VA- 6-YEAR-OLD is in custody after shooting teacher

[shotgun09]

@shotgun09

This is interesting. I'm wondering how many schools have adopted
restorative approach, peaceful conflict and mediation. Moo

Safety director of Richmond Schools resigns after board members 'thoroughly disappointed' in his performance

The Richmond Public Schools Director of Safety and Security Mauricio Tovar has resigned, multiple sources confirm with CBS 6's Tyler Layne.

www.wtvr.com

It also follows a presentation Tovar gave to the school board on Monday that left some members "disappointed."

In the presentation, prepared in part by Tovar, the administration said RPS has transitioned from a "punitive" approach to safety and security to a "restorative" approach. Strategies related to a restorative approach, according to the presentation, include peaceful conflict resolution, mediation and de-escalation.


When board members, including Nicole Jones and Stephanie Rizzi, asked Tovar specific questions about how those strategies are implemented on a daily basis, Tovar was unable to answer the questions.

“He is the Director of Safety and Security and cannot speak to the processes in these schools when our young people are in crisis," Jones said during the meeting. "If he cannot tell us, that’s a problem.”

Wow!
From the article you posted, and RSBM:

"Data showed 43 weapons have been recovered from students on school property since the start of the 2021-2022 school year, and nearly 4,000 student behavior events of a safety concern were reported in RPS last year."

IMO, according to some..Restorative approach equals " He has small pockets" And, " "His mother is coming to pick him up soon."

This is mumbo jumbo nonsense, and IMO should end today.

 

[Simply Southern]

It was clear early on that this school had a restorative justice program. One of the first quotes from the school was from the RJ Supervisor. There's a link at the beginning of this thread.

Many schools have adopted this approach. I know the school where the child was beat on the bus this week has used this approach for years (Broward District). Additionally, some states are making part of law, like California, for example.

I understand the purpose of RJ, but I have yet to see studies which proved positive outcomes. Perhaps those studies exist.

That said, I'm not sure there are studies as to what kind of effect this process has on children who DO NOT have behavioral issues.

Further, I'd expect this approach ties the hands of staff, who in a normal situation, would call LE. The purpose of this approach is to limit these behavioral kids to LE exposure ...so .....?

Moo...we are reaching a boiling point in some districts. Here a record report in our capital area. We have a serious problem, and its state wide.

School districts provided the following data on weapons offenses for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school year:

• 43 weapons were recovered from Richmond Public Schools. RPS did not specify how many of those weapons were firearms.
• 33 weapons were recovered from Hanover Public Schools. None of them included firearms.
• 119 weapons were recovered from Henrico Public Schools, including 13 guns.

Tracking weapons found at metro Richmond schools; how expert says schools can improve security

A teacher shot, a student stabbed, and loaded guns taken into classrooms. All recently made headlines in Virginia, causing safety concerns among parents and school leaders.

www.wtvr.com

 

[YepperBepper]

Moo...we are reaching a boiling point in some districts. Here a record report in our capital area. We have a serious problem, and its state wide.

School districts provided the following data on weapons offenses for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school year:

• 43 weapons were recovered from Richmond Public Schools. RPS did not specify how many of those weapons were firearms.
• 33 weapons were recovered from Hanover Public Schools. None of them included firearms.
• 119 weapons were recovered from Henrico Public Schools, including 13 guns.

Tracking weapons found at metro Richmond schools; how expert says schools can improve security

A teacher shot, a student stabbed, and loaded guns taken into classrooms. All recently made headlines in Virginia, causing safety concerns among parents and school leaders.

www.wtvr.com

I'd love to see followup reporting on this that tells us:

A. Was LE called?

B. What were the consequences for the student?

B. Was the student permitted back in class? If so, when?

 

[Stunned]

It was clear early on that this school had a restorative justice program. One of the first quotes from the school was from the RJ Supervisor. There's a link at the beginning of this thread.

Many schools have adopted this approach. I know the school where the child was beat on the bus this week has used this approach for years (Broward District). Additionally, some states are making part of law, like California, for example.

I understand the purpose of RJ, but I have yet to see studies which proved positive outcomes. Perhaps those studies exist.

