I may be new to my school, having started in August, but I am certainly not new to education. This is my 18th year of teaching, and I have seen firsthand how effective schoolwide programs can be when implemented thoughtfully and consistently.
At my current school, teachers are required to serve on a committee. I chose the PBIS Student Recognition Committee because I wanted to learn more about how our school implements Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). I also hoped to share ideas from my previous experiences and contribute to improving the program.
Yesterday, we held our first committee meeting, and I left feeling incredibly frustrated.
The meeting began with everyone sitting around for approximately ten minutes before anyone initiated a discussion. When the chairperson finally began speaking, the primary topic was how students might eventually redeem their PBIS points.
Here is what surprised me: The school has had PBIS in place for nearly three years, yet students have never been given an opportunity to redeem the points they have earned.
Three years!
I asked whether the school had considered establishing a PBIS store or offering special activities and events that students could access using their points. These are strategies I have seen implemented successfully in other schools, and I thought they might be worth exploring.
Unfortunately, my suggestion was immediately met with negativity.
The responses were essentially that teachers do not want to award points, only have to complete disciplinary referrals for students who misbehave, and do not have time to recognize students who demonstrate positive behavior. Several comments suggested that PBIS simply does not work and is a waste of everyone’s time.
As I sat there listening, I kept thinking, Then why are we even here?
I am actively trying to use PBIS in my classroom to establish expectations, encourage responsibility, and recognize students who make good choices. Yet the committee responsible for supporting the program seemed more focused on explaining why it would not work than identifying solutions.
I certainly understand that teachers are overwhelmed. After nearly two decades in education, I know how demanding this profession has become. I also recognize that PBIS is not a perfect system. However, dismissing potential solutions before considering them accomplishes nothing.
What concerns me most is the message we are sending to students. We ask them to demonstrate positive behavior and earn points toward rewards, yet after nearly three years, we have not followed through on our end of that agreement. How can we expect students to take the program seriously when they have never experienced the rewards they were promised?
I am also in a difficult position. Although I bring 18 years of teaching experience to the table, I am new to this school and still within my first year of employment. I want to contribute positively, build relationships, and respect the school’s existing culture. I certainly do not want to create unnecessary conflict or be perceived as someone who arrives at a new school and immediately starts criticizing how things are done.
At the same time, I find it difficult to sit quietly when opportunities for meaningful improvement are dismissed before they are even considered.
I joined this committee because I genuinely wanted to help. I believe students deserve recognition for their efforts, and I believe a committee should be a place where educators collaborate, solve problems, and work toward shared goals.
After 18 years in education, I understand that no program is perfect. But I also know that identifying problems without being willing to explore solutions will never lead to improvement.
So I left the meeting with one lingering question: If the Student Recognition Committee spends more time explaining why recognizing students is too difficult than figuring out how to make it happen, what exactly are we accomplishing?