Indianapolis Star Editorial
Discipline works; there’s no other magic bullet
Discipline works; there’s no other magic bullet Robert King’s article on Emma Donnan Middle School was on the mark (“Takeover schools make students toe the line to avoid repeating last year’s chaos,” Aug. 18).
Procedures and discipline do work. Schools spend millions to train teachers on the latest strategies and techniques. They look for a magic bullet that will improve behavior and raise test scores. That magic bullet is discipline.
Successful coaches and the parochial schools have known this for decades. It appears that Emma Donnan’s principal understands the power of tough love. The past two years we have been inundated with articles detailing heartbreaking stories about why students cannot learn. Many of our inner-city children do bring a lot of baggage with them, but they can learn. That is, they can learn if their teachers are allowed to teach and not have to deal with discipline all day.
There is one final step not mentioned that will determine the success or failure of Emma Donnan’s bold approach. What consequences are in store for students who refuse to follow the rules? Will they remain in the classroom to disrupt or will they be dealt with swiftly? Students will find out the answer to this question in the first few days.
Tony Ardizzone
Indianapolis