Marina del Rey Discipline Policy

At Marina del Rey middle school we are committed to providing all our students with an educational environment that is:

  • Uninterrupted learning
  • Safe
  • Encouraging
  • Nurturing
  • Cored on the six pillars of Character (Trustworthiness, Respectful, Responsible, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship)

Fortunately we have most of our students who conduct themselves in a very positive manner. It is our practice to constantly and in a variety of ways recognize and reward students engaged in appropriate behavior. We are firmly committed to continuing this focus as we feel it is the best way to keep our children on the right track.

However, human nature and life being what they are we also recognize the need to be clear and consistent when our students choose to behave inappropriately. It is our hope to catch and correct any misbehavior at the first possible moment. This will help to keep every student moving in a direction that will continue to contribute to their success in life. To that effort we have developed a plan to process misbehavior.

This plan is a “living document”. By that we mean that this is a starting point for us and we will constantly be reviewing and modifying our plan based on our developing needs. We are committed to a process utilizing our three C’s – communication, collaboration, and consistency.

The plan is a tiered approach to handling misbehavior. In an overview, we have four levels that each have steps to be taken. The idea behind this layered approach is to not only extinguish misbehavior at the earliest possible stage but to be clear to the child and parent/guardian that it is escalating and approaching critical levels. While the plan is tiered and we intend to follow the escalating steps, it is possible that a child with severe or extreme infractions can be advanced to a higher level of designation and intervention (such as in criminal matters).

In addition to this plan is the right of a teacher to file a UTLA suspension form. The rights and responsibilities associated with that action are also listed.

Together we can all provide a place that is positive and supportive of the children developing to their highest potential.

9/30/2018

Marina del Rey Discipline Policy

Marina del Rey Discipline Policy
Level One / Level Two / Level Three / Level Four
Teacher / Counselor / Dean / Administration
Infraction /
  • Minor classroom disruptions
  • Not prepared for learning
  • Disrespect towards others
/
  • Rude behavior directed at an adult
  • Cheating
  • Throwing objects
  • Second no show to teacher held detention
  • Violating school/district rules
  • Committing dangerous acts
  • Dress code violations
  • Truancy/ditching
  • 3 Level One infractions during one class time
  • 4 Level One infractions school wide
/
  • Extreme disruptive behavior
  • Extreme vulgarity
  • Extreme defiance of school authority
  • Fighting
  • Forgery
  • Graffiti
  • 4 Level Two infractions
/
  • Gang activity
  • Weapons
  • Drugs or tobacco products
  • Intoxication
  • Physical assault
  • Threats to personnel
  • Vandalism
  • Thefts
  • Extortion
  • Obscene acts
  • Repeated racial/sexual harassment offenses
  • Extreme profanity toward adult
  • Other criminal acts
  • 3 Level Three infractions

Consequences / -Teacher determined and implemented
-Parent contact (note, call, and/or email) on each Level One infraction / 1st time – lunch detention, one counselor intervention, and review/sign discipline policy by student and parent
2nd time – one after school detention of one hour (or four lunch detentions) and second counselor intervention
3rd time – two after school detentions (or eight lunch detentions) and 3rd counselor intervention / 1st time – team (all of student’s teachers, dean, and counselor) conference with parent and student and one day in house suspension
2nd time – 3 day in house suspension and 4th day parent shadow / 1 to 3 day suspension
Law enforcement notification
Alternative educational Placement or extended in house suspension
Level One Infractions
Minor classroom disruptions /
  • Writing notes
  • Sitting in wrong seat
  • Handling other’s materials
  • Playing with materials
  • Dress code violations
  • Not listening
  • Chewing gum
/
  • Personal grooming
  • Out of seat
  • Littering
  • Talking while teacher is talking
  • Passing notes
  • Leaning in chair
/
  • Putting feet on furniture
  • Food/drink in classroom
  • Multiple requests to leave classroom
  • Running in class or hallway
  • Tardiness

Not prepared for learning /
  • Book not covered
  • Non-participation
  • PE non-dress
/
  • No homework
  • No effort to do work
/
  • Not following directions
  • Failure to bring materials

