KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools students are learning online and district leaders say they have a plan to deal with issues of bullying and bad behavior.
School leaders explained they rely on a mix of training and technology to make sure issues are addressed and corrected.
Lisa Garcia Stewart with KCKPS said before the pandemic, students learned skills on how to solve problems and resolve peer issues with adult support.
If issues continue as students learn online, Garcia Stewart said technology is the next resource to find a solution.
“We have a bullying harassment report button on our district webpage. That's also in our parent handbook so that students know that we take all concerns seriously and they know when and how to report it. All of our school sites pushed out that bullying harassment report button so that it's on every electronic device that our students have,” Garcia Stewart explained.
The district said there’s a focus on social-emotional character development to make sure students learn the right way to behave with their peers.
If issues continue, Garcia Stewart said KCKPS will work to examine the root of the issue.
“We really want to first reteach the appropriate behavior and engage the parent. So this is a partnership. What's happening at home, what may be leading to that and what's really at the root of what's happening with the student. When you start with a progressive approach to discipline you really can get to the root cause," she said.
KCKPS said remote learning will take place for the first nine weeks of the semester. The district's goal is to have in-person learning in the second quarter.
