WOODBURN, Ore. — Educators in the Woodburn School District are seeing an increase in classroom disruptions from students across the district and are hoping to find a solution.
For many students and families, Monday kicks off the start of spring break in the Woodburn School District. As for teachers and staff in the district, it's a chance to recuperate before an end year push while providing a chance to analyze problems.
"Everybody's just overwhelmed," said the President of the Woodburn Teacher's Union Tony Salm.
Salm said this year, there's more disruptions than ever before. "When you have severe behaviors repetitively it becomes impossible for other students to learn," he said.
Severe behavior such as threats, and fights in middle and high school with problems in elementary school too.
"There have been issues with teachers being pushed, kicked, bitten," Salm said.
Teachers have said there are more students who are developmentally behind, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"And so it's not that they are bad kids by any means, we love our kids," said Catherine Celestino, a teacher at Lincoln Elementary. "But these are kids who haven't learned to be social."
Celestino has taught at at Lincoln Elementary for 25 years, she currently teaches second graders simple skills such as standing in line — skills her students don't know after preschool remote learning.
Celestino and Salm said when there are disruptions, there is not a clear plan from the district.
"There's a sense that the district as a whole doesn't really have a handle on the situation," Salm said.
He also said that referrals from teachers are often not followed up on by administrators, leaving some behaviors unpunished. "These kinds of issues have been coming up at all levels of our district," Salm said.
Salm said this makes it harder for parents to encourage attendance.
Lesly Munoz, a parent of a student in the district, said her daughter "continuously does not want to go to school."
In an email, the Woodburn superintendent said the district has adjusted to post-pandemic learning by adding more support staff and a multi-tiered system of support to address student behavior.
Though to some within the district — it's not effective.
"It's not working," Salam said.