[8/7/03]With students due Monday, the new superintendent of public schools here met with teachers Wednesday and laid out his plans, including sweeping changes in discipline.

In his address at the Vicksburg Warren School District’s annual convocation, Superintendent James Price said to teachers and administrators, “Take this message with you into the community: We’re going to hold ourselves accountable, but we’re going to hold the other two entities accountable with us.”

The teachers erupted in applause.

Price has said his administration, which began July 1 with Donald Oakes’ retirement June 30, will focus on having students and their families, the schools and the community answer for what takes place in schools.

Veteran educator Sandra Sherrill said she believes the plan set forth by Price is real.

“I’m happy to hear he’s involving the parents,” the Redwood Elementary teacher said.

And Angela Graves, a 6th-grade math, science and social studies teacher at Vicksburg Intermediate, agreed with Price’s discussion of disciplinary problems in schools.

“I think he has a very good plan that will do wonders for the school district,” Graves said. “I’m looking forward to seeing it implemented.”

Price, the fifth superintendent of the countywide district created in 1986, pointed out that 95 percent of students present no discipline problem and the remaining 5 percent would be dealtwith in fast, fair and defined ways.

In the new procedures, behavior problems will first be dealt with by parents and school officials. If a problem persists, behavior specialists or school counselors will get involved. And eventually, a discipline review chairman will meet with school officials and parents to sign a contract stating that parents are to notify the youth court administrator if a student is sent to the office again. A social worker may be assigned at this point.

A student can be sent to the discipline review chairman for nine days of suspension, nine status offenses, three critical behavior events or at least nine days of suspect absences.

The policy states that a status offense “is any act that is disruptive to the education process, and that does not rise to the level of a critical behavior event.”

Under the previous district discipline plan, there were also intervention triggers, but the new ones start more quickly.

Price said an altercation, such as harmless pushing or shoving would be viewed as a status offense, but an actual fight would be considered a critical behavior event.

The policy states that if parents do not attend the meeting between the discipline review chairman and school officials, the chairman will notify the youth court administrator, who will contact the parents and student for a meeting with the county prosecutor, the discipline review chairman and court personnel.

Ultimately, parents and children who have not followed procedures will be assigned to the Youth Court Assistance Center at the former Grove Street Elementary School building. If a child is sent to the assistance center three times, and the teacher decides the parent or child cannot be helped, the judge will order the parent to home school the child.

Jerry Boland, honored by the school district as Parent of the Year, agreed with Price’s plan to involve parents.

“Parents should have been held responsible for their kids long before now,” Boland said. “It’s a good thing someone has the guts to jump out there and say it.”

Boland said he challenges each parent with children in the district to support Price on the issue.

“The only way it will work is if we get behind him,” he said.

For weeks, Price and Youth Court Judge Johnny Price, in office since January and not related to the superintendent, have said a more aggressive posture was coming for schools. The convocations are annual events at which all personnel of the 9,200-student district meet and are informed about changes and challenged to do their best as the school year opens.