If I was a teacher that was obsessed with having high scores on my standardized exams, I'd be much angrier. I tend to lean more toward learning and enjoyment focused than scores focused. They don't have to be mutually exclusive, but when my kids performed lower than my expectations, but they still learned something and had fun doing it, I'm satisfied with that.
What is DAEP? It's the jail version of school. When students get banished from DISD campuses, they go here. I've never visited, but the frequent visitors tell me it's classrooms inches away from each other where your transition is only a few feet. No talking, no phones, no nonsense. They don't learn a ton there, they just wait out their sentence and are returned to the campus from whence they came.
Why is this a problem? They fall further behind there and that's part of the reason they were disruptive in the first place. Behavior issues come from a mix of internal and external factors. That's fancy talk for saying home life and self esteem. They are held for 30 or so days then they return and begin the same behavior they had when they left. Then they disrupt the other students until they earn a trip back.
I actually don't have a problem with schools that are more strict than others. Some of our students really need additional structure. Why should this only be a place stigmatized and reserved for the kids nobody wants? My campus already is that. Why can't DAEP be used as something more positive? Any ideas how? I'm all ears.
"I'm back mister! Did you miss me!?"
"No. Not really. But now that you're here, sit down and get to work. You're my student and I care about you. Let's learn."
Somehow they always make it back in time to reflect on me and my instruction despite being away from it for a significant amount of time.
There are some offenses or recurrence of offenses that should earn them a permanent spot there. More on that later today.