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César Chávez K-8 School isn't the only one in Portland Public Schools to discipline students in ways that run counter to the district's own policies, according to an email newly released to WW.
New records released by PPS show a parent of one student at Chief Joseph Elementary School says her child was made to run laps as punishment—even though the district's rule prohibit it.
Last month, WW exposed a "community service" program at César Chavéz that required misbehaving children—including some as young as 7— to pick up dirty paper towels in bathrooms, collect trash on school grounds and clean doorknobs. The program is part of PPS's efforts to reduce out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, punishments that hit minority students and special education students disproportionately.
The kids' offenses included making crude gestures with fruit and playing four square too aggressively. PPS
officials defended the program, calling it "restitution." But
restitution is defined in the handbook as repayment for lost or damaged
property. Nowhere in the handbook does it outline cleaning as an
appropriate punishment for defiance, bullying or other common forms of
misbehavior. César Chávez stopped the practice after WW's March 11 story.
PPS officials redacted the email released to WW. As of Friday morning, neither spokesperson for PPS, Christine Miles or Jon Isaacs, had responded to a request for comment from Thursday afternoon. WW wanted to know when the incident occurred and whether it happened as the mother claimed. We'll update the story if we get a response. Update Friday at 1:30 pm: Isaacs tells WW he can't comment on an individual student's situation. "It was not and is not a practice at Chief Joseph/Ockley Green school to have children run laps as a form of punishment," he says.
Here is the email:
WWeek 2015