LETTER: Clark County schools and “restorative discipline”

I read with interest the May 30 commentary by Tara Raines on using restorative discipline rather than punishment in schools. As president, Barack Obama stated that school discipline unfairly targeted blacks and Latinx students and schools should relax holding students accountable. But when that policy was implemented in Clark County, serious incidents increased dramatically.

While I can see some of the advantages of restorative discipline, a more effective method would be what I call “preventive discipline.” A number of years ago when the Ten Commandments were removed from schools, the schools relaxed teaching the difference between right and wrong, common courtesy and being responsible for your actions. Discipline problems increased with no one telling students proper behavior.

Teaching these objectives should begin in the lower grades. The behavior that Ms. Raines seeks to achieve through restorative discipline works only when children are taught at an early age what is not acceptable behavior and the consequences of such. Middle and high school is not the time to try to correct unacceptable behavior that has been allowed in the lower grades to protect a student’s “self esteem.” Self esteem is earned through successful behaviors.