Val Verde USD
When a child is suspended from school emotions run high. A parent may have to miss work, the child is idle at home, and the school is out funding from the state. It is a lose, lose, lose.
Unless you have a program in place to address the underlying issue that resulted in the suspension, one might expect the issue and suspensions to arise again.
Enter Val Verde Unified School District. With their Restorative Interventions Supporting Empowerment (RISE) program, the District seeks to address the root cause of the suspension head on.
When a student is suspended from a Val Verde USD school, a conversation is started. The district sends a trained staff member to the students home to meet with the family. The goal is not to shame, but to understand.
How does the student feel at school? Are conditions at school – vaping, bullying, stress – leading to conditions for suspensions?
If the student needs additional support, the district arranges for services ranging from anger management to substance abuse counseling.
Working with families creates a holistic approach to helping the student get back on track to success. Parents are respected, children are supported, and the district benefits from less suspension going forward.
And it is working. The district has seen its suspension rate drop below the state and county average.
For its efforts, the Val Verde Unified School District was recognized with a Golden Bell Award for this innovative program.
The Golden Bell award is run by the California School Board Association and recognizes outstanding programs at districts throughout the state.
The Val Verde Unified School District identifies the need to help the child succeed. All RISE.
For More Education News Visit www.zapinin.com
