by Erica Kuhlman ‘22

MCPS is currently seeking comments on proposed amendments to the board policy on disciplinary action for students. These amendments aim for “restorative approaches” to student discipline as required by Maryland law in hopes to foster a more positive and constructive learning environment. Suggested revisions to Policy JGA, Student Discipline, focus on proactive intervention to prevent disruptive and harmful student behavior before it occurs rather than retroactively punishing students for misbehavior.

The proposed policy, now called the Behavior Intervention, Safety, and Well-being Plan, follows a philosophy of harm prevention, reduction, and restoration. The policy encourages the building of strong and positive relationships between all members of the school community in order to model healthy behaviors and environments for students, while emphasizing accountability in hopes to “repair the relationships affected by the problem behavior with the voluntary participation of an individual who was harmed.” In keeping with the board’s Policy ACA, Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural Proficiency, there is also an emphasis on cultural awareness for staff members and the addressing of implicit biases that can lead to certain groups being disciplined more often and more severely than others. The proposed policy is available to read on the Montgomery County Schools website, and the opportunity to give comment on the revisions is open until February 7, 2022.