Student Behavior: "We're At a Crisis Point"--NEA

[Manonthestreet]

The abysmal decline in student behavior is a crisis. However much we talk about it, we don't talk about it enough. I read something stark on social media, but it's so true: in 2025, the very worst behavior in the classroom holds everyone else hostage.

This is slightly overstated, but only slightly: we MUST stop negotiating with terrorists in education. Because yes. When a child beats down others, spits, hits, kicks, throws things and destroys classrooms, they should not get a pass because they have trauma, "Big feelings", are dysregulated, or have "Special needs". They are terrorizing others. Felonies are felonies. And no, I'm not talking about what consequences are appropriate. I don't even care about consequences at this point. I just want us to acknowledge, as a society, that this is unacceptable, and it is harmful.

And it's not just me saying this. See below. I wonder all the time the stories kids will tell in 10, 15, 20 years, of how they saw the most violent behavior in school and no one did or said a thing. It will be blistering.

Student behavior has nearly overtaken pay as the top concern among educators—and it’s driving some out of the profession.

Today, 4 out of 5 teachers and education support professionals find student behavior to be a serious problem, according to an NEA nationwide poll of 2,889 educators on student mental health conducted last year. Some 81 percent of educators surveyed said students are acting out and misbehaving.

The result for educators? Stress, burnout, and persistent staffing shortages. In a 2024 survey by the RAND Corporation, funded in part by NEA, 44 percent of teachers cited student behavior as the top source of job-related stress.

In a study by Pew Research that same year, 80 percent of teachers reported they have to address students’ behavioral problems “at least a few times a week,” with 58 percent saying this happens every day.

The Survey Says: ‘We’re at a Crisis Point’ | NEA

Educators seek comprehensive solutions to address student behavior problems.

www.nea.org

I don't feel sorry for them, they helped create their own hell. I don't want to hear any whining.

 

[DGS49]

My experience in parochial schools is ancient history, and unrelated to even the public schools of the time, but in grade school it was not unheard of for a teacher - usually a nun - to administer corporal punishment. Usually it was paddling with a ruler or other implement. In my 8 years I saw it a total of three times, once to me.

In high school, there were two "Prefects of Discipline," one was a football coach and the other was a large fearsome Christian Brother who had been a Linebacker in college. But they didn't administer corporal punishment. In fact, it was their role to devise creative ways of disciplining those who were called to their attention. It might be doing a tedious academic assignment under their watchful eye, or doing fifteen minutes of detention, starting at 5pm. Once, they gave two fighting students boxing gloves and told them to have it out under supervision. The boys declined to do so, shook hands, and that was the end of it.

Would a Prefect of Discipline work in a public school today? Someone who was in charge of administering punishments to the students when teachers did not want to do so? I think it could. Retired cop, perhaps.

Why has the teacher here not weighed in?

 

[Unkotare]

Some teachers are bitter and resentful because they fundamentally reject the idea of inclusion. You see much the same attitude toward developmental challenges that some display toward non-native English speakers. These teachers feel ill-equipped to deal with these challenges and balk at being held responsible for educating ALL their students regardless. I guess they could try to get laws and policies changed, but it's not likely. For some, just giving up is all they can do.

 

[SweetSue92]

I don't feel sorry for them, they helped create their own hell. I don't want to hear any whining.

We're not whining. We're quitting, and no one is going into it. Then what?

 

[SweetSue92]

My experience in parochial schools is ancient history, and unrelated to even the public schools of the time, but in grade school it was not unheard of for a teacher - usually a nun - to administer corporal punishment. Usually it was paddling with a ruler or other implement. In my 8 years I saw it a total of three times, once to me.

In high school, there were two "Prefects of Discipline," one was a football coach and the other was a large fearsome Christian Brother who had been a Linebacker in college. But they didn't administer corporal punishment. In fact, it was their role to devise creative ways of disciplining those who were called to their attention. It might be doing a tedious academic assignment under their watchful eye, or doing fifteen minutes of detention, starting at 5pm. Once, they gave two fighting students boxing gloves and told them to have it out under supervision. The boys declined to do so, shook hands, and that was the end of it.

Would a Prefect of Discipline work in a public school today? Someone who was in charge of administering punishments to the students when teachers did not want to do so? I think it could. Retired cop, perhaps.

Why has the teacher here not weighed in?

