Parent questions handling of behavior issues in elementary school
MARQUETTE — A parent of a student in the Marquette Area Public Schools is concerned about consistency in how behavioral issues are addressed from one student to another.
The parent has a child attending Superior Hills Elementary and spoke with us on the condition of anonymity. There have been numerous behavior-related incidents involving the student this school year.
The parent tells us that some of the incidents were of a relatively minor nature and that the student was responsible for those.
Other incidents were apparently of a more serious nature, and we’re told the student was on the receiving end of them.
The parent says school staff advised they would not notify the families of the students responsible for the more serious incidents about what their children did.
We’ve contacted Superior Hills interim principal Sandra Barnes and MAPS superintendent Bill Saunders about district policies regarding behavioral issues.
Barnes says most of the incidents referred to in this story took place before she became interim principal. She had no comment beyond that.
Saunders says that MAPS basically follows nationally accepted standards for handling of behavioral issues. He says any such issues are addressed by a teacher at first, then by a principal and then by himself or the school board if the issue is escalated that far.
Saunders says no behavioral issues from Superior Hills have come to him so far this school year.