Schools in the Manchester, New Hampshire district reported 450 claims for worker’s compensation for teachers and other employees in 2008 and 2009, with more than half of injuries linking to a student, according to a recent article.
These incidents, many of which were caused by students who exhibited “aggressive behavior,” have cost local taxpayers a reported $317,000.
As a result of these incidents, district superintendent Tom Brennan has increased efforts to train teachers how to handle students, including bringing in a consultant to organize training sessions at every school. As a result, the number of worker’s compensation claims has dropped from 45 last September to 15 this March.
The district first made an effort to train faculty on how to handle aggressive students about 10 years ago, by certifying some staff members to teach CPI’s Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training program. The program was well-received, but the district has since stopped funding the training. A single educator, Amy Kramer of Southside Middle School, remains certified to teach the course. She has held several trainings this year. This spring the district applied for a grant to train more faculty members in the program.
The district has also adopted other methods to reduce violence in the schools. At Southside, these include smaller class size and a self-contained program for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Students can also earn points for good behavior that they can use towards time spent on activities they enjoy.
According to Karen Burkush, assistant superintendent for the district, the students are responding well to the new system.
View City Takes on Student-On-Faculty Violence in its entirety.