Disrespect towards others /
  • Excessive or loud talking
  • Verbal harassment
  • Rude
/
  • Yelling out
  • Not responding to teacher directions
  • Talking back
/
  • Silly or immature behavior
  • Inappropriate language
  • Profanity

9/30/2018

Marina del Rey Discipline Policy

Student Suspension

Article XXIV Sec 2.0 and 2.1 LAUSD/UTLA Contract

  1. Rights –– “The teacher may suspend a student from the teacher’s class for that day and the following day for any of the causes set forth below.”
  2. Disruptive behavior or willful defiance of valid authority;
  3. Obscenity, habitual vulgarity, profanity or hate language (e.g., slurs based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion, etc.);
  4. Causing, attempting or threatening violence or physical injury;
  5. Theft or damage to school property or personal property;
  6. Extortion or robbery;
  7. Possessing, using, offering for sale, furnishing or being under the influence of any controlled substance, alcoholic beverage or intoxicant of any kind;
  8. Possessing, using, offering for sale or furnishing any drug paraphernalia;
  9. Offering for sale or furnishing any substitute substance represented as a controlled substance, alcoholic beverage or intoxicant;
  10. Possessing, using, offering for sale, or furnishing any firearm, or imitation firearm, explosive, knife or other dangerous object;
  11. Falsely reporting a fire or bomb.
  12. Possessing, or using tobacco, or any products containing tobacco or nicotine products, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, miniature cigars, clove cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chew packets, and betel. However, this section does not prohibit use or possession by a pupil of his or her own prescription products.
  13. Knowingly receiving stolen school property or private property.
  14. Committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault as defined in Section 261, 266c, 286, 288, 288a or 289 of the Penal Code or committing a sexual battery as defined in Section 243.4 of the Penal Code; or
  15. Harassing, threatening, or intimidating a pupil who is a complaining witness or witness in a school disciplinary proceeding for the purpose of either preventing that pupil from being a witness or retaliating against that pupil for being a witness, or both.
  16. Responsibilities – “Teachers who choose to impose suspensions from their class shall immediately report same to the site administrator and send the student to the office. As soon as possible, the teacher shall ask the parent or guardian of the student to meet with the teacher.”

Staff Procedures

  1. Infractions
  2. Copy to Parent/Guardian – Hand it to student and have student sign and date your copy as received within working day of infraction.
  3. Copy to counselor – place hard copy in counselor’s box or email a copy to counselor.
  4. Copy in your file – keep a copy (hard or electronic) for your file.
  5. Level One
  6. Contact (call, email, or letter) parent/guardian and document (date, time, person, notes on conversation/communication).
  7. If using letter for contact include notice for parent/guardian to reply and return letter to you.
  8. Keep return letter in your documents.
  9. Beyond Level One
  10. Send infraction form to counselor who will route to proper place.
  11. Staff handling infraction (Counselor, Dean, or Administrator) will complete infraction form with “Action Taken” and return a copy to the sender for their records
  12. Copies to Parent/Guardian and Counselor will be processed by staff handling infraction.
  13. Student Suspensions per LAUSD/UTLA Contract
  14. “Notification of student suspension” must be filled out for every time a student is sent out of your room to the referral room.
  15. Name of principal or designee – Tracey Smith
  16. Print your name next to your signature
  17. Place a check next to the reason (a – j)
  18. Give an explanation of incident on the backside of notice.
  19. Does not need to be filled out for a student being sent to a “buddy” room.
  20. Students are to only be sent to the referral room – not to any other office.
  21. In criminal or other severe situations where the student should not be released from direct supervision, teachers shall contact the site administrator for assistance before taking action.
  22. A copy of your notice will be returned to you for your records and will serve as the infraction notice.
  23. Per contract teacher must ask the parent or guardian of the student to meet with the teacher. Document the request and response on the suspension notice.
  24. Tracking – the Counseling office will track infractions school wide and provide a summary report to the Local School Leadership Committee (LSLC) at the monthly meetings.
  25. Review/Modifications – will be considered and decided upon at the monthly LSLC meetings.
  26. Suggestions/Input by staff – should be submitted in writing to the chair of the LSLC Discipline Committee one week before the monthly meeting.

9/30/2018