I’m a retired urban high school teacher. And what you’re seeing here is the school equivalent of the police “broken windows” theory. According to that theory, if the police ignore petty crimes, greater crimes will follow.
The urban schools equivalent:
Students come late to class. Nothing is done.
Students talk on their cell phones in class. Nothing is done.
Students scream insults and threats at their teachers. Nothing is done.
Etc.
Is it any wonder that urban schools are spiraling out of control?
And as a side note, the biggest victims here are the good kids who want to learn. Even in my worst classes, most of the students were okay. They made an effort. But the few disruptive kids were allowed to ruin everything.
God bless you for that.
I have a friend who does that. Says exactly the same thing. He's a big guy - nearly 6'4", 250 lbs - so they'll give him the classes that the little liberal women can't handle. He's white, and nearly all his students are black, but keeps control. He says the same thing - its always just a couple trouble-makers who disrupt everything. Focus on isolating and separating them.
Yes, Where I taught, (CA), each district had to form a “continuation” school where troubled students (and trouble making students) could attend and not interfere with students who want to learn. The students earned credits for minutes in class but had the priviledge of roaming or leaving school grounds if they wanted to. I taught a science class and found that my students attended about two days a week and we had no evaluations, or assigned reading. Just discussed science and demonstrated concepts.
While I was there we did not have riots, but I am Jewish, I doubt I would make that public if I were a teacher today.
And as far as that goes, it is not part of my teaching to bring up personal things, (math and science — remember).
One last thing, this was not my choice of an assignment, but our district was laying off teachers and I was picking up this assignment to see if I could stay in the district or have to leave. I ended up leaving and was offered a job in the aerospace industry even though I loved teaching, it turns out I also enjoyed electronic engineering as well.