That said, I'm not sure there are studies as to what kind of effect this process has on children who DO NOT have behavioral issues.

Further, I'd expect this approach ties the hands of staff, who in a normal situation, would call LE. The purpose of this approach is to limit these behavioral kids to LE exposure ...so .....?

Wasn’t the bus incident in a Miami Dade County Charter School?

 

[YepperBepper]

Wasn’t the bus incident in a Miami Dade County Charter School?

Sorry. It is Miami Dade. Apologies. To my knowledge, in Florida, charter schools are overseen by the school board in the county in which they are, the teachers are public school teachers and they have to abide by certain statutes and requirements.

Miami Dade School Board is responsible for overseeing this school.

Boy 15, charged with battery in beating of girl, 9, inside school bus in Homestead

Teen was reportedly caught on camera pummeling the girl on the bus

www.cbsnews.com

Therefore, I made assumptions. I may be wrong. IMHO

https://www.poweru.org/restorative-justice-in-miami-dade-schools/

 

[IDK]

Wow excellent article in “Washington post” yesterday. They interviewed 34 people (teachers, parents, etc) associated with the case. Admin was blaming the teacher for the boy’s behavior. Haven’t read the whole thing yet, but wanted to share:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/10/richneck-elementary-school-shooting-timeline-warnings/

“Abigail Zwerner was frustrated.
It was Jan. 4. A 6-year-old in her first-grade class at Richneck Elementary School had stolen her phone and slammed it to the floor, apparently upset over a schedule change, according to text messages Zwerner sent to a friend.
Administrators, she wrote, were faulting her for the situation.
The 6-year-old “took my phone and smashed it on the ground,” Zwerner wrote in a text message obtained by The Washington Post, “and admin is blaming me.”
“Harold Belkowitz, an attorney for Richneck parents with a child in Zwerner’s class, said his clients’ child was physically and verbally bullied by classmates during the current school year. He said his clients raised concerns with Richneck and Newport News school officials “numerous times” but that administrators took no action to stop the behavior.”

 

[shotgun09]

Wow excellent article in “Washington post” yesterday. They interviewed 34 people (teachers, parents, etc) associated with the case. Admin was blaming the teacher for the boy’s behavior. Haven’t read the whole thing yet, but wanted to share:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/10/richneck-elementary-school-shooting-timeline-warnings/

“Abigail Zwerner was frustrated.
It was Jan. 4. A 6-year-old in her first-grade class at Richneck Elementary School had stolen her phone and slammed it to the floor, apparently upset over a schedule change, according to text messages Zwerner sent to a friend.
Administrators, she wrote, were faulting her for the situation.
The 6-year-old “took my phone and smashed it on the ground,” Zwerner wrote in a text message obtained by The Washington Post, “and admin is blaming me.”
“Harold Belkowitz, an attorney for Richneck parents with a child in Zwerner’s class, said his clients’ child was physically and verbally bullied by classmates during the current school year. He said his clients raised concerns with Richneck and Newport News school officials “numerous times” but that administrators took no action to stop the behavior.”

I wish I could read the article, as I hit the paywall. I am wondering if the reported " schedule changes" had anything to do with the boys behavior...as in some kind of specialized ABA type treatment/ class, which may have been the reason why he showed up to school "late" the day of Jan 6. Just my guesses..

 

[georgiajean]

I wish I could read the article, as I hit the paywall. I am wondering if the reported " schedule changes" had anything to do with the boys behavior...as in some kind of specialized ABA type treatment/ class, which may have been the reason why he showed up to school "late" the day of Jan 6. Just my guesses..

The Washington Post article was quite good. I was able to view by creating a free account with my email address.
I work in schools, often with students who have specific special needs. My guess, based on my experiences, is that the student was expected to be at school at 11 each day, as part of his modified schedule. He arrived just before lunch, and did the rest of the day from there. Afternoons are typically less demanding academically, so for some students, doing the afternoons works better than the more demanding pressures of the morning routines.

