Featured Letter: Possible solutions

We want to update the public that we were invited to and attended a meeting with Polson School Superintendent David Whitesell and Curriculum Director Bill Appleton. The meeting lasted over two hours and we were given the opportunity to discuss our concerns. Both Mr. Whitesell and Mr. Appleton listened intently and asked numerous questions to clarify our points.

We are specifically worried that Polson teachers and support staff do not have the resources and support to address behavior issues in the classroom and at recess. Misbehavior causes multiple distractions throughout the day where meaningful learning opportunities are disrupted because the teacher repeatedly has to address the misbehaving student and stop instruction for those who want to learn.

We are also concerned with, in our opinion, a serious increase in bullying and violent behavior by students. Bullying and violence tends to be most severe when children are in unstructured settings, such as recess, and when offending students group together to pick on one student.

Additionally, we are concerned because our fourth grade son has progressed academically to a level where the current fourth grade academic classes do not challenge him.

Mr. Whitesell and Mr. Appleton validated our concerns and we proceeded to a discussion of possible solutions. We are encouraged to hear that Mr. Appleton has been visiting Linderman Elementary School on a daily basis to help the principal, teachers and support staff with children who repeatedly bully or act out in violent ways.

Mr. Whitesell and Mr. Appleton discussed with us the possibility of adding an additional classroom to the overpopulated and underserved fourth grade. Additionally, we discussed creating a community-wide committee to look at the district’s policies and procedures in addressing violent students and to create opportunities for victims and their families to receive support from the district. The discussion provided us with a positive feeling that the administration cares and wants to find new and innovative ways to reduce bullying and violence in our schools.

We have also talked with local law enforcement and Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Barbara Monaco in an effort to encourage a community-wide approach to bullying and violence in our schools. Furthermore, we met with Linderman Principal Heather Jones and are encouraged that she is working to address bullying and violence in her school. Additionally, Mr. Whitesell told us that he has met with the Polson Police Chief, Lake County Sheriff and the CSKT Police Chief who will hopefully partner with the community, parents, schools, and students to keep our children safe at school.

We recognize that if Polson School District continues to take immediate and long term action to address bullying and violence, then we will continue to work with our son’s teachers to find ways to challenge him.