As a Teacher, I Know That Working With Students, Not Punishing Them, Is the Best Way to Manage a School. My Colleagues Agree

Read the entire op-ed by E4E-Boston member Catherine Kerr on the 74.

Numbers don’t lie. I learned this in the 16 years I spent in investment banking and the next 16 I spent analyzing my students’ data as a fourth-grade teacher.

But while I believe numbers, I don’t always have faith in the people who use them. A recent Fordham Institute survey of teachers shows how people can unintentionally misuse numbers to advance their ideology. Using questions and data that show that teachers are concerned about student discipline policies, the report claims that educators — particularly black educators — want students to be suspended more often.

This is not true. Teachers believe nonpunitive discipline is most effective for managing behavior and teaching students. We just need the support to make it work.

To read the complete op-ed, visit the 74.