As for the change of schedule that precipitated the seizing and breaking of the teacher's phone? Having worked with many students who respond with big behaviors to schedule changes, it could have been as simple as "There is an assembly today after recess" or "It is too cold outside, we have to do indoor recess" or "Your Speech teacher is out sick and there is no substitute, so you do not have speech today." If this was the case, it sounds like the admin blamed the teacher for not preparing the student properly for the schedule change.

But in my experience, even when you lay all the foundations (First time you see the student, you sit down with them with their schedule so they can see the change before they get to it in their day, you prepare them, remind them, and ask them what they need to deal with the change, such as time on the swing, time in the sensory room, coloring, shooting some hoops, etc).... Even when you do all the steps, some times they still blow up uncontrollably.

I have worked with children like this child (as described) and they take a LOT of resources to support safely in a public school. The fact that this administrator did not want to pay for or did not have the money to pay for DOORS for the 2nd grade classrooms, tells me they didn't want or have the money to pay for what this child needed (Staff, supplies, safe spaces...), for everyone to be safe. That goes back to the school board, who make all decisions about allotment of monies.

The issues about the doors not being purchased (WA Post article), about the safety drills not being done at all for the 22-23 school year (Wa Post article), and about the failure of chain of command (why didn't the vice principal TELL the principal about the possible threat of a gun on campus?????) tells me the principal failed in leadership. That the principal was reassigned to another school points to a failure of leadership in the entire district. Vice Principals are often charged as the heads of discipline and behavior in a school, but the Principal is always kept in the loop about what is happening. If the Principal created a culture of "Don't tell me unless I need to know" and there was a lot of control and power issues among adults in this school and district, it was a recipe for disaster. Heads need to roll. A lot of them. This should not have happened.

 

[IDK]

I wish I could read the article, as I hit the paywall. I am wondering if the reported " schedule changes" had anything to do with the boys behavior...as in some kind of specialized ABA type treatment/ class, which may have been the reason why he showed up to school "late" the day of Jan 6. Just my guesses..

More info about the half day schedule for the 6 year old:

“The Post learned that the 6-year-old was moved to a half-day schedule due to poor conduct in early September, and was suspended for a day after slamming Zwerner’s phone. But educators had long been vexed by the student, who previously attempted to strangle his kindergarten teacher, according to two school employees and records obtained by The Post.”

 

[YepperBepper]

More info about the half day schedule for the 6 year old:

“The Post learned that the 6-year-old was moved to a half-day schedule due to poor conduct in early September, and was suspended for a day after slamming Zwerner’s phone. But educators had long been vexed by the student, who previously attempted to strangle his kindergarten teacher, according to two school employees and records obtained by The Post.”

That certainly is vexing. If choking a teacher is now an acceptable (yet vexing) behavior, especially in a neurotypical classroom, then I suggest that we have lost our way.

In our zest to "help" children with emotional disturbances (and Imho, that's what this sounds like), we seem to have surrendered our common sense. We seem to have decided to "help" severe behavioral children on the backs of all of the other children and teachers. I'd suggest that it's not helpful for the child with issues, either. Imho

 

[Lilibet]

Here is a “gift article” of the WaPo article linked above for those without a subscription.

https://wapo.st/3RSE75i

 

[Hexe]

That certainly is vexing. If choking a teacher is now an acceptable (yet vexing) behavior, especially in a neurotypical classroom, then I suggest that we have lost our way.

It would not be an acceptable behavior in a neurodivergent class either. It should be said loud and clear that the violent, often premeditated, behavior displayed by this child is not typical in any way for autistic or ADHD children. Whatever was the source of that violence I can assure you it was not any kind of neurodivergence.

 

[ilovewings]

Here is a “gift article” of the WaPo article linked above for those without a subscription.

https://wapo.st/3RSE75i

I was just going to post this!!!! jaw dropping information about this 6 year old as well as how the school has handled (or failed to address or properly handle) threats by this child, as well as other children in this school.

 

[YepperBepper]

It would not be an acceptable behavior in a neurodivergent class either. It should be said loud and clear that the violent, often premeditated, behavior displayed by this child is not typical in any way for autistic or ADHD children. Whatever was the source of that violence I can assure you it was not any kind of neurodivergence.

