DISCIPLINE

FROM AN ADMINISTRATORS
POINT OF VIEW
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
99.9% of an administrators
time is spent on discipline.
Dr. Arthur Petterway
With administrators, discipline begins with the
Student Code of Conduct. Chapter 37 of the Texas
Education Code identifies what disciplinary
actions should be applied, and the rules and
regulations for applying them.
As far as administrators are concerned, they
would prefer that teachers would do a better job
of classroom management. Then, it would be
easier for them to discipline the really difficult
cases of misbehavior.
WHERE DISCIPLINE STARTS
When a student commits an infraction, the teacher has
several different options to respond.

1. Determine the level of 4. Arrange a conference

the infraction with the student and
their guardian
(All Level 1 infractions
should be handled by 5. At the next instance of
the teacher) misbehavior, the
students assistant
2. Have a conference with principal should be
the student contacted
3. If the student continues 6. Only in emergency
to misbehave, call their cases should a student
parent or guardian be sent to their AP
without the teacher
making a phone call
home first
TEACHER DOS AND DONTS
1. Teachers should make 4. Teachers should
sure their classroom never put students in
rules are posted the hallway for any
2. Teachers should type of infraction w/o
establish procedures paperwork
for everything that 5. Teachers should not
happens in their condemn the student,
classroom but their behavior
3. Teachers should 6. Teachers should not
respond respectfully, play favorites when
even when dealing administering
with a student who discipline
misbehaves frequently
 ADMINISTRATOR
DOS AND DONTS
1. Administrators should 4. Administrators should
respond to teachers pay special attention to
requests quickly see to it that each
2. Administrators should student that deserves
support teachers in due process receives it
their efforts in student 5. Administrators should
discipline not suppress students
3. Administrators should free speech rights
follow the Student Code without research
of Conduct and the 6. Administrators should
Texas Education Code not use corporal
at all times punishment to
discipline students
 I am currently serving as an Administrative Intern at my school, so
Im aware of the us v. them argument. The more active in my internship
I become, the more them I get accused of being. I talked to a couple of
teachers over the last couple of days about some disciplinary issues they
were having. One wanted to know how a student who cursed him out that
morning could be back in his classroom the same afternoon. The other had
a procedural issue about student hall passes and how they are used. I can
see that an administrators day is filled with decisions, and most of them
about discipline.
To combat feelings of lack of discipline at the beginning of the
school year I will go over the code of conduct with the teachers, and also let
them know what is expected of them during the disciplinary process. This
would hopefully eliminate misunderstandings, and not have teachers feeling
as if the disciplinary process is a waste of time. The more involved teachers
are in the disciplinary process in the beginning, the better the disciplinary
process will work, leading to happier teachers, and a better learning
environment.