Last week, outgoing Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Neil Pedersen and the board of education released the results of an investigation into incidents at Phillips Middle School.
In mid-May, Pedersen and the board began receiving emails expressing concerns about the safety of students at Phillips and the administration of the school. In response, the superintendent directed the district’s central office to investigate how the school’s administration has responded to student behavior issues. Valerie Reinhardt, executive director of school leadership, headed the investigation.
Among the confirmed incidents were vandalism, theft, bullying or harassment and threatening behavior.
According to the investigation, in virtually all cases the school administration investigated and took appropriate action with students, but in some cases follow-up communications with parents and district staff should have been more thorough and timely.
While acknowledging that bullying is a serious concern at Phillips, investigators state that in some cases the term “bullying†is being used by parents for misbehavior that does not appear to be part of a pattern of bullying by a student or students. They further maintain that the district’s anti-bullying curriculum was used with some, but not all, students, and that the staff at Phillips would benefit from additional training in the bullying-prevention protocol.
Phillips’ School Improvement Team (SIT) will identify specific goals and strategies regarding bullying and communications to include in their 2011-12 School Improvement Plan. The team and principal will be expected to monitor the implementation of the plan and the district office will assist with SIT training and the facilitation of meetings. Alternative placements and supports will be considered for students whose needs are not being met in the regular program.
– Staff Reports