October 2003

Freedom and Responsibility at PDS

It is good to watch our children as they move into the rhythm of the new year. It always amazes me how quickly it happens and how rapidly they move forward. It’s what makes school so exciting!

As you know, there have been many changes this year. None of them happened quickly. Each was the result of many discussions among teachers and administrators, all committed to improving our programs, maintaining our core values and keeping our students safe. Where the changes have caused unhappiness (e.g. the middle school lunch period), we have broadened the conversations to include the students.

Let me fill you in on the background. For several years there has been increasing concern about the kinds of things happening during the middle school lunch period. Because we have not had sufficient space in the lunchroom for all middle schoolers, students were permitted to eat their lunches anywhere they chose. Although teachers were available on lunch duty, it was impossible to adequately supervise all students. Usually, students’ informal lunch groups were pleasant and uneventful. Sometimes, however, they were less benign. Students reported feeling excluded, having unkind and hurtful things said in their absence, being physically threatened on occasion. We even had a few student withdrawals due to what parents perceived as “bullying” behavior. Indeed, many of you have raised this issue in our discussions.

All of the literature attests to the escalation of this kind of behavior during the middle school years. It also defines adult supervision as the most effective deterrent to it. As middle school students develop the kind of social awareness and kindness that we expect of them, it is wise, in the meantime, to provide caring supervision.

A second consequence of the casual lunch hour was the amount of food and rubbish left about the building. I cannot imagine parents allowing their own children to leave their living rooms the way they were leaving Gilkeson. We thought it important to teach them that, similarly, it is unacceptable for them to leave their school like that.

So we tightened things up a bit. I’m really proud of how the kids reacted. At first they grumbled among themselves. Then they grumbled to you and to their teachers. They met with George and they met with me. They even staged a peaceful sit in. We shared the reasons for the decision. They shared the reasons why they objected to the decision. With the student council we are now working to achieve greater flexibility while also maintaining safety, cleanliness and a reasonable degree of orderliness at lunch time. We are redefining our responsibilities to one another, to ourselves and to our school.

More important than the outcome of this controversy, however, was the spirit of the engagement. There is no question that the kids were angry at first. There was also no question that the faculty felt strongly that something had to be done. The discussions among them, however, remained courteous and respectful on all sides. In a letter some time ago, I wrote about the importance of civil discourse in constructive decision making. The kids exemplified this, and I am proud of them. You should be, too.

At PDS we constantly strive to strike a balance between individual freedom and the wellbeing of the school as a whole. The ability to pursue individual pleasures cannot happen at the expense of others. Sometimes this means setting limits or making rules. Sometimes it is in more subtle expectations, such as listening and following directions. Sometimes it is as simple as doing what a teacher asks you to do, even though you would prefer not to.

We want school to be exciting, challenging and fun. It is important that it is also safe, predictable and orderly. Balancing the two is an important part of learning. Our teachers maintain these expectations every day. We count on you to support them.

Thank you.

Mary Jane Yurchak