We run schools like a customer service model now. To some extent that's not a bad thing, but teachers can not tailor their entire instruction/attention for one student, and that's what today's parents expect. So imagine a Prefect of Discipline calling a parent and the parent, denies and deflects. We even have some parents who say, "Between the hours of 8-3 the kid is your kid. Don't call me."

--Really

 

[Manonthestreet]

We're not whining. We're quitting, and no one is going into it. Then what?

Good for you. Private schools.......Home schooling....smaller schools who dare to enforce decorum...online learning..BTW I wasn't targeting you so settle down. We need to end politically correct indoctrination. Without discipline everybody suffers. Glad my kids are long out school. People don't want to discipline their kids they get what they deserve and then will whine about it.....He was such a good boy ooohhh lawwdie

 

[Unkotare]

We're not whining. We're quitting, and no one is going into it. Then what?

Lots of people are still going into education. Teachers coming out of college today are far less likely to bring a shit attitude that they should only have to teach the "low effort" students with them.

 

[SweetSue92]

Good for you. Private schools.......Home schooling....smaller schools who dare to enforce decorum...online learning..BTW I wasn't targeting you so settle down. We need to end politically correct indoctrination. Without discipline everybody suffers. Glad my kids are long out school. People don't want to discipline their kids they get what they deserve and then will whine about it.....He was such a good boy ooohhh lawwdie

Oh listen, we were thrilled when certain parents "threatened" homeschool/private school. Like don't threaten me with a good time! And you're right about the future of these kids. It's not looking great.

 

[Unkotare]

Good for you. Private schools.......Home schooling....smaller schools who dare to enforce decorum...online learning..BTW I wasn't targeting you so settle down. We need to end politically correct indoctrination. Without discipline everybody suffers. Glad my kids are long out school. People don't want to discipline their kids they get what they deserve and then will whine about it.....He was such a good boy ooohhh lawwdie

"Remote learning" was a disaster.

 

[Unkotare]

Oh listen, we were thrilled when certain parents "threatened" homeschool/private school. Like don't threaten me with a good time! And you're right about the future of these kids. It's not looking great.

^^^ Just the attitude you don't want a teacher to have.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Oh listen, we were thrilled when certain parents "threatened" homeschool/private school. Like don't threaten me with a good time! And you're right about the future of these kids. It's not looking great.

I gotta say I couldn't do your job.

 

[Manonthestreet]

"Remote learning" was a disaster.

Not for everybody obviously.....

 

[Unkotare]

Despite some of the whining you'll read here, most parents do care about their children's education a great deal and are doing their best under conditions that bitter whiners may have no idea of.

 

[Unkotare]

Not for everybody obviously.....

For the great majority, and most impactfully for those who could least afford the additional problems it presented. The nation's students are still working to recover from it.

 

[Manonthestreet]

For the great majority, and most impactfully for those who could least afford the additional problems it presented. The nation's students are still working to recover from it.

Which shouldn't have happened in the first place.

 

[Jarlaxle]

My Teutonic ***** of a 3rd grade teacher (Mrs. Stein) made liberal use of a 14" heavy wood ruler. She carried it about everywhere she went and was not afraid to use it.

Elsa, the She Wolf of the 3rd Grade

Our 7th grade gym teacher used a wooden paddle.
I felt it's sting just once.

Some kids need an occasional whack.

I wonder how often they beat on children just because they could.

I also wonder how often they slipped off to the rest room afterwards to rub one out.

No, not whacking. I'm not their parent, and I don't want to do that. But REAL consequences and REAL rules that can be enforced. And yes, teacher in a position of authority. Caring authority, but authority.

Some people just LIKE hurting children.

 

[1srelluc]

I wonder how often they beat on children just because they could.

LOL....I'd say that for the most part deserves had everything to do with it.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

Just before I retired in public schools, I did not even have authority over my own body. If I had told a child, "Do not hit me. Do not touch me. Do not hit me", I would have been scolded.

It's a horror show really.....I feel like I'm detoxing from it, and that's the truth.

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At least it's a little more civilized here in the small Midwest town where I live.

The high school girls are writing anti-trans graffiti in the bathrooms. They're not buying the bullshit!

I love it here.

.

 

[OhPleaseJustQuit]

seems it came full circle Sue.......

Teachers used to be the 'authority'......

~S~

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I can't remember ever treating a teacher with anything short of respect. I loved my teachers.

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[Jarlaxle]

LOL....I'd say that for the most part deserves had everything to do with it.

That's incoherent.