured at Clarksburg Friday.
A major concern remains equity. The vast number of suspended students are Black or Latino.
The data shows school authorities are using the code to dispense appropriate discipline, according to Christopher Cram, who speaks for Montgomery County Public Schools.
"The narrative that students have not been suspended or removed from school environments in Montgomery County Public Schools is misinformed," Cram wrote in an email to WUSA9.
"Similar to national and local trends, the top reason for school removals remains centered around student conflict and physical aggression," Cram said. "In MCPS, we are committed to both ensuring that schools are safe and that we reduce the disproportionate suspensions of students of color and students with disabilities, specifically for discretionary incidents such as “disrespect” and “disruption,” which are subjective and may contain bias."
Cram added, "We believe both are possible and this is not an either-or-situation."
Cram reported the school system has allocated additional well-being social workers and restorative justice specialists to schools and achieved a significant reduction in the suspension of Black/African American students as a result.
The 2024 suspension rate, Cram said, is trending nearly the same as the previous year, but the data will not become public until it is reported to state authorities.