Education support professionals "need the same level of respect and authority as teachers to handle students who violate the school code of conduct," Tina Koch tells the Senate Education Committee.

For the safety of children, all school personnel should have the authority to remove unruly students from potentially violent situations, a Lafayette County teacher's aide told a legislative committee Tuesday (November 29, 2005).

Speaking in favor of a bill that would give education support professionals the authority to remove dangerous, unruly or disruptive students, Tina Koch said the measure would help "provide a safe learning environment for all."

"Due to tightening of budgets, support staff duties have increased to where they are often in independent supervisory roles both in and out of the classroom. We need the same level of respect and authority as teachers to handle students who violate the school code of conduct," said Koch, a teacher's aide who works with both special needs and regular education students at Black Hawk Middle School in Gratiot.

Current law gives a teacher the authority to remove a pupil from the classroom if the pupil violates a locally developed code of conduct; is dangerous, unruly or disruptive; or exhibits behavior that interferes with the teacher’s ability to teach effectively. SB 410 gives education support professionals that same authority. SB 410 is authored by Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) who also testified at the legislative hearing.

"While working with a group of students independently in a classroom or within another teacher’s room, when a student becomes disruptive, the learning process is interrupted for the entire group. If the teacher has to stop the lesson to deal with this one student, everyone else in the room is cheated of his or her time to learn," Koch told the Senate Committee on Education.

"Support staff have been assigned to supervise students in classes, lunchrooms, hallways, on buses and playgrounds, but they need to be empowered to remove the few disruptive ones," she said. "Let’s keep our great schools safe and effective learning institutions while giving all employees the respect and authority they deserve."

In other testimony submitted to the committee:

• Marge Rivard, a paraeducator at Madison Middle School in Appleton wrote: "Unfortunately too often what is heard is that I am 'just an aide,' or he's 'just a custodian,' or she's 'just a kitchen helper.' I believe we all do difficult and important work for the well-being and learning of children no matter what our job title may be. We try to instill in students the philosophy that everyone is valued. It is time that we show that by empowering the education support staff of the state and allowing them to remove disruptive students, just as our professional staff is empowered."
• Barbara Schwartz, a student supervisor in the Port Washington-Saukville School District, wrote that at a high school basketball game, "we had a group of students that became very rude to parents, other students and the opposing team. There was nothing that I could do except call the Port Washington Police Department and wait for them. Had this bill been in place, I would have had the legal authority to escort them out of the building."
• Cheryl Gruse, a paraprofessional at Merrill Elementary School in Oshkosh, wrote: "There are many times during the day that we are alone with the students, whether it be lunch or bus duty, recess or in a class setting; at all times the teacher and/or staff member is with the students during art, music, and gym. There are times that the support staff spends more time with the students than the teachers, and sometimes a child may become frustrated and lose his or her temper. In a situation like this when the learning of other children is interrupted by another student’s behavior, that behavior needs to stop."
• Elaine Hoffer, a paraeducator in the Middleton Cross Plains School District and president of the Middleton Educational Support Association, wrote: "Sometimes the support staff spends more time with the students than teachers and can see when a child is reaching his or her point of no return. Paraeducators need to have the authority to give the child the opportunity to make the choice that needs to be made. Making this bill a law can only give the support staff the support they need to help our schools to be a safer and happier place for all concerned."

The bill is expected to be voted on in the Senate Education Committee in the coming weeks. If SB 410 is voted out of committee, it would then be sent to the full State Senate.

Posted December 1, 2005