Thank you. I didn't know how to politely say this. I am the mother to two moderately autistic teen boys. I also worked in the special needs community for several years, albeit with teens and adults...Neurodivergent, Downs, IDD and medically fragile. We saw impulsiveness. We saw reaction to change of schedules. We never saw premeditation. We never saw purposeful acts of violence to hurt someone. When a person was added into the mix who had these behaviors (again, suggesting emotional disturbances or severe mental illness), their stay was short lived and required constant vigilance because our other folks were very vulnerable.

That's IMHO.

 

[fred&edna]

Uvalde Foundation for Kids pulls 'hero' grant from Richneck Elem.; Lawyer to oversee grant instead

The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, a non-profit organization, has announced that "due to developing circumstances" at Richneck Elementary School, it is cancelling the school's oversight of a "Hero" grant for Abby Zwerner, the teacher that was shot by a student on Jan. 6.

The foundation said that, instead, it will be working directly with Zwerner and her lawyer to oversee the grant.


*Also, there's a video at link

 

[Ontario Mom]

Here is a “gift article” of the WaPo article linked above for those without a subscription.

https://wapo.st/3RSE75i

A couple of thoughts stand out immediately after reading this horrifying article.

I honestly don't know the politically correct language so I can't even state my questions the way I'd really like to. However, it most certainly feels like there's some sort of socio/political favoritism sort of thing, happening here.

This clearly disturbed and dangerous kid and his family are being treated differently than in most cases any of us have ever followed.

The most obvious question is WHY?

 

[JourneyRain]

A couple of thoughts stand out immediately after reading this horrifying article.

I honestly don't know the politically correct language so I can't even state my questions the way I'd really like to. However, it most certainly feels like there's some sort of socio/political favoritism sort of thing, happening here.

This clearly disturbed and dangerous kid and his family are being treated differently than in most cases any of us have ever followed.

The most obvious question is WHY?

As someone who lives in the same general area, I often ask that too. Are his parents known in the area? I’ve worked in mental health for years in VA and I’ve never seen a parent in class as part of a BIP, 504 plan or IEP.

Mental health is an issue here. Reimbursement rate is atrocious for Medicaid funded programs or just school funded mental health needs in general. There are other schools that probably would’ve been better suited for him but time and effort and willingness for the city to fund it. The city I live in has better resources than Newport News does but there’s still issues. And waiting lists everywhere.

I know where he was sent initially after the shooting. I don’t know if he’s still there as I haven’t asked but I’m still perplexed why there’s seemingly no consequences for the parents yet. There’s going to be residual impacts from PTSD for a lot of those little kids. And that makes me sad.

 

[fred&edna]

More on the The Uvalde Foundation For Kids statement today...

The foundation’s founder, Daniel Chapin said part of those developing circumstances included the lack of accountability on the school’s part.

“If we can’t trust that the school will care for the concerns of its teachers to make sure they’re safe and are able to care for their kids, in all confidence I cannot put hundreds and thousands of dollars into the pockets of those same individuals that donors from around the nation are contributing,” Chapin said.

Chapin said he didn’t make the decision to switch the hands of the money on a whim and consulted many people beforehand.

“I’m looking at 32 emails from people that said we would donate to the fund because teachers deserve it like Abby, but not if Richneck oversees it,” he said.

He said to fix the longstanding problem of guns in schools, people must first fix their own internal issues.

“But we’ve got to start by being human beings and they failed in that aspect. They don’t like me telling them that, but that’s ok.”

Foundation cancels grant oversight from Richneck Elementary School

 

[Simply Southern]

Dbm

 

[Simply Southern]

A couple of thoughts stand out immediately after reading this horrifying article.

I honestly don't know the politically correct language so I can't even state my questions the way I'd really like to. However, it most certainly feels like there's some sort of socio/political favoritism sort of thing, happening here.

This clearly disturbed and dangerous kid and his family are being treated differently than in most cases any of us have ever followed.

The most obvious question is WHY?

From 2018 to 2022, VA Dept of Education developed new guidelines for schools and teachers addressing inclusion. Moo...