Last semester, The Sopris Sun interviewed Joel Hathaway, the executive director of schools for Roaring Fork School District (RFSD). The purpose of the interview was to find out more about the average number of school fights that occur.
Hathaway stated that there is not necessarily data accounting for the exact number of school fights and offered to explain why.
“The State of Colorado has different codes that a principal uses when there is a behavioral incident. They don’t have a code that’s for fighting,” specifically, he explained. He added that there are codes for things such as smoking, bullying and weapons.
“Most of the time for fighting, we use a code called ‘detrimental behavior.’” He went on to explain that other forms of misconduct are also categorized as detrimental behavior.
As of Feb. 22, there had been 239 detrimental behavior coded incidents across all RFSD schools for the current school year, compared to 212 cases for the entirety of 2022-2023. The district also has a code called “physical aggression,” Hathaway clarified. From August through October 2023, there had been 34 documented instances of “physical aggression,” compared to 26 in 2022 during the same period.
A principal or school administrator will determine if any given case qualifies as physical aggression or not. However, the principal might look at it from a different perspective than the students involved. For example, if two students were horsing around the principal might consider that as physical aggression.
Hathway explained that the school has a tool called a “response matrix” to help make sure no one is discriminated against based on race, gender, language, sexual orientation, religion and so on. “We want things to be fair and even, no matter who you are. We want to try to eliminate the potential for unconscious bias when people deal with incidents,” he stated.
The school uses restorative practices to try to reach solutions. Hathaway explained that this may include “facilitating safe, brave conversations with the people who were involved so that they can work it out appropriately.”
Another element of restorative response is making it up to the community, which can be done by giving an apology. When Hathaway goes into a mediation, he goes in with four questions: 1) What happened? 2) Who do you think was affected by what happened? 3) What part can you take responsibility for? 4) What should we do to fix it?
Hathaway understands that a student might act out because something may be going on at home or in their personal life and they are, in a way, trying to ask for help when they might not know how else to get it. In such an instance, the school may recommend that the student visit a school counselor.
“I think that the issue is bigger than just fighting. I think the issue is that many people, especially kids right now, have gone through a lot of things in their lives that are hard,” said Hathaway. “There are a lot of people who are hurting inside.”
When it calls for it, a student may receive in-school suspension “or even out of school suspension, if it’s really serious,” stated Hathaway. This year, there has been a 50% reduction in incidents leading to out of school suspensions in district high schools compared to last year at this time.
If a student continues a pattern of aggressive behavior, the school may gather a large group — from the principal, to parents and counselors — to develop what’s termed a “wraparound” plan.
Hathaway said that parents or guardians are some of the first people to be notified and are key to addressing their child’s behavior. “In most cases, family is the most important part of solving these issues. You need family support and family help. The school needs it and the kid needs it,” he stated.
From a big-picture perspective, Hathaway said that it’s important for students to feel a sense of belonging at school. The administration can help with that by offering clubs and other activities where students can make friends who share common interests.
He added that it’s important to have teachers and administrators who are trusted by their students. The presence of therapists and counselors for younger students in elementary schools can help instill that trust, so when they get older they know that resource is there.
“All of those things help build a culture in schools that make the school experience better for kids,” concluded Hathaway, which leads to fewer fights.